Mass-sensitive detection of gas-phase volatile organics using disk microresonators

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pose environmental and health risks.
• Accurate and sensitive detection of VOCs is crucial for monitoring and safety.
• Mass-sensitive resonant sensors offer a promising platform for gas detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the detection of gas-phase volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using mass-sensitive disk microresonators.
• To develop and validate an analytical model for the chemical sensing performance of these microresonators.
• To determine and compare the limits of detection for specific VOC analytes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of disk resonators using CMOS-compatible silicon micromachining.
• Integration of resonators into an amplifying feedback loop for sustained oscillation.
• Coating resonators with analyte-absorbing polymers for selective VOC detection.
• Development and experimental verification of an analytical model for sensor performance.

Main Results:

• Successful sensing of benzene, toluene, and xylene was achieved.
• An analytical model accurately predicted the resonator's chemical sensing performance.
• Limits of detection were determined for the tested analytes.
• Performance was compared to other mass-sensitive resonant gas sensors.

Conclusions:

• Mass-sensitive disk microresonators are effective for detecting gas-phase VOCs.
• The developed analytical model provides a valuable tool for understanding sensor performance.
• These microresonators demonstrate potential for sensitive and selective chemical sensing applications.