Resonant Capacitive MEMS Coupled to a T-Shaped Acoustic Cavity for Enhanced Photoacoustic Gas Detection

To address the lack of compact and high-performance gas sensors in the literature, a miniaturized photoacoustic sensor has been developed using a resonant capacitive MEMS specifically designed for gas detection. Its performance is enhanced by coupling it to a T-shaped acoustic cavity, which confines and directs the acoustic waves toward the transducer. Electrical and photoacoustic characterizations were carried out to determine the nominal capacitance and resonance frequency of the device. The acoustic coupling resulted in a significant improvement in the transducer's mechanical response, while the linearity of the sensor was confirmed over a broad concentration range. This improvement led to a reduction in the limit of detection (LOD) from 186 ppmv to 16 ppmv. In parallel, the Normalized Noise-Equivalent Absorption (NNEA) metric improved from 1.49×10-7W·cm-1·Hz-1/2 to 1.28×10-8W·cm-1·Hz-1/2, representing a 11-fold increase in sensitivity. Stability over time is confirmed through Allan-Werle deviation analysis, confirming the reliability of the signal over extended measurement periods. These results demonstrate that coupling a resonant MEMS transducer to a well-designed acoustic cavity is an efficient strategy to significantly improve the sensitivity of photoacoustic gas detection systems.