Deposition of high quality coatings on SAW sensors using electrospray

Abstract

Electrospray has long been used as an ion source for mass spectrometry and for coating of conducting surfaces. However, it has only recently been introduced as a novel method to deposit polymer layers and other coating materials on sensor devices. In this work, the adaptation of electrospray deposition for this particular application is described, including the development of an apparatus for polymer deposition on nonconducting surfaces, optimization of deposition parameters, and a discussion of different solvent mixtures suitable for dissolving and spraying of a variety of polymers. Results are presented on both the apparent quality of electrospray-deposited polymer layers and their performance in analytical sensing applications.