  Micro/nano electro-mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) are constantly attracting
an increasing attention for their relevant technological applications in fields
ranging from biology, medicine, ecology, energy to industry. Most of the
performances of micro-nanostructured devices rely on both the design and the
intrinsic properties of the constituent materials that are processed at such
dimensional scale. For this reason, spatial precision, resolution and
reproducibility are crucial factors in the micro-fabrication procedure. 3D
direct laser lithography (DLL), based on multiphoton absorption, allows to
realize outstanding three-dimensional structures with nanoscale features. This
technique has recently emerged as a powerful tool for fabricating 3D
micro-patterned surfaces for optics, photonics, as well as for bioinspired cell
culture scaffold. We propose a method for a two-step fabrication of
micro/nanostructured multicomponent systems to be employed as transductors, by
means of the integration of 3D DLL and shadowing effects in metal deposition. A
z-axis accelerometer is the proof-of-concept for the validation of the proposed
transductor. The former is composed of a cantilever patterned with conductive
paths which act as a strain gauge. Mechanical stimulation deforms the
cantilever and, accordingly, varies its conductive properties. The fabrication
of the conductive components is performed using the vacuum evaporation of gold,
a traditional microfabrication technique, and exploiting the shadowing effect
due to peculiar microstructures on the cantilever.
