Selection of materials for multilayered structures to be used in packageless sensors
Recently a multilayered structure with a low-velocity layer sandwiched between two high-velocity materials, one of which also works as a supporting substrate and another one as a coat isolating the wave from the influence of undesired external factors, was suggested for application in packageless sensors [1,2]. The thickness of a middle piezoelectric layer must be sufficient to confine the wave within this layer. The suggested combinations of materials included ZnO or GaN as a waveguiding layer, sapphire or diamond as a supporting substrate and Al2O3 (alumina) or AlN as a coating. In the present work, two previously reported structures were analyzed and compared to find the selection criterion for optimal combination of materials enabling high coupling of the useful mode and suppression of parasitic modes.
AlN/Pt/LN structure for SAW sensors capable of operating at high temperature
There is a need for wireless sensors able to operate in the intermediate temperature range (ITR) between 300 °C and 600 °C. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors are promising candidates to solve this issue. However, existing SAW sensors most often fail in the ITR, due to the quick degradation of the sensor housing in extreme conditions. A promising way to circumvent the issue is to use “package-less” devices, where the acoustic waves are guided in a multilayered structure where they are intrinsically protected from adverse environmental effects. We present here an innovative multilayered structure that fulfills all the basic requirements, to achieve a wireless and “package-less” SAW Sensor for the ITR. The structure is made of a thin AlN layer deposited on top of a Y + 128°LN substrate and equipped with buried Pt electrodes. Numerical simulations of the acoustic waves propagating in SAW resonators built on this structure reveal the existence of a useful Rayleigh-type SAW that propagates at the AlN/LN inter...
Integrating Al with NiO nano honeycomb to realize an energetic material on silicon substrate
Nano energetic materials offer improved performance in energy release, ignition, and mechanical properties compared to their bulk or micro counterparts. In this study, the authors propose an approach to synthesize an Al/NiO based nano energetic material which is fully compatible with a microsystem. A two-dimensional NiO nano honeycomb is first realized by thermal oxidation of a Ni thin film deposited onto a silicon substrate by thermal evaporation. Then the NiO nano honeycomb is integrated with an Al that is deposited by thermal evaporation to realize an Al/NiO based nano energetic material. This approach has several advantages over previous investigations, such as lower ignition temperature, enhanced interfacial contact area, reduced impurities and Al oxidation, tailored dimensions, and easier integration into a microsystem to realize functional devices. The synthesized Al/NiO based nano energetic material is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry.