High Frequency Degenerate Mode Acoustic Sensors

这项研究的目的是研究和开发一种全新形式的声表面波谐振器，并将其应用于超鲁棒惯性速率和超灵敏质量传感器的设计和制造。该形式大大简化了制造和封装，使用廉价的基板材料，并且根据应用，对温度，负载和周围流体的影响具有鲁棒性。这些应用针对国防和医疗保健行业，这两个行业都认识到创造知识经济、影响安全以及促进健康和福祉的机会。在国防方面，低性能速率陀螺仪有一个成熟的市场，基本驱动因素是成本。然而，陀螺仪在制导弹药/炮弹中的一个重要应用仍在寻求令人满意的解决办法。陀螺仪（目前是一个易碎的零件）必须非常低的成本和足够坚固的结构，不受极端的惯性载荷和振动在发射和飞行过程中经历的影响。此外，能够在不需要真空外壳的情况下工作（所有MEMS陀螺仪都在真空下工作）将是一个主要的封装优势。所提出的设计为这一应用提供了一条前进的道路，并将挑战汽车和消费市场中的低成本陀螺仪应用。作为质量传感器的应用是用于医疗保健中的疾病检测和监测以及国防中的生物检测。该传感器的可扩展性、便携性、大规模生产的廉价性、简单的读出电子器件、具有高灵敏度的温度/环境补偿和多路复用可能性的潜力使其成为一个有吸引力的平台。这一领域的成功将对公共卫生保健和安全的有效性产生积极影响，特别是如果传感器及其支持系统能够以足够低的成本制造，从而成为在第一个需要点使用的有吸引力的系统。使用简并模式谐振器作为质量传感器的主要优点是记录系统被大大简化，因为它不需要传感器被容纳在温度受控的环境中。由于其改进的性能/鲁棒性和低制造成本，所提出的传感器有可能取代现有的SAW以及MEMS传感器。此外，由于其广泛的应用，成功的开发将刺激英国的制造业。

The purpose of this research bid is to investigate and characterise a completely new form of acoustic surface wave resonator and to apply the concept to the design and fabrication of ultra-robust inertial rate and ultra-sensitive mass sensors. The form greatly simplifies manufacture and packaging, uses a cheap substrate material, and, depending on the application, is robust to the influences of temperature, load and surrounding fluid. The applications are targeted at the defence and healthcare industries, both of which have recognised opportunities for creating a knowledge economy, influencing security, and promoting health and well-being. In defence there is a well established market for low performance rate gyros and the basic driver is cost. However there is an important gyroscopic application in guided munitions/shells which still seeks a satisfactory solution. Here the gyro (currently a fragile piece) has to be very low cost and structurally robust enough not to be influenced by the extreme inertia loads and vibration experienced during launch and in flight. Also, to be able to operate without the requirement of an evacuated case-all MEMS gyros operate under vacuum- would be a major packaging advantage. The proposed design offers a way forward for this application and will challenge low cost gyro applications in automotive and consumer markets.The application as a mass sensor is for the detection and monitoring of disease in healthcare and bio-detection in defence. The potential for the sensor to be miniaturizable, portable, cheap to mass produce, simple readout electronics, temperature/environment compensated with high sensitivity and multiplex possibilities make it an attractive platform. Success in this area would have a positive impact on the effectiveness of public health care and security, particularly if the sensor and its supporting system could be made at a low enough cost to be become attractive system for use at the first point of need. A major advantage of using a degenerate mode resonator as the mass sensor is that the recording system is much simplified as it does not require the sensor to be housed in a temperature controlled environment. Owing to their improved performance/robustness and low manufacturing costs, the proposed sensors have the potential to replace existing SAW as well as MEMS sensors. Moreover, as a result of their wide-ranging applications, successful development would stimulate the manufacturing industry in the UK.