High-field operation of submicrometer devices at atmospheric pressure

Author

Madou, M.J. ; Morrison, S.R.

Author_Institution

Teknekron Sensor Dev. Corp., Menlo Park, CA, USA

fYear

1991

Firstpage

145

Lastpage

149

Abstract

An array of micrometer-sized field emitter tips was used to produce ions in air or other gases at atmospheric pressure using only low voltages. The ions are produced by the dissociation of gaseous acids or bases in the high electric field near the tips. For example, with formic or acetic acid, ions are formed with the tip at about -50 V; with gaseous Lewis bases or with esters plus water vapor, ions are formed with the tip at either a positive or a negative potential. No ions are detected for alcohols, alkanes, acetone, water vapor, NO/sub 2/, oxygen, nitrogen, or argon.<>

Keywords

electric sensing devices; field ionisation; ionisation of gases; ionisation of molecules; organic compounds; -50 V; 1 atm; Paschen curve; Si; acetic acid; air; atmospheric pressure; dissociation; esters; formic acid; gaseous Lewis bases; gaseous acids; high electric field; micrometer-sized field emitter tips; negative potential; positive potential; submicrometer devices; Atmosphere; Breakdown voltage; Electric breakdown; Electrodes; Electron emission; Field emitter arrays; Gases; Ionization; Low voltage; Sensor arrays;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Solid-State Sensors and Actuators, 1991. Digest of Technical Papers, TRANSDUCERS '91., 1991 International Conference on

Conference_Location

San Francisco, CA, USA

Print_ISBN

0-87942-585-7

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/SENSOR.1991.148824

Filename

148824