REDFINCH · Project

Chip-Sized Chemical Sensors That Detect Gas Leaks and Measure Liquid Quality Instantly

manufacturingTestedTRL 5

Every molecule absorbs light at a unique "fingerprint" wavelength — like how a wine glass rings at a specific note. REDFINCH shrunk a full chemical detection lab onto a tiny silicon chip that reads these fingerprints in the mid-infrared range. Think of it as going from a room-sized gas detector to something the size of a USB stick. They built three working demonstrators: one for sniffing out gas leaks at petrochemical plants, one for monitoring refinery processes, and one for checking protein levels in milk.

By the numbers

fully-integrated chemical sensor demonstrators built

2-20 µm

wavelength range covered for molecular detection

200 cm-1

tuning range achieved on hybrid QCL silicon chip

consortium partners across 5 countries

total project deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

Industrial gas monitoring and liquid quality analysis still rely on large, expensive, and fragile laboratory-grade equipment that is difficult to deploy on-site. Refineries, petrochemical plants, and food processors need compact, affordable sensors that can detect chemical compounds in real time — directly on the production floor, not days later from a lab report.

The solution

What was built

REDFINCH built 3 fully-integrated chemical sensor demonstrators on silicon chips: one for process gas analysis in refineries, one for gas leak detection in petrochemical plants, and one for protein analysis in dairy. A key hardware deliverable was a hybrid quantum cascade laser on silicon with 200 cm-1 tuning range.

Audience

Who needs this

Refinery operations managers needing real-time process gas monitoringPetrochemical plant safety teams responsible for gas leak detectionDairy processors requiring inline protein quality measurementEnvironmental compliance officers tracking greenhouse gas emissionsIndustrial sensor manufacturers looking for next-generation chip-based platforms

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Oil & Gas / Petrochemicals

enterprise

Target: Refinery operators and petrochemical plant managers

If you are a refinery or petrochemical plant dealing with expensive, bulky gas monitoring equipment that requires constant calibration — this project developed chip-sized mid-infrared sensors with 200 cm-1 tuning range that can detect gas leaks and monitor process gases on-site. The 3 demonstrators built during this project include one specifically for process gas analysis in refineries and one for gas leak detection in petrochemical plants.

Dairy & Food Processing

mid-size

Target: Dairy processors and quality control labs

If you are a dairy processor struggling with slow, lab-based protein analysis that delays production — this project built a liquid sensor demonstrator specifically for protein analysis in the dairy industry. The chip-based design means the sensor could be installed directly on the production line, replacing bulky laboratory equipment with a compact integrated circuit operating in the 2-20 µm wavelength range.

Industrial Safety & Environmental Monitoring

any

Target: Plant safety managers and environmental compliance teams

If you are responsible for toxic gas or greenhouse gas monitoring at industrial facilities and rely on large, delicate sensing systems — REDFINCH integrated laser sources and detectors onto a single silicon chip, making sensors smaller, cheaper to manufacture, and more robust. The technology covers the 2-20 µm range where most dangerous gases have their absorption fingerprints.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much would these chip-based sensors cost compared to current equipment?

REDFINCH was built on silicon photonics, which leverages CMOS manufacturing — the same mass-production technology used for computer chips. This means costs drop significantly at volume compared to today's large, discrete-component systems. Specific pricing is not available in the project data.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

Yes, that is the core advantage. Silicon photonics uses existing CMOS fabrication lines, enabling high-fidelity reproduction of designs and low-cost mass manufacture. The consortium included 3 industrial partners across 5 countries to validate manufacturing feasibility.

What is the IP situation — can I license this technology?

The project involved 10 partners including CEA (France's atomic energy commission) as coordinator, plus 2 SMEs and other industrial partners. IP is likely shared among consortium members. Contact the coordinator through SciTransfer to discuss licensing options.

Is this ready to deploy or still in the lab?

REDFINCH delivered 3 fully-integrated demonstrators for specific use cases: refinery process gas, petrochemical leak detection, and dairy protein analysis. A hardware deliverable — a 200 cm-1 tuning range hybrid QCL on silicon chip — was also completed. This puts the technology at demonstrated prototype stage, not yet commercial.

What gases and liquids can these sensors actually detect?

The mid-infrared range of 2-20 µm covers absorption fingerprints of most biological and chemical molecules. The project specifically targeted process gases in refineries, toxic and greenhouse gases for leak detection, and proteins in dairy liquids. The 200 cm-1 tuning range on the QCL chip enables scanning across multiple substances.

How does this fit into my existing monitoring infrastructure?

The chip-based design replaces large, delicate sensing systems with compact integrated circuits. Based on available project data, the sensors are designed as standalone units. Integration with existing SCADA or process control systems would need to be discussed with the consortium partners.

Are there regulatory approvals for use in hazardous environments?

Based on available project data, regulatory certification (such as ATEX for explosive atmospheres) is not mentioned. Since one demonstrator targets petrochemical gas leak detection, industrial deployment would require appropriate hazardous-area certification. This is a question to raise directly with the consortium.

Consortium

Who built it

The REDFINCH consortium brings together 10 partners from 5 countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Ireland), led by CEA — France's major atomic energy and alternative energies commission, a heavyweight in photonics research. The mix is balanced: 4 universities providing deep science, 3 research organizations for applied R&D, and 3 industrial partners (including 2 SMEs) ensuring commercial relevance. The 30% industry ratio signals genuine market pull, not just academic curiosity. For a business looking to adopt this technology, the industrial partners and SMEs in the consortium are the most likely path to licensing or partnership, while CEA as coordinator holds significant IP and manufacturing know-how in silicon photonics.

COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVESCoordinator · FR
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIENparticipant · AT
UNIVERSITE DE MONTPELLIERparticipant · FR
MUNSTER TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITYparticipant · IE
ARGOTECH ASparticipant · CZ
MIRSENSEparticipant · FR
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSthirdparty · FR
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORKthirdparty · IE

How to reach the team

CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives), France — contact through SciTransfer for a warm introduction to the project coordinator.

Order a report on this consortium See COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing or piloting REDFINCH sensor technology for your plant? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner — contact us for a tailored brief.

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