Thin polymer film based rapid surface acoustic wave humidity sensors

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) thin films, deposited on the surface of glass slides, were studied using transmission FTIR spectroscopy upon varying relative humidity (RH) from 2 to 70%. The obtained data revealed fast dynamics of water vapor adsorption-desorption with responses on the order of several seconds. Based on the fast FTIR signal intensity changes versus RH, it was proposed that a similar rapid response can be achieved for PVA and PVP coated SAW devices due to changes in mass-loading and film viscoelastic properties upon absorption of water vapor in the films. Sub-micron thickness films were spin-coated onto the surface of LiNbO₃ SAW substrates. Both PVA and PVP based humidity sensors revealed prompt reversible response to variations in humidity, although PVP-based device demonstrated better sensor parameters with total insertion loss variation of about 50 dB over the studied RH range and response time 1.5 s for the humidity step 5-95% (recovery time - 2.5 s), representing one of the fastest SAW-based humidity sensors reported to date.     

声表面波温度传感器频率分级扫描方法研究

针对声表面波(SAW)谐振腔体的频率响应单侧单调特征,为提高传感器的温度响应速度,提出了一种频率分级扫描方法,将频率扫描分为粗扫频和精扫频两个阶段,以不同的扫频步长依次进行.利用粗扫频确定中心谐振频率所处的频率区间,再在该频率区间内利用精扫频得到腔体中心谐振频率,可将温度传感器扫频时间降为原来的1/7.利用提出的频率扫描方法开展实验研究,分别研究了单个传感器的温度量测不确定度和多个传感器的温度量测一致性,并分析了实验结果.     

监测挥发性有机物的SAW传感器的研究进展

综述了可以连续操作和用于原位监测有机挥发性化合物的声表面波(SAW)化学传感器的研究进展。不锈钢包装和集成电路板的应用,使SAW传感器可以用于空气、土壤和水等在内的多种环境中监测有机挥发性化合物(VOCs)。介绍了根据常见地下水污染物氯代脂肪烃(如三氯乙烯)选择的高分子膜以及对传感器进行的优化。     

基于声表面波技术探测微量气体的理论分析

声表面波延迟线振荡器的频率对沉积在延迟线表面上的薄膜很敏感,在延迟线路径上覆盖一层具有选择性的吸附薄膜,这层薄膜吸附对其敏感的气体物质后,其质量密度、弹性参数、介电常数、电导率都将发生变化。给出了传感器的理论分析,根据检测需要,设计最优化的气体传感器。     

基于相位检测的声表面波传感器变送电路设计

本文设计了一种利用直接数字频率合成器（DDS）作为频率源,基于相位测量芯片AD8302的气敏传感器测试系统。该测试方法通过获取相同的输出相位差情况下的两次输八频率之差而达到测试目的,整个测试系统自动化程度高,且声表面波SAW谐振器工作于较高的频率,满足了较高精度现场检测的需要。     

基于FPGA的双声传感器定位系统的设计

针对小体积声探测系统对阵元数量的要求,设计了基于FPGA的双声传感器定位系统。该定位系统利用两个声传感器接收的回波的声压和时延值进行联合定位,可以达到减小阵元数量的目的。同时,利用硬件描述语言和DSP Builder完成了整个系统的构建。仿真和实验结果表明,所设计的定位系统工作频率可以达到94.4 MHz,完成一次定位只需要52μs,定位误差在1%之内。     

双声路声表面波毒剂传感器的设计

对声表面波（SAW）芯片结构类型、参数条件、覆膜方法及制作工艺流程进行了详细研究,设计了一种新型双声路谐振器型SAW毒剂传感器,并以聚表氯醇PECH为敏感膜材料,测试了该传感器对芥子气（HD）的检测性能,结果表明：该传感器具有稳定性好、灵敏度高、响应快速、适于连续实时检测等特点,为发展毒剂检测器材提供了依据。     

Development of high sensitivity tin oxide based sensors for gas/odour detection at room temperature

An effort has been made to develop thick film tin oxide gas sensors which could detect various gases/odours at room temperature. To achieve this, the fabricated sensors were annealed in oxygen plasma for various durations. It was then found that, the room temperature sensitivity of such sensors was increased to about ten times as compared to the sensitivity of the non-annealed sensors. Further, plasma annealed sensors are found to be practically independent of temperature and the room temperature sensitivity of these sensors are found to be about 1.5 times the sensitivity of the conventional sensors at its operating temperature of 300°C. Studies on the variation of d.c. resistance, sensitivity, temporal response, current–temperature characteristics and impedance spectroscopy with the annealing time have also been made. These studies reveal that, with the increase in annealing time, there is a permanent gradual reduction in the d.c. resistance of annealed sensors. Further, it is also observed that with the increase in annealing time, the response time improves, barrier height reduces, barrier capacitance increases and the dependence of the sensitivity with temperature reduces while the sensitivity itself improves many-fold.     

A nitric oxide gas sensor based on Rayleigh surface acoustic wave resonator for room temperature operation

A Rayleigh surface acoustic wave (RSAW) resonator with polyaniline/tungsten oxide nanocomposite thin film is investigated as a gas sensor for detecting the presence of nitric oxide (NO) in air. The sensor developed in this work was sensitive to NO gas at room temperature. It is shown that the sensor had a frequency shift of 1.2 ppm when it was exposed to 138 ppb NO. The negative frequency response increased with NO concentration increasing. The response and recovery times of the NO sensor in this work were about 20-80 s. In addition, this RSAW sensor also exhibited reversibility and repeatability to the presence of NO gas. Especially, the presented sensor showed high selectivity with NO gas to separate from NO₂ and CO₂ gases.     

A shear horizontal surface acoustic wave sensor for the detection of antigen–antibody reactions for medical diagnosis

In this paper we describe the development of a shear horizontal surface acoustic wave immunosensor for medical diagnostics. There exists a strong interest in the rapid detection of antigen–antibody reactions at small concentrations in the g/ml region in plasma, serum, or whole blood. Sensors whose operating principle is based on shear horizontal acoustic surface waves are well suited for this. We have used a spin-on glass film for the guidance of the surface wave as well as for the protection of the aluminum structures of the surface wave transducers from aggressive analyte liquids. This film has proven to considerably enhance the sensitivity of the device, and to simultaneously provide a durable protection of the transducers. Furthermore, polymers based on polyvinylamines have been used for the first time for immobilization of the capture protein. This technique effectively prevents the undesired binding of foreign substances like cells, non-specific antibodies, or other proteins at the sensor surface.     

Influence of intermediate hydrogel layer and amount of binding sites on the signal response of surface acoustic wave biosensors

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices based on horizontally polarized surface shear waves allow direct and label-free detection of biomolecules in real time. Binding reactions on SAW sensor surfaces are detected by determining changes in surface wave velocity caused mainly by mass loading or viscoelasticity changes in the sensing layer. In many cases, analyte-specific capture molecules or ligands are covalently bound on the sensor surface via an intermediate hydrogel layer. It is a fact that the SAW signal response strongly depends on the nature of the hydrogel matrix due to different relative changes of its acousto-mechanical parameters such as density and viscoelasticity. We studied the effect of different hydrogels in two affinity assays. One assay used a low amount of immobilized capture molecules, the other a high amount of immobilized ligands as binding sites in the sensing layer. Significant variations of the SAW signal response were observed. However, performing the assay with immobilized capture molecules resulted in decreasing signal height with increasing molar mass of the hydrogel whereas a reverse signal behavior was obtained performing the assay with immobilized ligands. This means that each affinity system requires its specific hydrogel matrix to obtain maximal signal response.     

MEMS热电堆高温测试系统中单晶材料的红外衰减特性研究

在对PerkinElmer公司的MEMS热电堆红外探测器静态和动态特性实验研究的基础上,本文提出了由MEMS热电堆、红外衰减片、靶体和存储模块组成瞬态表面高温测试装置的方案,对拓宽测温上限的关键元件--红外陶瓷衰减片进行了较深八的研究,用MEMS热电堆测量方法测量了氧化锆陶瓷片红外吸收系数,得出了不同厚度氧化锆（熔点为2715℃）陶瓷片红外衰减倍数曲线,为基于MEMS热电堆的表面高温测试装置的设计提供了依据。     

声表面波技术在化学战剂检测中的研究及发展

该文通过对目前世界各国SAW技术检测化学战剂研究发展状况的回顾,系统介绍了SAW传感器中膜材料的选择、灵敏度和温湿度、干扰气体、气体流速等因素对检测的影响,以及阵列式SAW传感器的检测方法,尤其是联合化学战剂检测器JCAD在化学战剂检测中的实际应用,并对今后声表面波技术检测化学战剂的研究发展前景提出了初步看法.     

Low temperature hydrogen detection at high concentrations: comparison of platinum and iridium

A comparison of platinum and iridium in work-function measurements with regard to hydrogen sensitivity is presented. The measurements were performed by means of a Kelvin probe and an ISFET-based measurement setup. They are concentrated towards high concentrations of hydrogen and low temperature in order to develop room temperature operated FET-based sensors which can withstand H₂-concentrations of some percent. With both materials the detection of H₂ up to 2% is possible. However, iridium shows very-slow reactions with adsorption as well as with desorption times of some hours. In contrast, the response times of platinum could be determined to be below 10 s in the case of 0.1% H₂. Therefore, platinum is the most promising candidate with air-gap configurations of FET like hybrid suspended gate FET (HSGFET).     

A sensor array based on mass and capacitance transducers for the detection of adulterated gasolines

The simultaneous use of different sensors technologies is an efficient method to increase the performance of chemical sensors systems. Among the available technologies, mass and capacitance transducers are particularly interesting because they can take advantage also from non-conductive sensing layers, such as most of the more interesting molecular recognition systems. In this paper, an array of quartz microbalance sensors is complemented by an array of capacitors obtained from a commercial biometrics fingerprints detector. The two sets of transducers, properly functionalized by sensitive molecular and polymeric films, are utilized for the estimation of adulteration in gasolines, and in particular to quantify the content of ethanol in gasolines, an application of importance for Brazilian market. Results indicate that the hybrid system outperforms the individual sensor arrays even if the quantification of ethanol in gasoline, due to the variability of gasolines formulation, is affected by a barely acceptable error.     

A new model of gross primary productivity for North American ecosystems based solely on the enhanced vegetation index and land surface temperature from MODIS

Many current models of ecosystem carbon exchange based on remote sensing, such as the MODIS product termed MOD17, still require considerable input from ground based meteorological measurements and look up tables based on vegetation type. Since these data are often not available at the same spatial scale as the remote sensing imagery, they can introduce substantial errors into the carbon exchange estimates. Here we present further development of a gross primary production (GPP) model based entirely on remote sensing data. In contrast to an earlier model based only on the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), this model, termed the Temperature and Greenness (TG) model, also includes the land surface temperature (LST) product from MODIS. In addition to its obvious relationship to vegetation temperature, LST was correlated with vapor pressure deficit and photosynthetically active radiation. Combination of EVI and LST in the model substantially improved the correlation between predicted and measured GPP at 11 eddy correlation flux towers in a wide range of vegetation types across North America. In many cases, the TG model provided substantially better predictions of GPP than did the MODIS GPP product. However, both models resulted in poor predictions for sparse shrub habitats where solar angle effects on remote sensing indices were large. Although it may be possible to improve the MODIS GPP product through improved parameterization, our results suggest that simpler models based entirely on remote sensing can provide equally good predictions of GPP.     

Design and analysis of piezoresistive microcantilever for surface stress measurement in biochemical sensor

Piezoresistive microcantilever has been proposed to measure the surface stress generated by biochemical analytes. Such in situ measurement is desirable for biochemical sensors with on-chip microsystem integration. A two-dimensional model is presented to analyze the four-layer piezoresistive microcantilever subject to the surface stress effect generated by biochemical reaction and the thermal effect induced by the piezoresistive layer. Analysis shows that both effects are detrimental to sensor measurement. Conventional wisdom by changing the aspect ratio of a microcantilever is futile to achieve higher sensitivity. An improved design by having the stripe pattern on the immobilized layer is developed to increase the measurement sensitivity. Higher sensitivity can also be obtained by having thicker bottom insulation layer and thinner piezoresistive layer. It is shown that the microcantilever design is superior to the stress concentration region (SCR) design commonly seen in atomic force microscopy (AFM).     

基于DSP和FPGA的被动声探测实时采集系统设计

为了给被动声探测技术研究提供实验验证平台,设计了一种可以进行实时数据采集和处理的系统方案.整个系统以数字信号处理器(DSP)和现场可编程门阵列(FPGA)为基本架构,由FPGA控制模数转换器(ADC)采集数据,通过USB 2.0电路将数据传送给个人计算机(PC),用于初期的离线验证;FPGA将采集到的数据通过外部存储器接口(EMIF)传递给DSP,用于实时处理.实验证明:系统实现了被动声探测中的实时数据采集、离线数据存储.数据采集与数据处理分别由不同处理器执行,提高了系统的响应速度与处理性能,能够满足探测系统的实时性要求.     

Mercury-electroplated-iridium microelectrode array based sensors for the detection of heavy metal ultratraces: optimization of the mercury charge

Mercury-electroplated-Ir microelectrode array based sensors have been developed; their electroanalytical performance is investigated for the simultaneous detection of ultratraces of Pb, Cd and Zn. Two Ir microelectrode array geometries were used, namely: (i) an array of 1089 microelectrodes of 3-μm diameter and (ii) an array of 1764 microelectrodes of 6-μm diameter. Prior to the Hg electroplating, the arrays were systematically characterized by means of cyclic voltammetry at various scan rates ranging from 5 to 500 mV s⁻¹ and found to exhibit a steady-state voltammetric behavior. The effect of the Hg charge (over a range as wide as 0.05–40 mC) on the electroanalytical performance (net peak current, peak potential and peak width) of the metal trace sensors has been systematically studied by using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). It is clearly shown that the net peak current not only depends on the magnitude of Hg charge, but also presents a maximum value for an optimum Hg charge. Optimum Hg charges of 4 and 15 mC were identified for the 3- and 6-μm diameter Ir microelectrodes, respectively. At the optimum Hg charges, calibration plots demonstrated good linearity for the three metal traces over a concentration range as wide as (100 ppt–1 ppm). By increasing the preconcentration time from 5 to 20 min, it is shown that the detection limit of metal ultratraces can be decreased from 100 to 20 ppt.     

基于温湿度的模糊传感器舒适度合成法研究

人类舒适感涉及多方因素 ,具有主观性、多维性和模糊性 ,舒适度传感器是未来传感器发展应用的一个趋势。从应用的角度 ,提出并探讨了基于温湿度的模糊传感器舒适度合成方法 ,相关参量的隶属函数取典型的正态分布 ,考虑到多维概念合成的不完备性 ,提出了由例子推导建立规则库的方法。