MIPS Project Detail:

N5 Sensors, Inc.

Chip-Scale Chemical Sensors for Smart Phones

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Company

N5 Sensors, Inc.

Germantown

Montgomery

County

, Maryland

Founded:

2012

Website:

https://n5sensors.com/

Company Description:

N5 Sensors, a University of Maryland spin-off founded by UMD Research Scientist Abhishek Motayed, is commercializing a new generation of chip-scale chemical sensors that can detect harmful chemicals mixed in air, such as industrial chemicals, automobile exhausts, cigarette smoke, and pollutants released from paints, cleaners, pesticides and other products. These new sensors, built using the same fabrication processes that are commonly used for silicon computer chips, are small and accurate, with the capability to detect multiple gases at the same time. N5 is working to develop arrays of multi analyte sensors on a single chip, which can be integrated with smart phones, allowing industrial workers, first-responders, and soldiers to assess the dangers of their surroundings rapidly and accurately in real-time using their smart phones.

MIPS Project

Chip-Scale Chemical Sensors for Smart Phones

Project #

5418.26

|

MIPS Round

56 |

Starting Date:

Aug 2015

MIPS Project Challenge:
The goals of this two-phase project, broadly, were to establish manufacturing guidelines for the N5 chip and develop a multi-sensor detector module.

Project Scope:
For this two-phase MIPS project, researchers were slated to establish the manufacturability of the N5 chip process, robustness of the sensors, and a clear pathway for further research and development of the product. During Phase 2, researchers planned to productize a compact, low-power, four-gas detector module capable of detecting and discriminating four target gases (CO, NH3, H2S and CH4) in real-time.

MIPS helped my company advance our R&D, providing significant value to both our product and our company.

Abhishek Motayed, President, N5 Sensors

Results:

During Phase 1, researchers demonstrated the feasibility of a disruptive chip-scale gas sensor technology using conventional large-scale microfabrication processes. During Phase 2, they fabricated eight microsensors on a single chip, including a passive sensor for calibration. Researchers designed a library of metal oxide/metal for the said gases and developed a standard deposition method to functionalize those sensors. Lastly, researchers developed an automated measurement system to determine the sensitivity of the sensors in a faster way.

Four papers were submitted for publication as a result of this project.

In February, 2017, N5 received an NIST Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Program (N-STEP) award to further develop its Chip-scale Hybrid Gas Sensors for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring. In 2014, N5 received both a TEDCO MII award and a U.S. Environmental Agency’s Phase I SBIR award related to sensor R&D.

In October, 2017, N5 was added to the Commercial Pilot Readiness Program (CRPP) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which allows N5 to advance the development and manufacturing of the technology developed under the DHS contract award number HSHQDC-15-C-00075, H-SB014.2-006, Field Detection and Analysis or Fire Gases and Particulates. The CRPP allows agencies to make one additional SBIR Phase II follow-on award to small businesses for the technology development, testing, evaluation and commercialization assistance for SBIR Phase II technologies.