Design and manufacture of novel optical substrates

Objective

The problem with currently available chemical sensor technologies is that they fail to provide the performance required by industry. Precise analytical measurements are time consuming and therefore off-line and point sensors do not have the sensitivity or discrimination required. The prime proposer has intellectual property relating to an innovative new approach to optical chemical sensing. This has involved a top down approach to the architecture of the device in order to meet the substantial commercial pressure for improved chemical sensor devices. In order to exploit the opportunity to meet these market requirements the company needs to invoke a substantial multi-disciplinary materials technology programme. This will require the expertise and innovation not only of the prime proposer but also those of optical substrate and materials manufacturers and hence the partnership with the second proposer. This will enable the basic design approach and manufacturing strategy for such chemical sensors to be fully evaluated and optimised. In order to achieve this it will also be necessary to utilise University research resources and the substantial analytical capabilities of materials reaserch institutes in the European Community. This program of work, to address the opportunity made available by this innovation, will provide the means to manufacture the basic building block Of this exciting new sensor. The program will comprise of identifying a generic method for designing the basic optical platform for a given application, charaterising and identifying the most suitable materials of construction of the basic platform and identifying the most appropriate manufacturing strategy. This will provide substantial new market opportunities for the chemical sensor industry and provide new markets for specialist manufacturers, especially silicon foundaries.

Fields of science

• social sciences › sociology › social issues › social inequalities
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › sensors
• natural sciences › chemical sciences › inorganic chemistry › metalloids
• natural sciences › mathematics › pure mathematics › arithmetics › prime numbers

Programme(s)

• FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 0202 - New methodologies for product design and manufacture

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

EAW - Exploratory awards

Coordinator

Poly Optica Limited

Address

Keeper's Cottage
CW11 3QP Warmingham - Chessire
United Kingdom

Participants (1)

Custom Powders B.V.

Netherlands

Address

10,grasbeemd
5705 DG Helmond