A sensor having a nanotube grown on and supported by thermal bimorph
structures. The nanotube rests on a heat sink during sensing gas or a
liquid and is moved from the heat sink when the nanotube is heated to
desorb gas or liquid from it. The heatsink may function as a gate along
with the bimorph structures as the other terminals of a transistor.
Current-voltage and current-gate voltage characteristics may be obtained
of the nanotube as a device like a transistor. These characteristics may
provide information on a gas or liquid absorbed by the nanotube.