CHEMICAL SENSORS, BIOSENSORS AND THICK-FILM TECHNOLOGY

Trends in thick-film technology as applied in chemical sensor and bios ensor fabrication are briefly reviewed and discussed, Current work aim s at the production of sensor devices with a wide application range an d commercial viability, Planar technologies are being employed for dev eloping solid-state sensors having low cost, small size and high repro ducibility, These technologies are compatible with silicon-based proce dures that permit integration of the sensor and the associated electro nic circuitry in the same chip, The use of planar technologies to prod uce sensors based on thick films can be very convenient since it calls for an inexpensive infrastructure, and is feasible for small to mediu m production runs, Once developed, a thick-film fabrication process ca n easily be combined with other planar technologies (chemical vapor de position, plasma etching, etc.). The resulting devices can be produced in high volume at lower cost, with greater reproducibility and with f urther miniaturization.