Polymer-based optical sensor platform with integrated light source

如今，我们生活在一个越来越数字化和自动化的世界。传感器，特别是光学传感器在生物检测、药物开发、化学分析等方面的应用前景越来越广阔，发挥着越来越重要的作用。基于倏逝场传感的光学传感器为检测分布在液体或气体中的化学和生物物质提供了非常高的选择性和灵敏度。只需更换传感层，就可以在同一传感器平台上检测到不同种类的物质。遗憾的是，到目前为止，这种传感器平台主要是在刚性基板上制造的，如玻璃或半导体材料，制造成本较高，制造工艺复杂。本项目将在柔性聚合物箔上制作一个以集成有机激光器为光光源、单模波导结构、传感器系统和有机光电二极管的平面光学传感器平台。光抽运有机激光源是聚合物传感系统的重要组成部分，本文提出了一种新的电调谐激光概念。为了实现集成的目的，本项目将开发和优化新的制造工艺。采用这种制造方法，可实现高精度、低成本的聚合物光学传感器平台制造。一个由聚合物技术和聚合物加工专家（弗莱堡大学）和有机光电子专家（布伦瑞克工业大学）组成的团队将在这个项目中合作。

Nowadays, we live in a world which is becoming more digital-driven and automated. Sensors, especially optical sensors are playing a more and more important role due to their various application possibilities in the bio-detection, drug development as well as chemical analysis. Optical sensors based on evanescent field sensing provide very high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of chemical and biological substances distributed in liquids or gases. By simply replacing the sensing layer, different kinds of substances could be detected by using the same sensor platform. Unfortunately, till now, such kind of sensor platforms are mainly fabricated on rigid substrates, such as glass or semiconductor materials with relatively high fabrication cost and complicated manufacturing processes. In this project, a planar optical sensor platform with integrated organic laser as optical light source, single-mode waveguide structures, sensor systems and organic photodiodes will be fabricated on a flexible polymer foil. A novel electrically tuned laser concept will be developed for the optically pumped organic laser source which is very important for the polymer sensor systems. In order to realize the integration purpose, novel manufacturing processes will be developed and optimized in this project. By applying such kind of manufacturing methods, polymer-based optical sensor platforms could be fabricated cost effectively with high precision.A team of experts in polymer technology and polymer processing (University of Freiburg) and experts in organic optoelectronics (TU Braunschweig) will work together in this project.