Imec and Holst Centre have developed a sensitive gas sensor device that uses piezoelectric elements to detect ppm-level concentrations of vapours.
Dubbed an electronic nose, the device uses structures called microbridges with embedded individual piezoelectric “shakers” in a high-density array with very high fabrication yield.
Closely-packed array of individually vibrated microbridge resonators can be used for separation of gases upon application of specific coatings.
The device is an alternative to chemical resistor or quartz crystal based gas sensors.
“The design allows for rapid coating of a range of absorbents on individual microbridges using commercial inkjet printing technology,” said the research groups.
The suspended structures vibrate individually, and changes in their modes of vibration (resonances) are monitored as an indication of vapor absorption in their coatings.
According top the researchers, the use of piezoelectric read-out schemes allows for low power operation.
The intention is to integrate the structures with analogue circuits and to demonstrate simultaneous measurements from multiple structures.