Micro and Nano-scale Photonic and Plasmonic Crystal based Thin Film Sensors

基于微米和纳米级光子和等离激元晶体的薄膜传感器

• 批准号: RGPIN-2014-05222
• 负责人: Sabarinathan, Jayshri
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Western Ontario
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=637223
• 关键词: Micro; Nano; scale; Photonic; Plasmonic

There is increasing demand today for portable, sensitive, fast and accurate sensors in various applications ranging from bio-medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring; for example to detect hazardous compounds or to sample and analyse nanoscopic volumes of biological molecules and fluids. Micro and nano-scale photonic sensors have emerged today as an attractive solution to address these needs. Several on-chip integrated photonic micro-sensor systems are being rapidly developed to address this need including platforms based on photonic crystals, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), optical waveguide, and optical fiber gratings. In particular silicon based photonic crystal and gold nanoparticle based plasmonic crystal sensors are capable of providing high sensitivities and flexibility in design for different applications while providing the ability to integrate with existing device technologies. However the reliable fabrication and integration are only now beginning to be realized and current research efforts are into demonstrating practical applications.The main objective of the proposed research work is to build novel photonic crystal and plasmonic crystal based sensors targeted for specific applications. The first aspect will be to continue development of a novel micro-pressure sensor based on a suspended photonic crystal waveguide fabricated using planar Silicon-On-Insulator technology for which a US patent has been filed. Miniaturization of micro-pressure sensors which are not based on electrical inputs are needed in several areas ranging from catheter based pressure sensors inserted in heart, cardiac ablation surgery and harsh environmental monitoring. Lab-on-chip devices also require embedded micro pressure sensors inside microfluidic channels for monitoring inlet and outlet pressures. In the proposed research photonic crystal micro-pressure sensors will be designed for these applications and characterized in our CFI based micro-sensor facility which has the unique capability of simultaneous optical and mechanical measurements.In another aspect of the research project, bio-compatible thin film polymers along with specifically functionalized surfaces will be incorporated into silicon based photonic crystal and gold nanoparticle based plasmonic crystals for highly sensitive and specific bio-sensors for cancer markers detection. We have demonstrated novel gold nanoparticle arrays with SPR in the near infra-red spectrum which are potentially more sensitive than their visible counterparts and also tunable based on array interaction. Thin-film pH sensors have been developed by combining bio-compatible hydrogels with photonic crystals, gratings and gold nanoparticle plasmonic crystals. Our current work to date has shown improved sensitivities and selectivity and ability to integrate these sensors with required detection targets. Working in the infra-red enables integration of robust photonics technology while attaining high sensitivity devices. The nature of the proposed research in interdisciplinary in nature requiring collaborations with the physics, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering departments at the University of Western Ontario and other university partners. Since an important aim of the proposed research is to produce micro-sensor platforms targeted for specific practical applications, collaborations with both an industry partner (catheter based micro-pressure sensors) and clinician (cancer marker detection) have been established. The significant outcome of the proposed research will be the availability of miniature, highly sensitive and specific optical sensors which are in demand for faster, portable and accurate diagnostics.

如今，从生物医学诊断到环境监测的各种应用中对便携式、灵敏、快速和准确的传感器的需求日益增加;例如，检测有害化合物或对生物分子和流体的纳米级体积进行采样和分析。如今，微米和纳米级光子传感器已经成为满足这些需求的有吸引力的解决方案。为了满足这一需求，几种片上集成光子微传感器系统正在迅速发展，包括基于光子晶体、表面等离子体共振（SPR）、光波导和光纤光栅的平台。特别地，基于硅的光子晶体和基于金纳米颗粒的等离子体晶体传感器能够在针对不同应用的设计中提供高灵敏度和灵活性，同时提供与现有器件技术集成的能力。然而，可靠的制造和集成现在才刚刚开始实现，目前的研究工作是展示实际应用，拟议的研究工作的主要目标是建立新的光子晶体和等离子体晶体为基础的传感器针对特定的应用。第一个方面将是继续开发一种新型的微压力传感器，该传感器基于使用平面绝缘体上硅技术制造的悬浮光子晶体波导，该技术已经申请了美国专利。在从插入心脏中的基于导管的压力传感器、心脏消融手术和恶劣环境监测的若干领域中，需要不基于电输入的微压力传感器的小型化。芯片实验室设备还需要在微流体通道内嵌入微压力传感器，以监测入口和出口压力。在拟议的研究中，光子晶体微压力传感器将被设计用于这些应用，并在我们的基于CFI的微传感器设备中进行表征，该设备具有同时进行光学和机械测量的独特能力。生物相容的薄膜聚合物沿着具有特定功能化的表面将被结合到硅基光子晶体和金纳米颗粒基等离子体晶体中，用于癌症标志物检测的高灵敏度和特异性生物传感器。我们已经证明了新的金纳米粒子阵列与SPR在近红外光谱，这是潜在的更敏感的比他们的可见光同行，也可调的阵列相互作用的基础上。通过将生物相容性水凝胶与光子晶体、光栅和金纳米粒子等离子体晶体相结合，已经开发出薄膜pH传感器。迄今为止，我们目前的工作已经显示出改进的灵敏度和选择性，以及将这些传感器与所需检测目标集成的能力。在红外线下工作可以集成强大的光子技术，同时获得高灵敏度器件。拟议的跨学科研究的性质需要与西安大略大学和其他大学合作伙伴的物理，化学工程和机械工程系的合作。由于拟议研究的一个重要目标是生产针对特定实际应用的微传感器平台，因此已经建立了与行业合作伙伴（基于导管的微压力传感器）和临床医生（癌症标志物检测）的合作。拟议研究的重大成果将是微型，高灵敏度和特定的光学传感器的可用性，这些传感器需要更快，便携式和准确的诊断。