@article{LI2026, 
author = {Changxu LI and Zhijuan SUN and Jiayi WAN and Xilin LI and Jian QU and Yi LIU and Yan LI and Jinjian LI and Shiliang QU},
title = {Three-Dimensional-Printing Micro-Spring Probe With the Function of Displacement Self-Detection for Micro-Force Measurement},
year = {2026},
journal = {Photonic Sensors},
volume = {16},
number = {3},
pages = {9560022},
keywords = {3D-printing, two-photon polymerization, spring probe, micro-force sensor},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/PhoS.2026.9560022},
doi = {10.26599/PhoS.2026.9560022},
abstract = {Accurate micro-force detection is essential for micro-operation and biomedical applications. However, conventional techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), are bulky and spatially demanding. In this study, we presented micro-spring probes fabricated by femtosecond-laser two-photon polymerization for flexible and precise mechanical sensing. The mechanical stiffness of the probes was tuned by adjusting the spring-wire diameter, with diameters of 2 µm, 2.5 µm, and 3 µm, exhibiting the corresponding micro-force sensitivity of −0.28 nm/µN, −0.09 nm/µN, and −0.07 nm/µN, respectively. The probes enabled accurate measurement of Young’s modulus of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), exhibiting excellent consistency with AFM results. We further proposed a fiber-based self-referenced displacement detection scheme that integrated sensing and reference springs, allowing Young’s modulus characterization without the need for a piezoelectric stage. With the growing development of the “lab-on-fiber” paradigm, the proposed micro-spring probe provides a promising platform for high-accuracy and compact micro-force sensing.}
}