<title>Chip-level solid state optical waveguide chemical sensor for detecting and measuring hydrocarbons</title>

Abstract

Effective field monitoring systems are needed to improve the quality and increase the use of environmental monitoring. Most laboratory-based systems, although powerful tools for the laboratory analyst, are not well-suited for field applications. Continuous, in-situ sensors provide real time data with high accuracy and low cost for multiple analyses. Optical sensor technologies are highly accurate and sensitive, are capable of being used in-situ and are highly versatile in terms of their potential applications. Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors (FOCS<SUP>TM</SUP>) utilize the characteristics of optical sensors to provide an effective tool for continuous environmental monitoring. The FOCS<SUP>TM</SUP> technology has recently been adapted to a new platform: a chip-level, solid state, optical waveguide, chemical sensor. This new optical platform provides several advantages of the FOCS<SUP>TM</SUP>, and further improves the effectiveness of optical sensors for environmental monitoring. The chip-level optical sensor platform has been used with different optical sensing mechanisms (e.g., refractive index, absorbance and fluorescence) for the detection of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, oxygen and pesticides.