Scientists create next-generation mid-infrared optical chemical sensors

February 18, 2024

The French Atomic Energy Commission's Electronics and Information Technology Laboratory (CEA-Leti) has developed a prototype of the next generation of optical chemical sensors using mid-infrared silicon photonics technology that can be integrated into smartphones and other portable devices.

Mid-infrared chemical sensors operate at a spectral range of 2.5 to 12 um and are considered to be at the forefront of innovative silicon photonic devices. In less than a decade, chemical sensing has become one of the key applications for these devices due to the growing potential of spectroscopy, materials processing, chemical and biomolecular sensing, and safety and industrial applications.

Measurements in the mid-infrared spectral range provide highly selective, highly sensitive and unambiguous chemical identification.

CEA-Leti's coin-sized on-chip sensor prototype combines high performance with low power consumption and is ready for IoT applications for a variety of consumer applications, such as smart home and vehicle air quality monitoring. And wearable health apps, and more. Its industrial uses include real-time air quality monitoring and extensive worker safety applications.

Mid-infrared optical sensors currently on the market are typically bulky and expensive. At the same time, miniaturized and inexpensive sensors are unable to meet the accuracy, selectivity and sensitivity requirements of consumer applications.

While size and price are not the most critical issues for industrial applications, bulky and expensive optical sensors are a major obstacle to consumer applications because consumer applications require wearables and integration in a variety of portable devices.

“The mid-infrared silicon photonics technology has built a new class of integrated components that enable chip-level integration of the main building blocks required for chemical sensing,” says Sergio Nicoletti. Nicoletti is the first author of the paper "Crystal Infrared Sensor Miniaturization: Challenges and Prospects" published by CEA-Leti at SP19 Photonics West 2019.

CEA-Leti's breakthrough combines three existing technologies required to fabricate on-chip optical chemistry sensors: integrated mid-infrared lasers on silicon; development of photonic integrated circuits (PIC) in the mid-infrared wavelength range; and silicon glazing Miniaturization of acoustic detectors.

“Although other R&D efforts have yielded similar results, the main achievement of our project is the adoption of equipment and processes typical of the IC and MEMS industries,” Nicoletti said. “Our focus on architecture and process selection, and a series of steps. The specific link is also critical to the development of this optical chemical sensor, which CEA-Leti has now implemented as a demonstration prototype."

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