A Low-Power Pressure- and Temperature-Programmable Micro Gas Chromatography Column

This paper presents the theory, fabrication, and experimental results for a high-performance low-power micro gas chromatography column. The suspended-dielectric 1-m-long column is split into two sections, permitting independent pressure and temperature programming. Integrated column heaters have a mean resistance of 16.8 kOmega and a temperature coefficient of resistance of 431 ppm/degC. The suspended column requires 11 mW to raise its temperature by 100degC in vacuum (1 mtorr). The column separates ten volatile organic compounds in 52 s and four chemical warfare agent simulants and an explosive simulant in 60 s.