Terahertz Sensing Substrate With Slit-Based Particle Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing terahertz molecule sensors face challenges in efficiently concentrating particles on a specific location for high sensitivity detection due to the coffee-ring effect, which randomizes the distribution of solutes or microparticles on the sensing substrate, making it difficult to measure and analyze solution concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A particle capture type terahertz sensing system with a metamaterial-based sensing substrate that includes a base substrate and a particle capture structure layer with slits, utilizing dielectrophoresis to focus terahertz electromagnetic waves and capture particles in the slits, ensuring that the convergence area of the waves matches the particle capture area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If solution-based sample measurement is performed without particle concentration control, then the measurement process is simple, but particles are randomly distributed due to coffee-ring effect making concentration measurement difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming a particle capture structure layer with slits on the sensing substrate before sample application. This structure is designed to concentrate particles in advance at specific locations, preventing random distribution and coffee-ring effect from compromising measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating a particle capture structure layer with slits at specific locations on the sensing substrate. These slits have localized particle concentration capabilities, making different parts of the substrate serve different functions - some areas concentrate particles while others maintain sensing capabilities.
2Measurement precision
If particles are allowed to distribute randomly on sensing substrate, then no additional concentration mechanism is needed, but sensitivity of terahertz sensing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The particle capture structure layer is pre-formed on the sensing substrate before particle deposition. This preliminary structure creates designated capture zones that actively concentrate particles, ensuring they accumulate at locations optimal for terahertz sensing rather than distributing randomly.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing substrate is designed with heterogeneous structure - a particle capture structure layer with slits at specific locations. These localized structures create regions of high particle concentration that correspond to areas of high sensing sensitivity, while other areas maintain their original sensing function.
3Power
If metamaterial is used to focus terahertz waves, then transmittance efficiency is enhanced 100 to 10000 times, but the wavelength limitation restricts focusing to very small areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional planar metamaterial structures to three-dimensional slit-based particle capture structures. The slits extend vertically through the substrate, creating volumetric concentration zones that can capture particles over a larger effective area while maintaining the focused terahertz sensing capability at the detection plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing substrate is segmented into multiple functional layers: the base substrate layer and the particle capture structure layer with slits. This segmentation allows the slits to perform particle concentration function while the metamaterial structures perform terahertz focusing function, with both layers working together to overcome individual limitations.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a high efficiency and high sensitivity particle capture type terahertz sensing system. The particle capture type terahertz sensing system includes a sensing substrate to capture particles, and a terahertz sensor to emit terahertz electromagnetic waves to the sensing substrate to sense the particles, wherein the sensing substrate includes a base substrate and a particle capture structure layer formed on the base substrate, the particle capture structure layer includes a plurality of slits for focusing the terahertz electromagnetic waves, the particle capture structure layer captures the particles in the plurality of slits using dielectrophoresis, and an area in which the terahertz electromagnetic waves converge to the plurality of slits matches an area in which the particles are captured in the plurality of slits through the dielectrophoresis.