Professor Baek Chang-ki (CiTE), Professor Kim Ki-hyun (CiTE), and Cho Hyeon-su (CiTE, Ph.D. Integrated) have developed a fundamental sensor technology by utilizing thermal evaporation, which detects toxic substances such as fluorine and hydrofluoric acid in trace amounts. 
 The team fabricated fluorine‧hydrofluoric acid sensor by utilizing silicon materials and semiconductor processing technology. In addition, by optimizing thermal evaporation, the team has succeeded in detecting fluorine and hydrofluoric acid in water with high a detection limit – fluorine: 1.9ppb, hydrofluoric acid: 4.5ppb. This detection limit is more than 20 times higher than that of the existing fluorine sensor with polycrystalline-sensing membrane.
 Prof. Kim said, “This sensor technology allows the production of small sensors and is anticipated to reduce the price by about 10% compared to the existing fluorine‧hydrofluoric acid sensor, so the technology is highly expected to be commercialized.” He added, “This will be a chance to localize the technology which can detect early leaks of toxic substances at industrial sites and build a safe industrial environment.”
 This research was published in the online version of Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, a well-known journal in the field of sensors.