Device having an array of sensors on a single chip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139382-B2
Application number	US-201815891709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2018
Priority date	Apr 13, 2012
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A nanostructure sensing device comprises a semiconductor nanostructure having an outer surface, and at least one of metal or metal-oxide nanoparticle clusters functionalizing the outer surface of the nanostructure and forming a photoconductive nanostructure/nanocluster hybrid sensor enabling light-assisted sensing of a target analyte.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. One or more nanoparticle gas sensors on a single chip, which sensors are configured to detect at least one type of gas, the device comprising:
a single chip having a first semiconductor layer on top of a substrate layer;
a plurality of semiconductor electrodes etched from the first semiconductor layer; and
an adsorption layer for at least some of the one or more nanoparticle gas sensors which adsorbs a first type of gas and a first interfering compound, which adsorption layer includes deposits of either (a) first metal oxide nanoparticles and second metal oxide nanoparticles on a first subset of the plurality of semiconductor electrodes or (b) third metal oxide nanoparticles and first metal nanoparticles on the first subset of semiconductor electrodes.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more nanoparticle gas sensors on the single chip are a same type of gas sensor configured to detect a single type of gas.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor layer is made from GaN.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more nanoparticle sensors on the single chip detect one or more of NO x , SO x , CO x , NH 3 and H 2 O, where x is an integer value.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the etching of the first semiconductor layer is performed using at least one of reactive ion etching (RIE) or wet chemical etching.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a buffer layer is provided between the first semiconductor layer and the substrate layer.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein all of the nanoparticles have a diameter of less than 200 nm.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate layer is made from one of Si and Sapphire.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of gas is at least two types of gases, the device further comprising:
another adsorption layer for at least some of the one or more nanoparticle gas sensors which adsorbs a second type of gas and a second interfering compound, which adsorption layer includes deposits of either (c) fourth metal oxide nanoparticles and fifth metal oxide nanoparticles on a second subset of the plurality of semiconductor electrodes or (d) sixth metal oxide nanoparticles and second metal nanoparticles on the second subset of semiconductor electrodes.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more nanoparticle sensors on the single chip detect two of NO x , SO x , CO x , NH 3 and H 2 O where x is an integer value.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein said one or more nanoparticle sensors exhibit a change in output upon detection of said at least one type of gas, said output selected from the group consisting of current, voltage and resistance.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein said one or more nanoparticle sensors enable detection of said at least one type of gas within a carrier gas of air, nitrogen or argon.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein said one or more nanoparticle sensors exhibit increased conductivity upon exposure to said at least one type of gas in the presence of UV excitation.

14. One or more particle gas sensors on a single chip, which sensors are configured to detect at least one type of gas, the device comprising:
a single chip having a first semiconductor layer on top of a substrate layer;
a plurality of semiconductor electrodes etched from the first semiconductor layer; and
an adsorption layer for at least some of the one or more particle gas sensors which adsorbs a first type of gas and a first interfering compound, which adsorption layer includes deposits of either (a) first metal oxide particles and second metal oxide particles on a first subset of the plurality of semiconductor electrodes or (b) third metal oxide particles and first metal particles on the first subset of semiconductor electrodes, wherein all of the particles have a diameter of less than 200nm.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more gas sensors on the single chip are a same type of gas sensor configured to detect a single type of gas.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first semiconductor layer is made from GaN.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more sensors on the single chip detect one or more of NO x , SO x , CO x , NH 3 and H 2 O where x is an integer value.

18. The device of claim 14 , wherein the etching of the first semiconductor layer is performed using at least one of reactive ion etching (RIE) or wet chemical etching.

19. The device of claim 14 , wherein a buffer layer is provided between the first semiconductor layer and the substrate layer.

20. The device of claim 14 , wherein the substrate layer is made from one of Si and Sapphire.

21. The device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one type of gas is at least two types of gases, the device further comprising:
another adsorption layer for at least some of the one or more particle gas sensors which adsorbs a second type of gas and a second interfering compound, which adsorption layer includes deposits of either (c) fourth metal oxide particle and fifth metal oxide particle on a second subset of the plurality of semiconductor electrodes or (d) sixth metal oxide particle and second metal nanoparticles on the second subset of semiconductor electrodes.

22. The device of claim 21 , wherein the one or more particle sensors on the single chip detect two of NO x , SO x , CO x , NH 3 and H 2 O where x is an integer value.

23. The device of claim 14 , wherein said one or more particle sensors exhibit a change in output upon detection of said at least one type of gas, said output selected from the group consisting of current, voltage and resistance.

24. The device of claim 14 , wherein said one or more particle sensors enable detection of said at least one type of gas within a carrier gas of air, nitrogen or argon.

25. The device of claim 14 , wherein said one or more particle sensors exhibit increased conductivity upon exposure to said at least one type of gas in the presence of UV excitation.

Assignees

• Univ Maryland
• Us Commerce
• Univ George Mason
• Univ George Washington
• The Us Secretary Of Commerice

Inventors

• Motayed Abhishek
• Aluri Geetha
• Davydov Albert V
• Rao Mulpuri V
• Oleshko Vladimir P
• Bajpai Ritu
• Zaghloul Mona E

Classifications

• G01N33/0044

  Sulphides, e.g. H2S · CPC title

• G01N33/0054

  Ammonia · CPC title

• G01N33/0037

  NOx · CPC title

• G01N27/127

  comprising nanoparticles · CPC title

• G01N33/004

  CO or CO2 · CPC title