SBIR Phase I: Novel microscale composite fabrication process for low cost inertial sensors

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一种强大、简便、经济的工艺来制造分子电子技术（MET）惯性传感器的微尺度电极组件。这些装置基于电化学传感机制灵敏地检测运动。目前，铂或铂合金被用作电极材料。然而，铂的高成本是MET传感器的主要成本驱动因素。新的电极组件将包括玻璃碳电极和碳化硅氮化绝缘层的复合结构，以隔离多层结构中的电极。所提出的工艺利用这两种材料的聚合物前体，这些材料将在连续的层中浇铸并在适当的条件下烧制以产生所需的结构。在第一阶段，将与俄亥俄州立大学的Prakash教授合作进行一项实验性参数研究，以证明该工艺的可行性。第二阶段将致力于电极组件的制造、测试和优化，并制定大规模生产计划。该项目的成功完成将为现有MET地震传感器产品节省大量成本，并将为汽车导航和其他市场开发新的低成本传感器。这个项目的广泛影响/商业潜力在几个方面是重要的。开发的低成本电极组件可以全面提高MET传感器产品的盈利能力。MET Tech的初始产品是用于油气勘探的地震传感器，其服务市场规模为每年1亿美元。高性能、低成本惯性传感器的可用性还可以在消费电子设备中实现新功能，例如手机中的惯性导航功能。受影响的市场部门包括能源、交通、民用和军用导航以及消费电子产品。从更广泛的技术和科学角度来看，该项目将首次建立玻璃碳与绝缘材料共烧的能力，这将使新型复合结构和器件在微观甚至可能在纳米尺度上成为可能。这种电极组件可以应用于其他恶劣条件下的系统，如高温燃料电池、空间应用、化学加工中的腐蚀性环境，以及医疗应用，因为玻璃碳具有生物相容性。该项目还将促进学术和工业研究人员之间的合作，培训学生和博士后在微加工技术的实际应用，并创造新的高科技工作岗位。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a robust, facile, and economical process to fabricate microscale electrode assemblies for Molecular Electronic Technology (MET) inertial sensors. These devices sensitively detect motion based on an electrochemical sensing mechanism. Currently, platinum or platinum alloys are used as electrode materials. However, the high cost of platinum is a major cost driver for MET sensors. The new electrode assemblies will comprise a composite structure of glassy carbon electrodes and silicon carbide nitride insulating layers to isolate the electrodes within the multi-layer structure. The proposed process utilizes polymer precursors for both these materials which will be cast in successive layers and fired under proper conditions to create the desired structures. In Phase I, an experimental parametric study will be performed to demonstrate feasibility for the process, partnering with Professor Prakash at The Ohio State University. Phase II will be devoted to fabrication, testing and optimization of electrode assemblies and development of plans for large scale production. Successful completion of the program will result in substantial cost savings for existing MET seismic sensor products, and will enable development of new low cost sensors for automotive navigation and other markets.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is significant in several aspects. The low-cost electrode assembly to be developed can improve the profitability of MET sensor products across the board. MET Tech's initial product offering is a seismic sensor for oil and gas exploration, with a served available market of $100M/year. The availability of high performance, low cost inertial sensors can also enable new functionality in consumer electronic devices, such as inertial navigation capability in cell phones. Market sectors affected include energy, transportation, civilian and military navigation, and consumer electronics. From a broader technological and scientific perspective, this project will establish the ability to co-fire glassy carbon with an insulating material for the first time, which should enable new classes of composite structures and devices at the micro- and possibly at the nanoscale. Such electrode assemblies could have applications in other systems operating in harsh conditions such as high temperature fuel cells, space applications, corrosive environments in chemical processing, as well as in medical applications since glassy carbon is biocompatible. The program will also foster collaboration between academic and industrial researchers and train students and post-docs in practical applications of microfabrication technology, and create new high-technology jobs.