Highly efficient surface ionization gas detectors using microfabricated platforms with integrated surface electrodes

This paper reports the design, fabrication and proof of concept of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) with integrated heaters configured to observe surface ionization (SI) gas signals. Active interdigital electrodes (IDEs) on the top of the membrane are the emitting element, and a flat-plate counter electrode positioned at a short distance above the MEMs is the ion collector. These devices, which are suitable for large-scale production and further integration steps, exhibit high ionization efficiency fully comparable to that observed with individual nanowires.