STTR Phase II: High Resolution Spectrometer-on-a-Chip Based on Nano-Optic Plasmonic Device

这个小型企业技术转移(STTR)第二阶段项目是开发一种基于等离子体纳米线阵列的超紧凑、高分辨率和低成本的单片光谱仪。为了应对日益增长的对小型化非侵入性光谱传感器的需求，人们已经做出了许多努力，利用各种传统技术来实现光学光谱仪的小型化。然而，它们还不利于大幅度小型化，也不利于以低成本获得高频谱性能。与体积庞大、价格昂贵的传统衍射光学器件不同，所提出的纳米光学器件利用了金属纳米线表面和金属纳米线之间的间隙上发生的与波长相关的等离子体现象。这种单层纳米滤光片阵列有望克服衍射光学的限制，实现高分辨率的单片光谱仪。该方案是利用标准的晶圆工艺设计和制造纳米滤光片阵列结构，并将其与定制设计的CMOS探测器阵列集成在一起，形成片上光谱仪。该项目的预期结果是用于客户测试和评估的片上光谱仪样品，并以显著较低的成本展示了尺寸紧凑、小于5 mm x 5 mm x 2 mm的380 nm~780 nm波长范围内的高光谱分辨率(10 Nm)。如果成功，建议的超紧凑、高分辨率、低成本的单芯片光谱仪可用于各种应用，如高分辨率颜色传感、多种气体检测和移动/可穿戴健康监测。消费电子产品制造商、便携式医疗设备供应商和无线传感器节点供应商都可能是潜在客户。作为这些市场的一个关键组成部分，预计在2012年左右，拟议的单芯片光谱仪的总可寻址市场将超过10亿美元。考虑到拟议技术的可制造性和市场的准备情况，在2010年推出第一个商业产品是可行的。拟议的活动将有助于提高消费者色彩设备的色彩质量和色彩一致性，并有可能通过实现非侵入性、高通量、低成本的传感来促进个性化护理点、环境监测和国土安全。拟议的活动将进一步深入了解光与纳米结构金属相互作用时发生的现象，并提高纳米结构的大规模生产能力。该项目的成功完成还将在信息、生物和纳米技术的融合领域开辟新的应用机会。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project is to develop an ultra-compact, high-resolution and low-cost spectrometer-on-a-chip, based on plasmonic nanowire arrays. In response to the growing demands for miniaturized non-invasive spectroscopic sensor, there have been many efforts to miniaturize optical spectrometers using various conventional technologies. However they are not yet conducive to both dramatic miniaturization and also high spectral performance at low production cost. Unlike the bulky and expensive conventional diffractive optical devices, the proposed nano-optic device utilizes the wavelength-dependent plasmonic phenomena occurring on metal nanowire surfaces and the gaps between the metal nanowires. This single layered nano-optic filter array is expected to enable a high resolution spectrometer-on-a-chip, overcoming the limits of diffractive optics. This proposal is to design, and fabricate the nano-optic filter array structure using standard wafer processes, to integrate it with a custom designed CMOS detector array to form a spectrometer-on-a-chip. The anticipated outcome of this project are spectrometer-on-a-chip samples for customer test and evaluation, and demonstration of high spectral resolution (10nm) over 380nm ~780nm wavelength range in a compact size, less than 5 mm x 5 mm x 2 mm, at significantly lower cost. If successful the proposed ultra-compact high-resolution low-cost spectrometer-on-a-chip can be used in various applications such as high-resolution color sensing, multiple gas detection, and mobile/wearable health monitoring. Consumer electronics manufacturers, portable medical device vendors, and wireless sensor node suppliers can be all potential customers. As a key component to these markets, it is anticipated that the total addressable market for the proposed spectrometer-on-a-chip will be over $1 billion in around 2012. Considering the manufacturability of the proposed technology and the readiness of the markets, it is feasible to launch the first commercial product in 2010. The proposed activities will contribute to enhancing color quality and color consistency across consumer color devices, and has potential to contribute to advancing personalized point-of-care, environmental monitoring, and homeland security by enabling non-invasive, high-throughput, low-cost sensing. The proposed activities will provide further solid understanding of the phenomena occurring when a light interacts with nanostructured metal, and enhance the mass production capabilities of nano-structures. Successful completion of this project will also open up new application opportunities in the convergence areas of information, bio and nanotechnologies.