Project description
Developing high-selectivity gas sensors
Micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gas sensors have been researched and marketed over the last two decades, but their selectivity remains an intrinsic limit due to the nature of the detection principle. The EU-funded MicroColGaSe project aims to address this problem by providing high-selectivity MEMS gas sensors. It will therefore develop and characterise a novel microfabrication platform that enables the monolithic integration of a microfluidic separation microcolumn with a gas sensor fabricated with MEMS technology. This will result in a range of new enhanced sensors with a significantly reduced carbon footprint that will enable them to be embedded in consumer mobile devices such as smartphones and wearables.
Objective
MicroColGaSe (Monolithic MicroColumn Gas Sensor System: a system for portable low power high selectivity gas analysis) is an action aimed at the development and characterization of a novel microfabrication platform allowing the monolithic integration of a microfluidic separation microcolumn with a gas sensor fabricated with Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. A range of new MEMS microfluidic enhanced sensors can emerge from this platform. The primary result of this action is an ultra compact, low power consumption, high selectivity gas sensing system-on-chip. This novel integrated system is meant to enable high selectivity in mobile gas sensing devices which are forecast to become part of the consumer market in lead applications such as IoT, healthcare, environmental monitoring.
Although MEMS gas sensors have been researched during the last 20 years and marketed in the last decade, their selectivity remains an intrinsic limit due to the nature of the detection principle. This action aims at providing high selectivity MEMS gas sensors using a microcolumn to pretreat the gas sample and obtain flow separation of its components. This is already achieved in complex systems which require multiple separate components to be connected, obtaining bulky and power consuming devices.
Main objective of this action is to enable monolithic integration of the main components of the above described system: gas sensor, microcolumn, concentrator and filter - all in a single silicon chip.
The dramatic advantages of this integration are in the cost, footprint, and energy efficiency. In particular, the extremely reduced footprint will make it possible to embed these sensors in consumer mobile devices such as smartphones and wearables. A network of partners will allow a complete development and characterization of this novel device, leading to a demonstration unit that will be used to disseminate the action results and prove the potential of this novel technology platform.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternetinternet of things
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsmobile phones
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
38122 Trento
Italy