Microchip gas sensing capacitor

A gas sensing system, comprising:

• a gas sensing microchip device including:
• a substrate layer;
• a gas capacitor (GASCAP) including:
• a first electrically conductive plate configured to interact with and detect at least one gas via an exposed gas sensing surface;
• a gas-insensitive, electrically conductive element electrically connected to the first electrically conductive plate and having a first electrical terminal;
• a gas-insensitive second electrically conductive plate having a second electrical terminal;
• and
• a comparatively high permittivity dielectric layer arranged between the first and second electrically conductive plates and configured to induce a capacitive charge distribution on the gas-insensitive second electrically conductive plate and an electrical bias between the first and second electrically conductive plates in response to the at least one gas being detected by the first electrically conductive plate, thereby generating a transient electrical current flow between the first and second electrical terminals corresponding to an amount of the at least one gas being detected;
• and
• a comparatively low permittivity dielectric layer arranged between the substrate layer and the second electrically conductive plate and configured to isolate the GASCAP thermally and electrically from the substrate layer;
• and
• an electronic control unit (ECU) in operative communication with the gas sensing microchip device and configured to ascertain the amount of the at least one gas being detected by the first electrically conductive plate and corresponding to the transient electrical current flow generated between the first and second electrical terminals.