ChemBio Sensor: Porous Electrode, Vertical Nanowire
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Description:
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed through research funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a gas sensor composed of an array of vertical nanowires topped by a porous electrode. The sensor responds when a substance of interest absorbs on the nanowires, changing their electrical conductivity. The combination of a vertical orientation and a porous top electrode allows for simultaneous exposure and response from huge numbers of individual nanowires. Because of these attributes, the sensor provides a very high signal/noise and short response time. The sensor responds quickly and reliably to trace levels of NO2, NH3, and DNT, even in high humidity. Individual sensor arrays can be differently functionalized and used together in ensembles to achieve chemical selectivity for different substances in complex mixtures. Sub-centimeter scale is easily achieved, enabling portability even when using multiple sensor arrays. This innovative gas sensor architecture reduces noise and improves batch-to-batch uniformity with a simple, easy fabrication procedure. Experiments on sensing in liquids are pending, but expected to yield similar improvements in performance.Advantages/Features Include:
- Scalable production technique
- Capable of parallel batch production
- Produced with widely available tools
- Short sampling and regeneration times
- Reliable responses, even in humidity
- CMOS compatible
- Tailorable to the analyte
Applications Include:
- Chemical diagnostics
- Bio-diagnostics
- Biomedical applications
- Radiation detection
- Energy harvesting
References:
- "Vapor Detection Performance of Veritcally Aligned, Ordered Arrays of Silicon Nanowies with a Porous Electrode." Analytical Chemistry 83 (2011) 4724-4728.
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Contact:
Naval Research LaboratoryTechnology Transfer Office, Code 1004
techtran@research.nrl.navy.mil