Miniaturization and integration of photoacoustic detection

Abstract

Photoacoustic spectroscopy is an absorption spectroscopy technique that is currently used for low-level gas detection and catalyst characterization. It is a promising technique for chemical analysis in mesoscale analysis systems because the detection limit scales favorably with miniaturization. This work focuses on the scaling properties of photoacoustic spectroscopy, and on the miniaturization of gas-phase photoacoustic detection of propane in a nitrogen ambient. The detection system is modeled with a transmission line analogy, which is verified experimentally. The model includes the effects of acoustic leaks and absorption saturation. These two phenomena degrade the performance of the photoacoustic detector and must be controlled to realize the scaling advantages of photoacoustic systems. The miniature brass cells used to verify the model employ hearing aid microphones and optical excitation from a mechanically chopped, 3.39 μm He–Ne laser, transmitted into the cells with an optical fiber. These cells are able to detect 10 ppm of propane in nitrogen (a signal level of ∼1 Pa/W). We also describe the development of a miniaturized photoacoustic system formed by microfabrication. In this case, the pressure-driven deflection of the detection membrane is measured optically. These systems show that photoacoustic detection may be inappropriate for systems with large variations in gas concentration because of absorption saturation and changing gas acoustic properties. Nevertheless, photoacoustic spectroscopy is a promising technique for the analysis of dilute mixtures in miniature chemical systems.