Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics in cooperation with the Leibniz institutes IHP and FBH
The aim of the Smartpump platform is to significantly improve the response time and precision of gas sensors, using a highly miniaturized silicon micropump to attract ambient air and to pass it to the gas sensor. This principle could be used for applications e.g. in smartphones, for example measuring the CO2 content of the ambient air via an integrated gas sensor is considered a promising new feature. However, the reaction times of the sensors are currently still very long. With the help of the micropump, response times could be reduced from the current several minutes to just a few seconds.
In terms of miniaturization, metering accuracy, backpressure capability and bubble tolerance, the micropumps developed at Fraunhofer EMFT meet the most stringent requirements. These features of the "Smartpump" platform offer potential for several application areas with strict quality requirements, such as medical technology.