NSF Award
0109190
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will determine the feasibility of using monolayers of bacteria to form hexagonal arrays of small holes in metal coated semiconductors. Such micron-sized patterned materials form tuned photonic bandgap structures with narrow band emission. These narrow infrared line sources allow detection of liquid or vapor chemical species through changes in absorption. Very high- resolution, high-cost lithography was required to fabricate proof of principal devices. The proposed research would significantly lower production costs by as much as a factor of ten.<br/>Phase I research would demonstrate: (1) growth of uniform sized bacteria, (2) uniform dispersal on a substrate in a hexagonal array, (3) use of inherent electrostatic repulsion to maintain uniform separation, and (4) transfer of this pattern to a treated substrate. Varying growth time and size of bacteria alters emission wavelength and chemical selectivity of the sensor.<br/><br/>Existing infrared vapor sensors, that are more reliable than electrochemical sensors, are used for high end applications that can afford an instrument costing hundreds of dollars. The proposed materials development would reduce costs to below $10 per sensor, $50 per complete instrument, allowing IR chemical sensing applications to reach mass markets for automobiles or homes.
