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

基于与 IC 集成兼容的微机械超声换能器的紧凑型非侵入式超声流量和风速传感器

• 批准号: 543712-2019
• 负责人: Nabki, Frederic
• 金额: $ 8.8万
• 依托单位: École de technologie supérieure
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=720785
• 关键词: Compact; non; invasive; ultrasonic; flow

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.

从历史上看，流量传感器一直是广泛的工业和医疗应用中的主力。然而，它们通常相对较大，这限制了部署，或者如果采用微机械加工，它们通常依赖热效应强制进行侵入性操作，这限制了兼容应用的数量。超声波流量传感器可以弥补后一个限制，而电容式微机械超声波换能器 (CMUT) 可以使它们更加紧凑，从而减轻前一个限制。工业合作伙伴 MEMS-Vision 希望开始一项研究工作，以扩展其定制 MEMS 以上 IC 兼容制造工艺，以创建此类传感器。 MEMS-Vision 旨在创建最紧凑的传感系统，包括传感器和集成电路。它寻求 Nabki 教授的专业知识来协调这项研究工作，他的经验涵盖微机电系统 (MEMS) 以及集成电路的设计和制造。因此，该项目旨在创建基于 CMUT 的紧凑型非侵入式超声波流量和风速传感器，不仅涉及传感器的设计和制造，还涉及创建集成传感系统所需的驱动、偏置、信号调节和处理集成电路的设计。该项目将解决与增强工艺、集成电路、封装和集成到紧凑传感系统相关的挑战，以扩大 MEMS-Vision 技术的潜力。该项目的成果将不仅仅是增强 MEMS-Vision 的工艺和创建新颖的紧凑型流量和风速传感器，因为设计的 CMUT 可以在指纹识别或医学成像等其他领域找到应用。 HQP 将在涉及 MEMS 和电子学的多学科环境中获得先进且适销对路的设计和制造技能。该项目将培养博士后2名、博士生2名、硕士生2名、本科生2名。它将在 MEMS、传感、接口 IC 和集成领域取得进展，这对加拿大的研究做出了重大贡献。