Validation of the Compatibility Between a Porous Silicon-Based Gas Sensor Technology and Standard Microelectronic Process

The compatibility of a recently proposed porous silicon formation procedure for gas sensor integration with a commercial microelectronic process is analyzed. Porous silicon-based gas sensors have been produced on a test chip by means of a post-processing approach that enables silicon anodization in selected areas. The effects of the post-processing procedure on electronic circuits, integrated on the test chip as the sensors, have been investigated by electrical measurements. Critical electrical parameters of purposely-designed high-performance analog cells have been measured on several post-processed and not post-processed samples. Experimental outcomes demonstrate the actual compatibility of the post-processing procedure for porous silicon formation with commercial microelectronic processes.