Silicon-micromachined gas chromatography system used to separate and detect ammonia and nitrogen dioxide. II. Evaluation, analysis, and theoretical modeling of the gas chromatography system

A miniature gas chromatography (GC) system was designed and developed using silicon micromachining and integrated circuit (IC) processing techniques. The MMGC system can separate parts-per-million (ppm) ammonia and nitrogen dioxide concentrations in less than 30 minutes when isothermally operated (80°C) at 40 psi. The heat of adsorption of nitrogen dioxide (0.38 eV) on a CuPc thin film (0.2 μm thick) was also independently established. As a result of the MMGC system´s performance evaluation, several of the assumptions invoked in the initial design were re-investigated, and a refined technique for optimizing the MMGC system´s operation and performance was developed