Compact, Low Cost, MEMS Hotplate Sensors for Battery Offgassing Analysis

In this proposal, Alphasense Inc. and the Institute for MEMS and VLSI technologies at the George Washington University detail the development of compact, low cost MEMS microhotplate sensors for battery offgassing analysis. Key innovations of the proposed sensor include: a) the application of metal oxide coated microhotplates to ensure high sensitivity and stability, b) the application of a bi-layer structure and temperature modulation to enhance the sensor selectivity, c) the sol-gel sensor film fabrication process to substantially lower the manufacturing cost of a large sensor array; and d) the application of Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and Back Propagation Network (BPN) algorithms for pattern recognition and accurate determination of individual gas concentration. With these innovations, the proposed sensor will have the following merits: a) superior sensitivity and selectivity, b) capable of detecting a wide range of gas species of interest, c) compact and low cost, d) very low power consumption, e) standalone system, and f) robust and reliable in relatively harsh environment.