MEMS Chemicapacitive Sensor System for the Detection of Low Vapor Pressure TICS

Seacoast Science proposes to fabricate a detector system for the detection and identification of Low Vapor Pressure (LVP) Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICS). The proposed system will include a Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) chemical sensor array, sampling pump and a MEMS stacked hotplate preconcentrator optimized for the selective and sensitive detection of a variety of TICS that pose a threat to homeland security when in the hand of terrorists. Because of the long list and diverse nature of these compounds we propose a flexible system that allows for multiple modes of operation. The system will be designed for wall mounted or handheld operation and samples can be introduced by sampling ambient air or by direct input from a swipe. Ultimately this program will yield a small, rugged, lightweight, low-power system designed for continuous operation when wall mounted or handheld battery operation. Our MEMS chemicapacitor technology utilizes an array of surface micromachined capacitors optimized for LVP TICS such as pesticides, explosives and mercury. Our MEMS preconcentrator provides high throughput and high collection efficiency while using minimum power. In Phase I we will test our sensors and preconcentrator by exposing them to LVP TICS at appropriate concentrations under a range of environmental conditions.