Cambridge CMOS Sensors enables a new generation of environmental sensor solutions

Cambridge CMOS Sensors (CCS) (UK) manufacture sensor solutions and components for monitoring air quality, including hazardous gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). At CCS, they are revolutionising environmental sensing for health and well-being through a new generation of semiconductor-based sensors.

Their patented CMOS MEMS Micro-hotplate technology provides a unique silicon platform for the CCS800 product family of Metal Oxide (MOX) gas sensors, and enables sensor miniaturisation, significantly lower power consumption and ultra-fast response times. The Micro-hotplates are suspended in a high reliability membrane and act as heater elements for a metal oxide based sensing material. The material resistance will change due to reactions to selected gases and concentrations at temperatures between 200°C to 400°C. Through enabling very fast cycle times, advanced temperature modulation techniques can be used to ensure maximum sensitivity, stability and gas selectivity and minimise measurement times.

Advanced algorithms support the MOX gas sensors family, for maximum selectivity, drift compensation and for self-calibration, enabling easy and timely integration into a wide range of applications. The CCS800 product family of ultra-low power gas sensor are supported in a compact 0.99mm x 2mm x 3mm SMD package as standard. Other package options are available on request.

CCS' Micro-hotplates are the key technology platform for their CCS100 product family of Infrared sources featuring high modulation depth, ultra-low power consumption, true black body radiation characteristics, long lifetime and high emissivity. Their Infrared sources are used in a range of applications, including Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) gas sensing and spectroscopy applications, and Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) sensors for analysis of liquids and solids. The CCS100 product family of Infrared sources are available in a range of optical outputs, packaging options, as well as bare die and custom-made array solutions.

CCS will soon be releasing a new family of Infrared detectors CCS200 based on an advanced CMOS Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology, and a Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) MEMS process which enables a reproducible, low cost and mechanically robust solution.

Wrapped around their core technology, CCS offer intelligent system solutions that are easily integrated into their customer products which drive, measure and interpret the sensing elements to provide optimised, application-specific solutions.

Through CCS' unique technology, they are enabling the growth of new markets in consumer applications such as smartphones and smartphone accessories like wearable devices, for monitoring user environments and providing critical information to aid health and well-being. In addition, we are bringing about a change in traditional environmental sensing markets by enabling the use of sensors in places that have not been possible before, due to power consumption or physical size constraints.