Chip-based high-precision fluorescent fiber-optic temperature sensor

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Sensor Technology
• Integrated Circuit Design
• Materials Science

Background:

• Fluorescent fiber-optic temperature sensors offer high sensitivity and wide measurement ranges.
• Noise from discrete components limits algorithmic noise reduction in conventional sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate an integrated chip for fluorescent fiber-optic temperature sensing.
• To evaluate the performance improvements of an integrated sensor compared to discrete counterparts.

Main Methods:

• A chip integrating readout circuit and LED driver was fabricated using a 0.18-µm CMOS process.
• An integrated fluorescent fiber-optic temperature sensor was constructed using the fabricated chip.
• Performance metrics including noise voltage, fluorescence lifetime accuracy, temperature resolution, and measurement range were evaluated.

Main Results:

• The integrated sensor demonstrated a 12.18% reduction in noise voltage compared to discrete sensors.
• Fluorescence lifetime accuracy improved by 56.47% with the integrated sensor.
• A temperature resolution of 0.056 °C was achieved, a 39.13% improvement over discrete sensors.
• The sensor operates across a temperature range of -20 °C to 120 °C.

Conclusions:

• The integrated fluorescent fiber-optic temperature sensor significantly enhances performance by reducing noise and improving accuracy.
• The chip-level integration offers superior temperature resolution and measurement precision.
• This technology is well-suited for high-precision temperature measurement applications.