STTR Phase I: Development of resonators on high temperature piezoelectric materials for harsh environment sensor and oscillator applications

这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是解决能够在超过250°C的极端环境中运行的精确设备的需求。许多传感器的关键部件由石英制成，以其高灵敏度，精度和稳定性而闻名；但它不能在超过250°C的温度下工作。需要在这些高温下工作的敏感部件的应用包括行星际航天器、核反应堆、深钻、增强型地热系统以及高超音速飞机和导弹。拟议中的项目将开发使用先进材料技术的新型传感器。这个小型企业技术转移（STTR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种新型的压电材料谐振器，该谐振器在高温和高压下的性能得到了优化。所提出的双模谐振器有望具有更高的稳定性和精度。预计它们对系统性重新校准的需求也会大大减少。该项目的三个主要目标是优化压电材料的切割角度；开发晶圆级制造工艺，以减小尺寸和成本；并为谐振器的最终晶圆级封装开发晶圆键合工艺。这些努力解决了器件结构、合成、建模和优化、晶圆级制造和封装方面的翻译挑战，以制造高灵敏度、精确、小占地、低成本的谐振器。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to address the need for accurate devices capable of operating in extreme environments exceeding 250 °C. Many sensors have key components made of quartz, known for its high sensitivity, accuracy, and stability; but it cannot operate at temperatures exceeding 250 °C. The applications requiring sensitive components operating at these high temperatures include interplanetary spacecraft, nuclear reactors, deep drilling, enhanced geothermal systems, and hypersonic aircrafts and missiles. The proposed project will develop new sensors using advanced material technologies. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to develop a novel resonator on piezoelectric materials optimized for performance at high temperature and pressure. The proposed dual-mode resonators are expected to exhibit much higher stability and accuracy. They are also expected to have significantly less need for systemic recalibration. The three main objectives in this project are to optimize the cut angles of the piezoelectric material; develop wafer-level fabrication processes, for size and cost reduction; and to develop a wafer bonding process for eventual wafer-level packaging of the resonators. The effort address translation challenges in device structure, synthesis, modeling and optimization, wafer level fabrication and packaging, to make highly sensitive, accurate, small footprint, low-cost resonators.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.