Mechanically Resonant Chemical Sensor Arrays Based on Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers
Omer Oralkan
Project runs from 09/01/2013 to 08/31/2019
$719,459
The main objective of the proposed project is to develop a highly sensitive gas sensing system based on a mechanically resonant mass-‐loading sensor coated with selective functionalization layers. The mechanical resonator of choice is a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT), which is suitable for array implementation and achieves a high quality factor enabled by a vacuum cavity on the backside of a vibrating plate structure. The array approach is especially important to achieve high selectivity by functionalizing different elements of the array with different polymers. Our primary target analytes are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The presented approach is also applicable to biosensors by employing a suitable mechanical design and specific functionalization layers targeting biomarkers of interest.
