Static and Dynamic MEMS Inertial Gas Sensors

We report on a wearable hazardous gas detection system. It combines high sensitivity with the ability to functionalize various sensors on the same chip with different detector polymers to target a range of toxic analytes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including chemical warfare agents (CWAs). The sensors were fabricated using a silicon-on-insulator MEMS process and can operate in both static and dynamic bifurcation modes. The experimental results show that the static and dynamic MEMS sensors equipped with the formaldehyde sensing polymers can serve as a detector for formaldehyde below its 2-ppm level of toxicity.