High-Vacuum Molecular Micropumps for High Performance Gas Analysis Microsystems

高真空环境的产生在许多化学分析分析技术中是必不可少的，如质谱法，它构成了许多应用中的金标准。尽管在过去的三十年里，传感器分析系统的小型化技术取得了很大的进步，但由于缺乏能够泵降至低真空的小型化设备，真空仪器在很大程度上仍然没有实现规模化。在这项工作中，我们提出了微制造分子泵的设计结构和测试，可以达到几µTorr的微体积压力。我们相信这些设备将允许实现精密真空分析微型仪器的广泛应用。智力优势：化学物质的鉴定在液体和气体样品的分析仪器中是至关重要的。特别是，质谱仪是用于精确分辨物种的金标准仪器，但它本质上需要微托尔真空和笨重昂贵的高真空泵。20多年来，人们对实现低成本便携式手持气体传感微系统的兴趣推动了气体微泵技术的研究，但尚未生产出适用于微环境的微托尔微泵。高真空微泵的可用性是实现气体分析仪质谱仪小型化的关键。这种分析仪能够以前所未有的微型集成形式对化学、生物制剂和爆炸物进行高灵敏度检测。这项工作的主要目标是开发新的泵送技术和设备，以实现适用于分析微仪器的高性能微托尔真空泵。更广泛的影响：这个项目的潜在社会和经济影响非常重要。微型高真空泵是实现基于质谱的微型精密气体分析设备的关键部件。本研究的成功实施可以实现邮票大小的质谱仪。这种小型化质谱仪在生命科学和国家安全领域有着广泛的应用。目前，美国政府对探测和最终鉴定有害或危险的气相化合物非常感兴趣，如爆炸物、神经毒气和其他物质，浓度非常低，无处不在。该项目将特别在当地促进和发展一系列更广泛的影响和外展教育活动。特别是，我们将通过犹他大学纳米营吸引高中生的参与和意识，我们将向当地社区推广这项工作，包括当地高多样性高中（盐湖城东高中和西高中）。这些夏令营旨在吸引来自西部和东部高中校园的优秀本地高中生的兴趣。

The generation of high vacuum environments is essential in many chemical analysis analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry which constitutes the gold standard in many applications. In spite of great progress achieved in miniaturization techniques for sensor analysis systems over the past three decades, vacuum instruments have largely remain un-scaled due to the lack of miniaturized devices that can pump down to low vacuums. In this work we propose the design construction and testing of microfabricated molecular pumps that can attain micro-volume pressures of a few µTorr. We believe these devices will permit the realization of precision vacuum analytical micro-instruments for a wide range of applications.Intellectual Merit: The identification of chemical species is of vital importance in analytical instrumentation for liquid and gas based samples. In particular, the mass spectrometer is the gold standard instrument used for identifying species with exquisite resolution, but it intrinsically requires micro-Torr vacuums and bulky and expensive high vacuum pumps. Interest in the realization of low-cost portable handheld gas sensing microsystems has motivated research in gas micro-pumping technology for more than two decades, but it has not yet produced a micro-Torr capable micropump for micro-environments. The availability of high-vacuum micropumps is critical for the realization of miniaturized mass spectrometers for gas analyzers. Such analyzers enable high-sensitivity detection of chemical, biological agents and explosives in a micro-miniature integrated form never realized before. The principal goal of this work is the development of new pumping techniques and devices for the realization of high performance micro-Torr vacuum pumps suitable for analytical micro-instrumentation. Broader Impacts: The potential societal and economic impacts of this project are very important.Microfabricated high vacuum pumps are key components enabling the realization of miniature precision gas analysis equipment based on mass spectrometry. The successful implementation of this research can realize mass spectrometers of the size of a postage stamp. Such miniaturized mass spec has diverse applications in life sciences and national security. Presently the US government has a strong interest in detection and conclusive identification of harmful or dangerous gas phase compounds such as explosives, nerve gas, and other agents at very low concentrations in a pervasive manner. This project will specifically locally promote and develop a range of broader impact and outreach educational activities. In particular we will engage high-school student participation and awareness via the University of Utah nano camps, and we will promote the work to the local community including local high-diversity high schools (Salt Lake City East and West High). These camps are aimed to capture the interest of our excellent local high-school students from West and East high school campuses.