A low-power electronic nose signal-processing chip for a portable artificial olfaction system

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Current electronic nose (E-Nose) systems are bulky, limiting their portability.
• Integration with personal computers is a major obstacle to miniaturization.
• Conductive polymer sensors offer potential for compact E-Nose development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a miniaturized E-Nose signal-processing chip.
• To enable portable E-Nose applications by eliminating the need for external computers.
• To develop a low-power, integrated solution for odor detection.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip using TSMC 0.18-μm 1P6M technology.
• Integration of a multiwalled carbon nanotube-based conductive polymer sensor array.
• Inclusion of an interface circuit, analog-to-digital converter, memory module, and microprocessor with pattern recognition.
• Testing with three distinct odors: carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), chloroform (CHCl3), and 2-Butanone (MEK).

Main Results:

• Successful classification of three different odors by the E-Nose signal-processing chip.
• Demonstration of the system's potential for portable odor detection applications.
• Achieved low power consumption of 2.81 mW with a 1.8-V power supply.

Conclusions:

• The developed E-Nose signal-processing chip is suitable for portable applications.
• The chip's low power consumption and integrated design facilitate its use in system-on-chip solutions.
• This advancement addresses the portability limitations of existing E-Nose technologies.