Design of Silicon Carbide Surface-Micromachined Capacitive-based Transducers for Non-Destructive Testing Applications

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Ultrasonic transducers are seeing widespread use in low-intensity applications such as medical imaging, non-destructive testing and ranging, or in high-intensity ones like cleaning and liquid emulsification. For decades, piezoelectric transducers have been the workhorse in ultrasonics. However, capacitive transducers are currently attracting significant interest. A unique advantage over their piezoelectric counterpart lies in their lower mechanical impedance, offering the potential for a better impedance match with low-density fluidic media such as air. The operation of such transducers is also much less sensitive to temperature. Capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) are usually integrated closely with their interface electronic circuits forming complete stand-alone ultra-compact systems. This can allow ultrasonic systems to be integrated in handheld devices. The research group of Prof. Nabki has developed a novel Silicon Carbide CMUT, and demonstrated a proof of concept prototype showcasing the device's potential, and gaining the interest of Olympus Corporation, an international company with many R&D operations in Canada. Olympus operates in industrial, medical and consumer markets, and specializes in optics, electronics and precision engineering, with products deployed in Canada and around the world. Notably, Olympus is a world-leading manufacturer of innovative non-destructive testing (NDT) instruments that are used in industrial and research applications. It has a large operation in Quebec City of about 400 people, which handles R & D and production. Throughout this Engage project, Olympus is planning to explore and develop the different CMUT practical parameters (voltages, optimal frequency, device dimensions etc.) needed to perform ultrasonic NDT as done within Olympus sensors. A CMUT design optimisation for NDT will be carried out and a prototype is planned to be fabricated using a fast prototyping and manufacturing approach, using our previously published technology. The prototype will be tested extensively, and compared with existing Olympus NDT ultrasonic sensors. This project will provide training for two HQP, namely one PhD student and one postdoctoral fellow.