WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 2 -- Ion Optics and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have received an Advanced Technology Program award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop an infrared gas sensor-on-a-chip . The microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensor will be produced using new silicon integrated circuit manufacturing techniques developed at NASA's JPL.
With this award, Ion Optics and the JPL aim to develop a reliable and accurate gas sensor that can be manufactured at the volumes and costs needed for mass-market applications such as indoor air quality monitors, carbon monoxide detectors, and automotive sensors. The Advanced Technology Program is a partnership between government and private industry intended to accelerate the development of high-risk technologies with significant commercial promise and widespread economic potential. Ion Optics estimated that the ATP award would speed development of the MEMS IR sensor by several years.