Demonstrating a Novel Approach to the Control of Microhotplate Sensors Utilizing a Distributed Computing Approach and Numeric Modeling

摘要

Microhotplates are sensor platforms that allow for rapid, controlled changes in temperature. Since reaction rates of chemical interactions depend on temperature one can obtain more information about chemical species present by varying the hotplate temperature and monitoring the electrical characteristics of a film applied to the hotplate. A mathematical model was created that simulates the chemical reaction in a metal oxide film in the presence of oxygen as a function of temperature. This model suggested a novel approach to controlling a microhotplate, namely, to use the temperature at which a resistance is reached rather than a resistance for a fixed set of temperatures. A sensing system was developed that demonstrated the viability of this approach in making a low cost, hand-held, portable instrument.