Elevated Interdigitated Chemical Sensors with Shield Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chemical sensors are limited in their ability to detect a wide range of chemicals and biological materials efficiently, quickly, and sensitively, often requiring multiple sensors and being costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
The development of sensors with elevated sensing electrode pairs coated with chemical sensing materials, where the electrodes are suspended above a substrate with a shield layer to reduce stray capacitance, allowing for increased sensitivity and faster response times by enhancing the electric field interaction with the sensing material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensors are used to detect chemicals and biological materials, then detection capability is provided, but sensitivity and response time are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar electrodes directly on the substrate to three-dimensional elevated interdigitated electrodes suspended above the substrate by posts. This dimensional change increases the surface area of sensing material exposed to the environment and enhances electric field interaction, thereby improving both sensitivity and response time simultaneously
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensors are used to detect a wide range of chemicals, then detection coverage is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a single sensor device with multiple interdigitated electrode pairs, where each electrode pair can be coated with different chemical sensing materials. This allows one sensor to perform multiple detection functions for various chemicals and biological materials, eliminating the need for multiple separate sensors while maintaining broad detection coverage
3Ease of manufacture
If electrodes are placed directly on substrate, then manufacturing is simplified, but stray capacitance reduces detection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electrodes from direct contact with the substrate by suspending them on posts, thereby removing the harmful stray capacitance effect. The shield layer is also introduced to actively counteract remaining parasitic capacitance, preserving detection accuracy while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard fabrication processes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the detection of various chemicals and biological materials with improved sensitivity and response times, allowing for the use of a single sensor to detect multiple analytes, reducing costs and complexity while enhancing detection accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
detect one or more target analytes in a fluid through their interaction with a chemical sensing material in the sensor
Implementation Method 2
a shield layer is disposed in or on the upper surface of the substrate before or after the posts for supporting the drive and sense electrodes are assembled on the substrate. Such a shield reduces stray capacitance through the substrate, thereby further increasing the sensitivity and the response time of the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the field of chemical detection. More specifically, the invention provides devices that can detect various target analytes (e.g., chemicals and/or biological materials) present in an environment by adsorption or absorption of the target analyte(s) to or in a chemical sensing material such that an electrical parameter (e.g., capacitance, resistance, etc.) of the chemical sensing material is altered in a manner detectable by circuitry associated with the sensing electrode pair coated with the chemical sensing material. Here, the sensing electrode pair(s) of the devices of the invention are suspended over an inert substrate via one or more posts used to space the electrodes from the substrate.