Fully Micromachined Cascade Impactors with Integrated Resonant Nanobalances

该奖项的目标是开发一种低成本的硅基微系统技术，用于实时监测空气中微/纳米颗粒的浓度和尺寸分布，以及对此类颗粒进行有限的成分分析。设想的成果是一种新的微系统技术，用于高度集成的颗粒监测系统。这种微系统可以是笔的大小，甚至更小，并通过在小封装中组装许多批量制造的硅组件来实现。该系统可以采样周围的空气，根据其大小分离空气中的颗粒物，测量每个尺寸范围内的颗粒的单个和/或累积质量，最后提供关于每个尺寸范围内收集的颗粒物的水分和有机含量的信息。粒子尺寸分离使用微孔串级撞击器，而微/纳米级共振质量天平阵列执行实时质量测量。在成功开发和商业化后，这项技术将通过使用低成本、轻量化的仪器对纳米级空气中颗粒物进行实时监测，从而彻底改变空气中颗粒物监测行业。潜在的应用可分为三大类：1.制药和半导体工业的受控环境/洁净室监测；2.矿山、建筑工地和纳米材料加工厂的工业卫生和微粒暴露监测；3.环境研究和空气污染监测。例如，洁净室设施或高颗粒物加工厂的每个工人都可以携带一种设想的监测仪器，以更好地进行质量控制或健康危害管理。监测大城市地区的空气污染是另一个可能受到这项技术高度影响的领域。

The objective of this award is to develop a low-cost silicon-based microsystem technology for real-time monitoring of concentration and size distribution of airborne micro/nano-particles as well as limited composition analysis on such. The envisioned outcome is a new microsystem technology for highly integrated particulate monitoring systems. Such microsystems can be the size of a pen or even smaller and are implemented by assembling a number of batch fabricated silicon components within a small package. The system can sample the surrounding air, separate airborne particles based on their size, measure the individual and/or cumulative mass of particles in each size range, and finally provide information on the water and organic content of the collected particulate matter in each size range. Particle size segregation is performed using micro-orifice cascade impactors while arrays of micro/nanoscale resonating mass balances perform the real time mass measurement.Upon successful development and commercialization, this technology could revolutionize the airborne particulate monitoring industry by enabling real time monitoring of nanoscale airborne particles down to a few nanometers size range using low cost, light weight instruments. Potential applications can be divided into three main categories: 1. Controlled environment/cleanroom monitoring for pharmaceutical and semiconductor industry; 2. Industrial hygiene and particulate exposure monitoring in mines, construction sites, and nanomaterial processing plants; 3. Environmental research and air pollution monitoring. For example, every worker in a cleanroom facility or high particulate processing plant could carry one of the envisioned monitoring instruments for better quality control or health hazard management. Monitoring of air pollution in large metropolitan areas is another area that could be highly impacted by this technology.