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Ion Optics Reports Progress on Tuned Band Infrared Emitter Development Efforts

25 January 2000

Ion Optics Reports Progress on Tuned Band Infrared Emitter Development Efforts

    WALTHAM, Mass.--Jan. 24, 2000--Ion Optics, in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), have demonstrated that lithographically defined surface structures on silicon can produce distinct "tuned" emission spectra directly related to the surface feature dimensions. By measuring the emission and reflectance of several patterned silicon surfaces, Ion Optics' has determined that the peak absorbance wavelength and linewidth correlate with feature size and spacing, as well as, surface conductivity. With greater output energy than infrared (IR) light emitting diodes (LEDs) and the potential for comparable peak half-widths, Ion Optic's efforts show promise for a new class of tuned band IR emitters. With the ability to design and manufacture low cost higher power tuned band emitters at any specific wavelength in the IR range (2 to 20 um), Ion Optics expects to offer non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas and chemical sensor manufacturers improved measurement sensitivities. Applications involving air quality monitoring, toxic or combustible gas detection, and combustion emissions monitoring will soon have a path to improved performance.
    The tuned band emitter development was done under the National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant No.DMI-9860975, and a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Technology Program (ATP) contract No.ATP-99-01-2051. Five-year old Ion Optics' mission is to employ its technologies to bring laboratory quality gas and chemical sensors to the mass markets. The goal of these two programs is to develop a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based infrared gas and chemical "sensorchip"; an accurate and reliable gas sensor capable of being manufactured at the costs required for high volume applications. One of the key technological requirements to achieve this goal is tuned band emitter, because it offers an improved (in-band) signal to (out-of-band) noise ratio while also removing the need for optical filters. Eliminating the optical filters allows Ion Optics to integrate the emitter and detector onto a single chip, creating an IR gas and chemical "sensorchip".
    Initial results of the tuned band emitter development effort will be presented at the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) Photonics West Show in San Jose, January 28th from 8:30 to 10 am, Room A5.