Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MicroColGaSe (Monolithic MicroColumn Gas Sensor System: a system for portable low power high selectivity gas analysis)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2020-09-01 al 2022-08-31
MicroColGaSe (Monolithic MicroColumn Gas Sensor System: a system for portable low power high selectivity gas analysis) was 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 aimed at providing high selectivity MEMS gas sensors using a micro-column and micro-preconcentrator 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 was to enable monolithic integration of the main components of the above described system: gas sensor, microcolumn, and preconcentrator 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.
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 aimed at providing high selectivity MEMS gas sensors using a micro-column and micro-preconcentrator 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 was to enable monolithic integration of the main components of the above described system: gas sensor, microcolumn, and preconcentrator 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.
The development of buried microfluidics required fine tuning of the microfabrication process to allow the development of a monolithic device, which included microfluidics as well as multiple gas sensors. The fabricated micro-column was made with a microchannel in two layers to prolong the channel length in the limited area of the chip, whereas the produced micro-preconcentrator is made from a mesh of interconnected microchannels to increase the gas/solid interface area. The fabricated microfluidics is compatible with monolithic integration with the gas sensor, which is essential to reduce the production costs, the footprint and the thermal mass of the device.
The performed numerical simulations of the device were substantiated with experimental measurements and revealed an extremely uniform temperature distribution of the sensing material which is essential for improving the sensitivity of the gas sensor. The gathered results shall be available in a publication covering a multielectrode gas sensor platform.
The microfabrication process was designed as well as the entire experimental setup which includes the design and fabrication of the printed circuit boards, gas tight fluidic assembly, measuring and control equipment to ensure precise signal manipulation at a high-frequency. The experimental confirmation of a potential functionalization of the preconcentrator and microcolumn surfaces was performed.
The concluded results were presented and published in a paper, at the Researchers’ night, and on a conference with a rewarded poster. There are additional disseminations planned (5 papers and a conference) of which 2 articles on the topic of multielectrode gas sensing are in the final stage of preparation.
The performed numerical simulations of the device were substantiated with experimental measurements and revealed an extremely uniform temperature distribution of the sensing material which is essential for improving the sensitivity of the gas sensor. The gathered results shall be available in a publication covering a multielectrode gas sensor platform.
The microfabrication process was designed as well as the entire experimental setup which includes the design and fabrication of the printed circuit boards, gas tight fluidic assembly, measuring and control equipment to ensure precise signal manipulation at a high-frequency. The experimental confirmation of a potential functionalization of the preconcentrator and microcolumn surfaces was performed.
The concluded results were presented and published in a paper, at the Researchers’ night, and on a conference with a rewarded poster. There are additional disseminations planned (5 papers and a conference) of which 2 articles on the topic of multielectrode gas sensing are in the final stage of preparation.
The MicroColGaSe is expected to provide a key solution for a low cost, small footprint, and energy efficient gas sensing platform which shall enable its' use in consumer products as well as specific applications as hazardous gas detection.