Challenges and Solutions
An exact determination of the humidity is crucial for many industrial processes. This is usually done by a measurement of the temperature where the humidity in the environment starts to form small droplets on top of a defined surface (so called dew-point mirror).
Within the SMARTER-SI project a new type of sensor system integrating leading-edge technology has been manufactured:
The silicon-MEMS chip with the micromechanical integration of a Peltier cooler that creates a cooling cascade together with a second external Peltier-element is a world-first solution! This system enables the exact determination of the dew-point in very low humidity environment (dew-point temperatures about -45°CTd).
SMARTER-SI Support
The project partners of SMARTER-SI can provide all necessary technologies and building blocks to realise this innovative sensor system with the desired Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
A temperature measurement diode (building block by CiS), an integrated Peltier-cooler (building block by IPHT) and sensitive thermo-electrical layers (building block by Hahn-Schickard) in a common Silicon wafer processing sequence are integrated into one sensor chip which includes all necessary functions to determine absolute humidity at extremely low temperatures.
Impact/What’s next
Partner Swerea IVF provides the necessary testing facilities and several SMEs will test the smart systems for their individual application fields. They will also be responsible for the subsequent commercialisation.
