Compact non-invasive ultrasonic flow and wind speed sensors based on micromachined ultrasonic transducers compatible with above-IC integration

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Historically, flow sensors have been a workhorse in a wide range of industrial and medical applications. However, they are typically relatively large which limits deployment or, if micromachined, they often rely on thermal effects forcing invasive operation, which limits the number of compatible applications. Ultrasonic flow sensors can remedy the latter limitation, and capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) can render them more compact, mitigating the former limitation. Industrial partner MEMS-Vision wishes to start a research effort to expand its custom MEMS above-IC compatible fabrication process to create such sensors. MEMS-Vision aims to create the most compact sensing system, including both the transducer and integrated circuits. It has sought the expertise of Prof. Nabki, whose experience spans the design and fabrication of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) as well as integrated circuits, to orchestrate this research effort in collaboration. Accordingly, this project aims to create compact non-invasive ultrasonic flow and wind speed sensors based on CMUTs, touching not only on the design and fabrication of the transducers, but on the design of the driving, biasing, signal conditioning, and processing integrated circuits that are required to create an integrated sensing system. Challenges pertaining to the enhanced process, integrated circuits, packaging, and integration into compact sensing systems will be addressed over the course of this project to expand the potential of MEMS-Vision's technology. The project's outcomes will go beyond enhancing MEMS-Vision's process and creating novel compact flow and wind speed sensors, as the CMUTs devised could find applications in other areas such as fingerprinting or medical imaging. The HQP will gain advanced and marketable design and manufacturing skills in a multidisciplinary setting touching both MEMS and electronics. The project will train 2 post-doctoral fellows, 2 PhDs, 2 Master's and 2 undergraduate students. It will yield advances in the fields of MEMS, sensing, interfacing ICs, and integration, which represents significant contributions to research in Canada.