MSc thesis project proposal
MEMS particle sensor for air pollution monitoring
Particulate matter suspended in air is a significant public health concern, contributing to millions of deaths annually and imposing a substantial economic burden. The integration of air quality sensors into personal devices, such as smartphones, has the potential to revolutionize pollution monitoring and mitigation strategies.
Acoustic delay lines offer a promising approach for mass sensing by detecting the mass deposited on the device. The transit time of an acoustic wave between two transducers on a piezoelectric substrate is influenced by the mass load in the transmission path. While existing devices achieve picogram-level resolution, this is insufficient to detect single nanoparticles. By using thinner piezoelectric films, mass sensitivity can be significantly enhanced to reach the femtogram range.
In this project, you will develop high-resolution acoustic delay lines for nanoparticle sensing in air. The work will involve:
- Conducting a literature review on state-of-the-art acoustic mass sensors.
- Designing and simulating acoustic delay lines to optimize sensitivity.
- Fabricating thin-film acoustic delay lines using the available microfabrication facilities at EKL.
- Characterizing the sensing performance using electrical measurement equipment.
This project is ideal for students interested in MEMS design and fabrication, and environmental sensing applications.
[1] Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Liu, W., Chen, D., Wu, C., & Xie, J. (2019). An aerosol sensor for PM1 concentration detection based on 3D printed virtual impactor and SAW sensor. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 288, 67-74.
[2] Manzaneque, T., Lu, R., Yang, Y., & Gong, S. (2019). Low-loss and wideband acoustic delay lines. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 67(4), 1379-1391.
Contact
dr. Tomás Manzaneque
Electronic Instrumentation Group
Department of Microelectronics
Last modified: 2025-02-07