Ultrahigh Sensitivity Quartz Crystal Microbalance
Order of magnitude sensitivity enhancement
Sensors, humidity, environmental toxins, etc.
Researchers in UCI’s Department of Physics fabricated nanoporous alumina structures on QCM’s by electrochemically anodizing aluminum electrodes and have shown that these electrodes are very sensitive to the partial pressure of water and thus make excellent, high Q humidity sensors. By applying nanoporous structures as electrodes for QCM’s, using various techniques including evaporation, electrochemistry, spin-coating and selective etching the relative surface area is enhanced without sacrificing Q. The resulting sensors have orders of magnitude greater sensitivity than conventional QCM’s and work with two classes of materials, both condensable fluids (eg humidity sensor) and environmental toxins.
Tech ID/UC Case 20895/2008-166-0 Related Cases 2008-166-0
美国
