Noise Analysis of MEMS Microphones as a Gas-Sensing Element

In recent years, micromachined microphones have evolved into versatile transducers for gas-sensing applications in the fields of both direct and indirect photoacoustics. However, their noise properties have not yet caught much attention. In this contribution, we present an analysis of the noise spectrum of a MEMS microphone and show how it may be employed as a gas-sensing tool and to characterize photoacoustic detectors. The results highlight the potential to determine the speed of sound, ambient temperature, and gas composition via Fourier analysis of the microphone noise.