Nanostructure Enforced High Resolution Microwave Smart Sensors: The Next Generation of Non-invasive Robust Portable Sensors

该研究计划将专注于纳米结构材料与微波高分辨率器件的相互作用，并将研究单片制造和纳米材料集成到高分辨率微波器件的可能性，以实现低成本，小型化，灵敏，选择性和稳健，最先进的传感器结构。传感器设备将与外部便携式处理器和显示单元（例如，智能设备和智能电话）。正交传感方法，如光学技术（例如，紫外光）将沿着材料研究，重点是微波读出技术，以提高传感器器件在选择性和灵敏度参数方面的性能。从传感的角度来看，与目前的微波传感器结构相比，该计划有望大大提高传感器器件的尺寸，同时通过将它们与纳米级材料集成来极大地增加表面积。传感器结构将极大地受益于作为界面层的纳米级材料，这不仅提高了传感器的灵敏度，而且还为传感器提供了对作为目标材料的特定气体或液体分子的适当水平的选择性。为了使正交传感方法，其他的效果，如局部表面等离子体共振（LSPR）的界面层，将研究在存在的目标材料，使用微波设备作为电子读出。装饰贵金属，如金，银，和铂，对界面层的电学和光学性质，从而对微波器件的响应的效果将被研究和调查。这项研究将照亮肖特基势垒的金属的界面半导体载体层结（这是3至4个数量级更敏感的化学电阻响应），作为敏感区的微波传感器器件。 该研究计划将促进一个全新类别的微波谐振器传感器元件和系统的多功能应用，如在生物医学和环境部门。相对于目前可用的微波感测技术，它将在灵敏度、选择性、分辨率和鲁棒性方面提供相当大的增加，从而导致微波传感器设备在以非接触方式操作的同时具有上级性能。该计划预计将产生手持、精确和实时的生物医学、安保和安全分析仪设备，这将有利于加拿大社会减少医疗分析的成本和时间，并减少不必要的病人到医疗中心就诊。该研究可以用于国防，医疗和天然气领域的传感器。

This research program will focus on the interaction of nanostructure materials with microwave high-resolution devices and will study the possibility of monolithic fabrication and integration of the nano-materials to the high-resolution microwave devices in order to achieve a low-cost, miniaturized, sensitive, selective and robust, state-of-the-art sensor structures. The sensor device will be communicating with an external portable processor and display unit (ex. smart devices and smart phones) through a wireless communication link. Orthogonal sensing methods such as optical techniques (ex. UV-Light) will be investigated along with material study with focus on microwave readout technique to enhance the performance of the sensor device regarding to selectivity and sensitivity parameters. From sensing perspective, this program promises to miniaturize the sensor devices considerably, comparing to the current microwave sensor structures, while increasing the surface area tremendously, by integrate them with nano-scale materials. The sensor structure will be benefited immensely from the nano-scale materials as an interface layer, which not only improves the sensitivity of the sensor but also provides a suitable level of selectivity for the sensor to specific gas or liquid molecules as target materials. To enable orthogonal sensing methods other effects, such as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the interface layer, will be investigated in presence of the target materials, using microwave device as the electronic readout. The effect of decorating noble metals, such as Gold, Silver, and Platinum, on electrical and optical properties of the interface layer and consequently on the response of the microwave device will be studied and investigated. This research will light up the Schottky barrier in the interface of the metal to the semiconductor carrier layer junction (which is 3 to 4 orders of magnitude more sensitive than chemoresistive responses) to be used as the sensitive region for the microwave sensor devices. This research program will promote an entirely new category of microwave resonator sensor components and systems for versatile applications, such as in the biomedical and environmental sectors. It will offer a considerable increase in sensitivity, selectivity, resolution and robustness, regarding to currently available microwave sensing technology, thereby leading to microwave sensor devices with superior performance while operating in contactless fashion. Handheld, precise and real-time biomedical, security and safety analyzer devices are anticipated as a result of this program, which will be beneficial for Canadian society regarding to reducing the cost and time of medical analyses and reducing the unnecessary patient visits to medical centers. The study can lead to sensors for defense, medical and natural gas sectors.