Optical MEMS for infrared gas sensors

The NEXUS market analysis for microsystems 1996-2000 states that a large growth in the market for microsystems for environmental monitoring is expected. One important product is reliable low cost gas sensors. IR absorption systems are attractive for this application, because of their excellent reliability, selectivity, and sensitivity. However, high production costs have limited the widespread use of these systems. In this paper, we present key components for IR gas sensors based on optical microsystem technology. This includes a micromachined silicon infrared source and a highly specific photoacoustic gas detector.