Thermal micro-systems for gas monitoring

尽管所开发的技术可以应用于一系列其他应用，包括环境监测、卫生服务、工业控制、汽车、食品加工和安全，但本提案中描述的工作重点是适用于空气质量监测的气体传感器。与现有设备相比，该技术的优点包括低功耗、小尺寸和快速响应。这项工作的结果将直接引起使用微加工技术的制造公司、传感器和监测公司以及最终用户的兴趣。在这项工作中，传感器的工作依赖于混合物中单个气体对红外光的吸收来确定气体成分。红外光源、探测器和过滤器都可以被微加工，并有可能集成在一起形成一个气体探测器。这将有可能使设备更小、更便宜，并且需要更少的电力，从而实现电池供电的操作。该提案建立在卡尔顿大学在微机电系统（MEMS），传感器，热致动器和热探测器方面的大量专业知识的基础上，以改进当前的气体传感技术。这项工作的性质将包括开发用于热板、红外（IR）源和红外传感器的MEMS热隔离结构。该技术将适用于集成电子温度控制，源调制和检测器读出。加拿大的公司和工业发现有必要向国外寻求气体传感方面的专业知识。这项工作将有助于为国内传感器和监测公司和行业提供当地专业知识。这项活动将支持加拿大为所有公民监测和维持健康空气质量的义务。

The work described in this proposal focuses on gas sensors suitable for use in air quality monitoring, although the technology developed could be applied to a range of other applications including environmental monitoring, health services, industrial control, automotive, food processing, and safety. The advantages offered by this technology over existing devices include low power, compact size, and fast response. The results of this work will be of immediate interest to manufacturing companies using microfabrication techniques, sensor and monitoring companies, and end users.The operation of the sensors in this work relies on absorption of infrared light by individual gas species in a mixture to determine gas composition. Infrared light sources, detectors, and filters, can all be microfabricated and potentially integrated together to form a gas detector. This will potentially make devices smaller, less expensive, and require less power, enabling battery powered operation.This proposal builds on considerable expertise at Carleton University in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), sensors, thermal actuators and thermal detectors in order to improve current gas sensing technology. The nature of the work will include development of MEMS thermal isolation structures for hotplates, infrared (IR) sources and IR sensors. The technology will be suitable for integration with electronics for temperature control, source modulation, and detector readout.Canadian companies and industry find it necessary to look abroad for expertise in gas sensing. This work will help supply local expertise to domestic sensor and monitoring companies and industries. This activity will support Canada’s obligation to monitor and maintain healthy air quality for all citizens.