Towards Nano-Fin based Mercury-Sensors

With the here presented sensor-concept it is possible to produce a low-cost mercury-sensor, based on a lithography-independent structured poly-silicon nanometer-scale fin. Using the increase of electrical resistance of a gold-layer being exposed to mercury-vapor, the exposition to mercury resulting in the amalgamation of the gold-layer can be detected. Giving the ability of regeneration to the here presented sensor, the mercury must be driven out of the gold-layer which can be achieved by heating-up the layer to a temperature over 150degC. Shrinking the sensor to nanometer-dimensions gives the benefit of a small mass of gold, small dimensions of the sensor resulting in a good surface-area-to-volume-ratio (SAVR) and low-power consumption during regeneration-cycle.