Recently, sensing of the various condition of the given environment is very important technology for the numerous fields (A. Mason, et al., A generic multi-element microsystem for portable wireless applications”, Proc. IEEE 86 (1998) 8). Many applications of the miniaturized environmental-multi-sensor with data logging/transfer system are considerable, such as the intelligent data carrier (IDC) system, monitoring of a working condition, management of a rent-a-car insurance, safety-security, process control, scientific experimentation, and environmental testing and analysis. Especially, for any transportation system managing the logistics condition during transportation such as number, location timing, route and weather information, etc. are essential to obtain security, safety and cost minimization. However, the present logistics system is not enough to adapt the next generation data carrier. Small and lightweight IDC, which has multi-sensors and data logging processor, monitors physical circumference conditions what happened to the cargo or goods during the transportation (H. Minakami, et al. “Research and development of the intelligent data carrier” Proc. 6th World Conference on Intelligent Transaction Systems, ITSA-003052, Toronto, CN, 8-12 Nov. 1999). So far, this type of monitored information has not been available, unless using specially made expensive and large sized device.
Driven by rapid advances in microcomputers and global connectivity, many of the most important emerging markets for microelectronics require the ability to gather information from the nonelectronic world (J. H. Huijsing, “Integrated smart sensors,” Sensors Actuators A, vol. 30, nos. 1/2, pp. 167-174, 1992; K. D. Wise, “Microelectromechanical systems: Interfacing electronics to a nonelectronic world,” in Dig. IEEE Int. Electron Device Meeting, December 1996, pp. 11-18.). Examples include health care (diagnostic and therapeutic devices, prosthetics), automotive systems (smart vehicles and smart highways), automated manufacturing—including smart very-large-scale integration (VLSI) process tools-, environmental monitoring and control devices, defense systems, and many consumer products. Using integrated circuit technology and extensions of it, integrated sensors and microactuators are being developed to provide the necessary input/output (I/O) devices. These are increasingly being realized combined with hybrid or monolithic circuitry on a common substrate (J. Bryzek, “MEMS: A closer look,” Sensors Mag., pp. 4-9, July 1996; L. Spangler and C. J. Kemp, “A smart automotive accelerometer with on-chip airbag deployment circuits,” in Dig. Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, Hilton Head Island, S.C., June 1996, pp. 211-214; H. Baltes, et al., “Smart sensor interfaces,” in Dig. IEEE Int. Symp. Circuits and Systems, Atlanta, Ga., May 1996, vol. 4, pp. 380-383; E. Yoon and K. D. Wise, “An integrated mass flow sensor with on-chip CMOS interface circuitry,” IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, vol. 39, pp. 1376-1386, June 1992.) and have come to be known as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Merging these devices with increasingly powerful digital signal-processing electronics now makes it possible to go beyond simple analog readout circuitry and form complete closed-loop microsystems in very small, highly integrated modules. These autonomous microsystems are capable of gathering data from the physical world, converting them to electronic form, compensating them for interfering variables and nonlinearities, and either acting on the information directly or transferring it to other systems (S. Middlehoek and S. A. Audet, Silicon Sensors. London, UK: Academic, 1989; K. D. Wise, “Integrated microsystems: Device and technology challenges,” in Proc. Eur. Solid-State Device Res. Conf. (ESSDERC), The Hague, The Netherlands, September 1995, pp. 15-24; A. Mason, N. Yazdi, K. Najafi, and K. Wise, “A low-power wireless microinstrumentation system for environmental monitoring,” in Dig. Int. Conf. Sensors and Actuators (Transducers'95), Stockholm, Sweden, June 1995, pp. 107-110).
Currently, no system exists for the real time visualization of the chemistry and physics of fluids, such as air, water, and plasma, in a camera format and create a novel environmental monitoring system. Therefore, an inexpensive, but highly efficient, two dimensional or three dimensional environmental sensor which produces more reliable environmental information is needed.
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USPTO Backgrounds