Sensors and metrology: from fundamentals to applications and emerging technologies

Sensors are ubiquitous in modern technology, and their use in measuring physical, and chemical parameters is essential to a broad range of applications, such as manufacturing, healthcare, environmental monitoring, among others. This course covers the fundamental characteristics of sensors and their principles of operation with special attention to  calibration procedures and measurement traceability. An overview on gas sensors will be provided as applicative examples alongside the measurement setup used for calibration. The course focuses also on the upcoming technologies in sensors design, in particular on resonant sensors and their use in metrological applications.

The course program consists of the following parts:

1. Sensors: basics, characteristics, and principles of operation: This part will introduce the fundamental concepts of sensors, such as their sensitivity, linearity, and limit of detection, among others. It will also cover the different types of sensors, including resistive, capacitive, optic, and resonant sensors.
2. Overview on gas sensors: fabrication technologies and calibration: This part will focus on gas sensors and their fabrication technologies, including MOX, electrochemical, and colorimetric sensors. It will also cover the typical setup for gas sensor calibration, and the main sources of measurement uncertainty.
3. Upcoming technologies: resonant sensors: This part will introduce the principles of operation of resonant sensors, including SAW, QCM, and microwave sensors.
4. Sensors for metrological applications: This section will focus on the state-of-the-art of sensors for metrological applications.

CFU: 3