Sensors small and numerous: always a winning strategy?

This paper deals with the problem of dimensions shrinking of some basic sensors in order to see whether or not this process may bring to us advantages in designing future sensor systems. In this context, after some considerations related to the sensor strategy adopted on behalf of living beings, the attention is payed on cantilevers and microphones similar behaviour, while more emphasis is given to the sensor-oriented MOSFET family, which includes ISFET and GasFET. Here the most relevant sensor parameter, i.e. the sensitivity, is considered and discussed as a key aspect encountered when the choice of the sensor dimension becomes of primary importance in view of both the sensor system design and the technology option.