A low-power pressure-and temperature-programmed separation system for a micro gas chromatograph.

This thesis presents the theory, design, fabrication and testing of the microvalves and columns necessary in a pressure- and temperature-programmed micro gas chromatograph ({micro}GC). Two microcolumn designs are investigated: a bonded Si-glass column having a rectangular cross section and a vapor-deposited silicon oxynitride (Sion) column having a roughly circular cross section. Both microcolumns contain integrated heaters and sensors for rapid, controlled heating. The 3.2 cm x 3.2 cm, 3 m-long silicon-glass column, coated with a non-polar polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stationary phase, separates 30 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in less than 6 min. This is the most efficient micromachined column reported to date, producing greater than 4000 plates/m. The 2.7 mm x 1.4 mm Sion column eliminates the glass sealing plate and silicon substrate using deposited dielectrics and is the lowest power and fastest GC column reported to date; it requires only 11 mW to raise the column temperature by 100 C and has a response time of 11s and natural temperature ramp rate of 580 C/min. A 1 m-long PDMS-coated Sion microcolumn separates 10 VOCs in 52s. A system-based design approach was used for both columns.