Semiconductor start-up premieres breakthrough sensor technology

摘要

ChipSensors Ltd, a fabless semiconductor start-up company, has unveiled a breakthrough in semiconductor technology that enables the surface of the chip itself to sense parameters such as temperature, humidity, certain gases and pathogens. The patent-pending technology exploits the fact that the dielectric material in standard sub-micron CMOS comprises porous oxides and polymers; by selectively admitting or blocking ingress of the agent to be sensed, any resulting changes in electrical characteristics can be accurately detected and measured.