Development of a Nonresonant Photoacoustic Gas Sensor for Ozone Detection

A nonresonant photoacoustic (PA) effect-based ozone (O-3) gas sensor has been developed, with the potential for O-3 concentration monitoring in various fields, including the semiconductor industry, water treatment, and O-3 environmental science research. This sensor comprises a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) emitter, a miniature PA cell, a MEMS microphone, and a circuit. By establishing a 3-D model and simulating the impact of structural parameters on sensor performance, this comprehensive approach successfully determined the optimal structural parameters. The sensor has a footprint of approximately 12 x 12 x 5 mm (L x W x H), which is 10% of the size of traditional nondispersive infrared gas sensors. The sensor achieves an accuracy of +/- 50 ppm within an O-3 concentration range of 0%-4%. The response time (t(100)) is 57 s, and the limit of detection (LOD) for O-3 concentration is 36 ppm.