Title: Smart Sensors and MEMS

Author: Sergey Y. Yurish (Editor), Maria Teresa S.R. Gomes (Editor)

Publisher: Springer Verlag

Hardcover: 480 pages

Pubdate: January, 2005

ISBN: 1402029276

Price: $ 89.95 (paperback), $ 199.00 (hardcover)

Abstract

Acoustic wave devices based on piezoelectric crystals and used for materials characterization and biochemical sensor applications are covered. The various acoustic wave devices used for physical and biochemical sensing applications are briefly described. Two types of sensors under development are discussed in details. They are the thickness shear mode (TSM) resonators and the guided shear horizontal surface acoustic (guided SH-SAW) devices, also commonly known as Love wave devices. It is noted that the two types of devices can be used for sensing in gas and/or liquid phase. The effectiveness of the TSM resonator for polymer material characterization is presented and discussed. The impedance-admittance characteristics of the equivalent circuit models of both the unperturbed and coated resonators are analyzed to extract the polymer storage modulus and loss modulus (G' and G''). The design and performance of guided shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (guided SH-SAW) devices being investigated and under development for high sensitivity chemical and biochemical sensors in liquids are discussed. It is noted that despite their structural similarity to Rayleigh SAW, SH-SAWs often propagate slightly deeper within the substrate, hence preventing the implementation of high sensitivity detectors. The device sensitivity to mass and viscoelastic loading can be increased using a thin dielectric guiding layer on the device surface. Suitable design principles for these sensor platforms are discussed with regard to wave guidance, electrical passivation of the interdigital transducers (IDT) from the liquid environments, acoustic loss, and sensor signal distortion. Results of chemical sensing and biosensing experiments are presented and discussed.

Keywords: resonant piezoelectric device, biochemical sensor, TSM resonator, guided SH-SAW device, polymer material characterization, acoustic wave device.

Fabien Josse, Profesor, Dr., Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, P.O.Box. 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881, USA. E-mail: fabien.josse@marquette.edu