SBIR Phase I: High Sensitivity Micro Strain Sensor Using Magnetostrictive Spin Dependent Tunneling Materials

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在展示一种使用磁致伸缩自旋相关隧道材料的微芯片形式的测试应变传感器。硅压敏材料具有较高的灵敏度，但工作温度较低，而金属薄膜具有较好的温度性能，但灵敏度较低。灵敏度/温度、对ESD的敏感性、成本和其他方面的限制使该技术无法在几个关键的商业和军事应用中使用。提出了一种基于类似器件的高灵敏度、宽温度范围、低功耗、小体积和低成本的方法。尽管作为一种磁性设备，该传感器将使用专有方法对实际大小的外部磁场不敏感。其可行性将通过制造测试设备、构建微型应变测试仪以及实现高应变灵敏度来验证。预计这些传感器将在工业控制、土木工程项目和机器人等应用领域迅速被接受，然后扩展到其他应用领域。这种传感器可以在非常恶劣的温度、静电放电和辐射条件下工作。与其他磁性传感器不同，该设备将不会对磁场做出反应，无论是自然磁场还是由它试图控制的设备产生的磁场。因为传感器是由微电子技术制造的，所以它的成本很低，而且包装要求不会包括今天用来“保护”现有传感器的许多技术。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to demonstrate a test strainsensor in microchip form using magnetostrictive spin dependent tunneling materials. Silicon piezoresistivematerials have high sensitivity but operate at low temperatures, whereas metallic films have much better temperature capability but much lower sensitivity. The limitations in sensitivity/temperature, susceptibility to ESD, cost, and others have precluded the technology to be used in several key commercial and military applications. An approach based on the high sensitivity, wide temperature range, low power, small size and low cost of similar devices is proposed. Although as a magnetic device, the sensor will be insensitive to external magnetic fields of practical magnitude, using a proprietary approach. The feasibility will be demonstrated by fabricating test devices; constructing a miniature strain tester; and achieving high strain sensitivity. It is expected that these sensors will find rapid initial acceptance in application areas of industrial control, civil engineering projects, and robotics, and then expand to other applications. This sensorwill function under very adverse conditions of temperature, ESD and radiation. Unlikeother magnetic sensors the device will have no response to magnetic fields, either naturalor created by the equipment it is trying to control. Because the sensor is manufacturedby microelectronics techniques it will be low cost and the packaging requirements will nothave to include many of the techniques employed today to "safeguard" the existing sensor.