A gas sensor and the drive circuit for the sensor are installed within a mobile electronic device. The gas sensor is intermittently heated to an operating temperature for detecting gases and kept at an ambient temperature for other periods. When a sensor of the mobile electronic device detects that the device is placed in a closed space, the heating of the metal oxide semiconductor is halted. When the sensor detects that the mobile electronic device has been taken out from the closed space, the heating of the metal oxide semiconductor is resumed. The poisoning of the gas sensor by siloxanes or the like is prevented.

Ultrasensitive, decoupled thermodynamic sensing platforms for the detection of chemical compounds in the vapor phase at trace levels are disclosed, wherein the sensors have a heating resistor decoupled from a sensing resistor. Embodiments of the decoupled sensor comprise a metallic microheater resistor on one side of substrate, and a sensor resistor coupled to a catalyst on the other side of the substrate. A sensor array may be provided including a plurality of sensors each having a different catalyst that, when exposed to an analyte, each experience an endothermic reaction, an exothermic reaction, or no reaction. A comparison of the reaction results to data comprising previously obtained reaction results may be used to determine the presence and the identity of the analyte. Advantageously, the decoupled sensors utilize less power and provide greater sensitivity than other known systems, and may be used to detect and identify a single molecule of an analyte.

A method for identification of a vapor sample or chemicals in a vapor sample includes introducing a vapor sample to a sensor array including a plurality of sensors, adjusting a temperature of one or more of the plurality of sensors between at least two temperature levels, and identifying the vapor sample or one or more chemicals in the vapor sample based on a plurality of response patterns of the sensor array, each of the response patterns being a collection of responses of the plurality of sensors to the vapor sample with the one or more sensors being at a different temperature level from among the at least two temperature levels.

An element analysis device is provided, which can quantitatively analyze an H element contained in a sample gas with high accuracy. The element analysis device is provided with a heating furnace for heating a crucible having a sample contained therein while a carrier gas is introduced into the heating furnace to vaporize at least a part of the sample to generate a sample gas containing the H element and then deriving the sample gas with the carrier gas as a mixed gas and a mass spectrometer for quantitatively analyzing at least one element contained in the sample gas in the mixed gas that has been derived from the heating furnace, wherein the mass spectrometer quantitatively analyzes the H element contained as an H.sub.2O component in the mixed gas as the H element contained in the sample gas.

A microhotplate comprising a membrane suspended over a substrate by a plurality of tethers connected between the substrate and the membrane. The membrane comprises a resistive heater comprising an electrically conductive material having a varying width from a peripheral portion of the membrane to a center of the membrane. The electrically conductive material comprises a first portion spiraling in a first direction and a second portion spiraling in a second direction and in electrical communication with the first portion at the center of the membrane. The microhotplate further comprises a first electrically conductive trace extending over a first tether and in electrical contact with a bond pad on the substrate and the first portion and a second electrically conductive trace extending over another tether and in electrical contact with another bond pad on the substrate and the second portion. Related chemical sensors and related methods of detecting at least one analyte are also disclosed.

A microhotplate comprising a membrane suspended over a substrate by a plurality of tethers connected between the substrate and the membrane. The membrane comprises a resistive heater comprising an electrically conductive material having a varying width from a peripheral portion of the membrane to a center of the membrane. The electrically conductive material comprises a first portion spiraling in a first direction and a second portion spiraling in a second direction and in electrical communication with the first portion at the center of the membrane. The microhotplate further comprises a first electrically conductive trace extending over a first tether and in electrical contact with a bond pad on the substrate and the first portion and a second electrically conductive trace extending over another tether and in electrical contact with another bond pad on the substrate and the second portion. Related chemical sensors and related methods of detecting at least one analyte are also disclosed.

An OH radical measurement device includes a contact unit configured to bring an OH radical detection probe into contact with a gas to be measured, the OH radical detection probe including an aromatic carboxylic acid or an aromatic carboxylic acid derivative, a polar aprotic organic solvent, and a polar protic organic solvent having a content higher than a content of the polar aprotic organic solvent.

An apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing includes an input port to receive a carrier, wherein the carrier includes a carrier body, a housing installed onto the carrier body, and a filter installed between the carrier body and the housing. The apparatus further includes a first robotic arm to uninstall the housing from the carrier and to reinstall the housing into the carrier; one or more second robotic arms to remove the filter from the carrier and to install a new filter into the carrier; and an output port to release the carrier to production.

A system for detecting an analyte gas in an environment includes a first gas sensor, a first contaminant sensor separate and spaced from the first gas sensor, and electronic circuitry in electrical connection with the first gas sensor to determine if the analyte gas is present based on a response of the first gas sensor. The electronic circuitry is further in electrical connection with the first contaminant sensor to measure a response of the first contaminant sensor over time. The measured response of the first contaminant sensor varies with an amount of one or more contaminants to which the system has been exposed in the environment over time.

The present invention provides a catalytic conversion-type sensor that detects a detection target gas by detecting a conversion gas produced through a reaction, the catalytic conversion-type sensor including: a gas flow path that allows the detection target gas to flow down; and a conversion portion that is connected to the gas flow path, the conversion portion including, on a side partitioned by a diffusion means that allows the detection target gas to naturally diffuse, a heated catalyst portion that produces a conversion gas by causing the detection target gas to come into contact with a heated catalyst and react with the heated catalyst, and a sensor element portion that is capable of detecting the conversion gas produced through the reaction.