Microsensor

Article By:

Pike, Andrew C. Neotronics Scientific Ltd., United Kingdom.

Welham, Chris J. Druck Ltd., United Kingdom.

Gardner, Julian W. Nanotechnology Centre, Department of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.

Last reviewed:January 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757468

A very small sensor with physical dimensions in the submicrometer to millimeter range. A sensor is a device that converts a nonelectrical physical or chemical quantity, such as pressure, acceleration, temperature, or gas concentration, into an electrical signal. Sensors are an essential element in many measurement, process, and control systems, with countless applications in the automotive, aerospace, biomedical, telecommunications, environmental, agricultural, and other industries. The stimulus to miniaturize sensors lies in the enormous cost benefits that are gained by using semiconductor processing technology, and in the fact that microsensors are generally able to offer a better sensitivity, accuracy, dynamic range, and reliability, as well as lower power consumption, than their larger counterparts.

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