Design and fabrication of a length-extensional mode rectangular X-cut quartz resonator with zero temperature coefficient.

Rectangular X-cut quartz crystal resonators with cut angles theta > 5.0 degrees and aspect ratios Rzy (= width 2z0/length 2y0) from 0.3 to 0.5 are investigated. The resonators oscillate mode is a length-extensional mode. A semiempirical frequency equation was derived from the stress expressed in terms of the trigonometric and the hyperbolic transcendental functions with constants estimated by the regression curve fit to the stress simulated by the finite-element method (FEM). Contours on which a point satisfies a zero first order temperature coefficient condition are shown in a cut angle theta and Rzy diagram. We proved that a fabricated resonator with Rzy = 0.400 and theta = 16.0 degrees, whose design parameter is located in the area of the contour, had a zero temperature coefficient.     

Surface and pseudo surface acoustic waves in langatate: predictions and measurements

Langatate (LGT, La/sub 3/Ga/sub 5.5/Ta/sub 0.5/O/sub 14/) is a recent addition to materials of the trigonal crystal class 32. In this paper SAW contour plots of the phase velocity (v/sub p/), the electromechanical coupling coefficient (K/sup 2/), the temperature coefficient of delay (TCD), and the power flow angle (PFA), are given showing the orientations in space in which high coupling is obtained, with the corresponding TCD, PFA, and vp characteristics for these orientations. This work reports experimental results on the SAW temperature fractional frequency variation (/spl Delta/f/fo) and the TCD for several LGT orientations on the plane with Euler angles: (0/spl deg/, 132/spl deg/, /spl psi/). The temperature behavior has been measured directly on SAW wafers from 10 to 200/spl deg/C, and the results are compared with numerical predictions using our recently measured temperature coefficients for LGT material constants. This research also has uncovered temperature compensated orientations, which we have experimentally verified with parabolic behavior, turnover temperatures in the 130 to 160/spl deg/C range, and /spl Delta/f/fo within 1000 ppm variation from 10 to 260/spl deg/C, appropriate for higher temperature device applications. Regarding the pseudo surface acoustic waves (PSAWs), results of calculations are presented for both the PSAW and the high velocity PSAW (HVPSAW) for some selected, rotated cuts. This study shows that propagation losses for the PSAWs of about 0.01 dB/wavelength, and phase velocities approximately 20% higher than that of the SAW, exist along specific orientations for the PSAW, thus showing the potential for somewhat higher frequency SAW device applications on this material, if required.     

Preparation of ferroelectric Ba(Ti/sub 0.85/Sn/sub 0.15/)O/sub 3/ thin films by metal-organic decomposition

Ferroelectric Ba(Ti/sub 0.85/Sn/sub 0.15/)O/sub 3/ (BTS/sub 15/) thin film is newly prepared on the Pt/Ti/SiO/sub 2//Si substrate by metal-organic decomposition. The firing condition is determined by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The BTS/sub 15/ thin film with a flat surface and uniform thickness is obtained by spin coating in N/sub 2/ atmosphere that avoids moisture. The BTS/sub 15/ film has a perovskite phase and a preferential [110] texture. It is also found that the crystalline structure is cubic at 24/spl deg/C with a lattice constant of 4.01 /spl Aring/, and a grain size of about 30 nm was estimated by Scherrer equation and SEM image. From P-E hysteresis loop at 20/spl deg/C, the polarization at E=0 and the electric field at P=0 are found to be 1.07 /spl mu/C/cm/sup 2/ and 24.0 kV/cm, respectively. It is observed that the dielectric constant decreases monotonously from about 830 to 630 with increasing temperature ranging from 20/spl deg/C to 50/spl deg/C. Finally, it is found that the BTS/sub 15/ thin film shows a sufficient ferroelectricity and is an attractive material for functional ferroelectric devices, such as thermal-type infrared sensors.     

The comparative effect of two different annealing temperatures and times on the sensitivity and long-term stability of WO/sub 3/ thin films for detecting NO/sub 2/

We have deposited 150-nm-thick WO/sub 3/ films on Si/sub 3/N/sub 4//Si substrates provided with platinum interdigital electrodes and annealed in static air at 300/spl deg/C and 500/spl deg/C temperatures for 24 h and 200 h. The morphology, crystalline phase, and chemical composition of the films have been characterized using AFM, grazing incidence XRD and high resolution XPS techniques. The sensor resistance response curve has been obtained in the 0.2 -4 ppm NO/sub 2/ gas concentration range in humid air (50% relative humidity), varying the operating temperature between 25 and 250/spl deg/C. By plotting both sensor resistance and gas concentration logarithmically, the response is linear over the investigated dynamic range. Sensor sensitivities, here defined as the ratio of sensor resistance in gas to that in air (i.e., S=R/sub Gas//R/sub Air/), have been compared at a given NO/sub 2/ gas concentration (0.2 ppm). The long-term stability properties have been evaluated by recording film sensitivity for 1 yr under standardized test conditions. Increasing the annealing temperature from 300 to 500/spl deg/C causes the sensitivities to decrease. The 300/24h film is shown to be the most sensitive at S=233, but with poor long-term stability properties. The 300/200h film with S=32 is stable over the examined period. The 500/24 and the 500/200 films are shown to be less sensitive with S=16 and S=14, respectively. The longer the annealing time and the higher the temperature, the poorer the sensitivity, but with positive effects upon the long-term stability of the electrical response. The influence of the annealing conditions on sensitivity and long-term stability has been correlated with the concentration of surface defects, like reduced WO/sub 3/ phase (i.e., W/sup 4+/), which resulted in a strong effect on the sensors' response.     

Fabrication and characterization of nano-sized SrTiO/sub 3/-based oxygen sensor for near room-temperature operation

Nano-sized SrTiO/sub 3/-based oxygen sensors were fabricated from synthesized SrTiO/sub 3/ and commercial SrTiO/sub 3/ using the high-energy ball milling and the thick-film screen-printing techniques. The particle sizes, microstructural properties, oxygen-sensing properties, and humidity effects of the synthesized nano-sized SrTiO/sub 3/-based oxygen sensors were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and gas sensing measurements. Experimental results showed that the particle size of the powders was milled down to be around 27 nm. The effect of different annealing temperatures (400/spl deg/C, 500/spl deg/C, 600/spl deg/C, 700/spl deg/C, and 800/spl deg/C) on the gas sensing properties of the synthesized SrTiO/sub 3/ sensor from nitrogen to 20% oxygen was characterized. The commercial SrTiO/sub 3/ devices annealed at 400/spl deg/C, both with 0-h and 120-h milling time, were used for comparison. The optimal relative resistance (R/sub nitrogen//R/sub 20%oxygen/) value of 6.35 is obtained for the synthesized SrTiO/sub 3/ sample annealed at 400/spl deg/C and operating at 40/spl deg/C. This operating temperature is much lower than that of conventional metal oxide semiconducting oxygen gas sensors (300/spl deg/C-500/spl deg/C) and SrTiO/sub 3/ oxygen gas sensors (>700/spl deg/C). The response and recovery times are 1.6 and 5 min, respectively. The detected range is 1-20% oxygen. The impedance of the synthesized SrTiO/sub 3/ sensor with annealing at 400/spl deg/C and operating at 40/spl deg/C (from 1 mHz to 10 MHz) in 20% oxygen ambient was found to be independent of the relative humidity (dry, 20% RH, 80% RH, near 100% RH).     

Magnetic and structural properties of Co ion-implanted GaN

A GaN epilayer was grown on Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ substrate by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, and Co/sup -/ ions with a dose of 3/spl times/10/sup 16/ cm/sup -2/ were implanted into GaN at 350/spl deg/C. The implanted samples were postannealed at 700/spl deg/C-900/spl deg/C to recrystallize the samples and to remove implantation damage. We have investigated the magnetic and structural properties of Co ion-implanted GaN by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD results did not show any peaks associated with the second phase formation, and only the diffraction from the GaN layer and substrate structure were observed. The temperature dependence of magnetization taken in zero-field-cooling and field-cooling conditions showed the features of superparamagnetic system in films annealed at 700/spl deg/C-900/spl deg/C. The magnetization curves at 5 K for samples annealed at 700/spl deg/C-900/spl deg/C exhibits ferromagnetic hysteresis loops, and the highest residual magnetization (M/sub R/) and coercivity (H/sub c/) of M/sub R/=1.5/spl times/10/sup -4/ emu/g and H/sub c/=107 Oe were found in the 800/spl deg/C annealed sample. XPS measurement showed the metallic Co 2p core levels and the metallic valence band spectra for as-implanted and 700/spl deg/C-900/spl deg/C annealed samples. From these, it could be explained that the magnetic property of our films originated from Co and CoGa magnetic clusters.     

Recent developments in high curie temperature perovskite single crystals

The temperature behavior of various relaxor-PT piezoelectric single crystals was investigated. Owing to a strongly-curved morphotropic phase boundary, the usage temperature of these perovskite single crystals is limited by T/sub R-T/- the rhombohedral to tetragonal phase transformation temperature - which occurs at the significantly lower temperatures than the Curie temperature T/sub c/. Attempts to modify the temperature usage range of Pb(Zn/sub 1/3/Nb/sub 2/3/)O/sub 3/-PbTiO/sub 3/ (PZNT) and Pb(Mg/sub 1/3/Nb/sub 2/3/)O/sub 3/-PbTiO/sub 3/ (PMNT) rhombohedral crystals (T/sub c/ /spl sim/ 150-170/spl deg/C, T/sub R-T/ /spl sim/ 60-120/spl deg/C) using minor dopant modifications were limited, with little success. Of significant potential are crystals near the morphotropic phase boundary in the Pb(Yb/sub 1/2/Nb/sub 1/2/)O/sub 3/-PbTiO/sub 3/ (PYNT) system, with a T/sub c/ > 330/spl deg/C, even though T/sub R-T/ was found to be only half the value at /spl sim/160/spl deg/C. Single crystals in the novel BiScO/sub 3/-PbTiO/sub 3/ system offer significantly higher T/sub c/s > 400/spl deg/C, while exhibiting electromechanical coupling coefficients k/sub 33/ > 90% being nearly constant till the T/sub R-T/ temperature around 350/spl deg/C, which greatly increases the temperature range for transducer applications.     

Shear mode coupling and tilted grain growth of AlN thin films in BAW resonators

Polycrystalline AlN thin films were deposited by RF reactive magnetron sputtering on Pt(111)/Ti electrode films. The substrates were tilted by an angle ranging from 40/spl deg/ to 70/spl deg/ with respect to the target normal. A low deposition temperature and a high sputter gas pressure were found ideal for tilted growth. The resulting grain tilt angle amounts to about half the substrate tilt angle. For coupling evaluation, 5 GHz solidly mounted resonator structures have been realized. The tilted grain AlN films exhibited a permittivity in the 9.5-10.5 range and loss tangent of 0.3%. Two shear modes as well as the longitudinal mode could be clearly identified. The coupling coefficient k/sub eff//sup 2/, of the fundamental thickness shear mode (TSO) was found to be about 0.5%, which is compatible with a c-axis tilt of about 6/spl deg/.     

Determination of the shear impedance of viscoelastic liquids using cylindrical piezoceramic resonators

In this paper, a new method for determining the rheological parameters of viscoelastic liquids is presented. To this end, we used the perturbation method applied to shear vibrations of cylindrical piezoceramic resonators. The resonator was viscoelastically loaded on the outer cylindrical surface. Due to this loading, the resonant frequency and quality factor of the resonator changed. According to the perturbation method, the change in the complex resonant frequency /spl Delta/~/spl omega/ = /spl Delta/w/sup re/ + j/spl Delta//spl omega//sup im/ is directly proportional to the specific acoustic impedance for cylindrical waves Zc of a viscoelastic liquid surrounding the resonator, i.e., /spl Delta/~w /spl sim/ jZ/sub c/, where j = (-1)/sup 1/2/. Hence, the measurement of the real and imaginary parts of the complex resonant frequency determines the real part, R/sub c/, and imaginary part, X/sub c/, of the complex acoustic impedance for cylindrical waves Z/sub c/ of an investigated liquid. Further-more, the specific impedance Z/sub L/ for plane waves was related to the specific impedance Z/sub c/ for cylindrical waves. Using theoretical formulas established and the results of the experiments performed, the shear storage modulus /spl mu/ and the viscosity /spl eta/ for various liquids (e.g., epoxy resins) were determined. Moreover, the authors derived for cylindrical resonators a formula that relates the shift in resonant frequency to the viscosity of the liquid. This formula is analogous to the Kanazawa-Gordon formula that was derived for planar resonators and Newtonian liquids.     

Study of x/spl alpha/-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/-(1-x)ZrO/sub 2/ solid solution for low-temperature resistive oxygen gas sensors

A noble type of oxygen-sensitive and electrical-conductive material, ZrO/sub 2/-based with /spl alpha/-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ thick-film gas sensor, was investigated for low operating temperature. Amorphous-like solid solutions of x/spl alpha/-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/-(1-x)ZrO/sub 2/ powders were derived using the high-energy ball milling technique, and their physical and microstructural properties were characterized from DTA, XRD, TEM, and XPS. The oxygen gas-sensing properties of the screen-printed thick-film gas sensors fabricated from such mechanically-alloyed materials were characterized systematically. Very good sensing properties were obtained with a relative resistance value of 82 in 20% oxygen, and at a low operating temperature of 320/spl deg/C. AC impedance spectra and thermally stimulated current were characterized to investigate the conduction properties of the solid solution, 0.2/spl alpha/-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/-0.8ZrO/sub 2/, in air and nitrogen (carrier gas), respectively. It was found that the Arrhenius plots of /spl sigma/T versus 1000/T have two distinct gradients corresponding to two activation energies in the high and low temperature regions. The transition temperature occurs at about 320/spl deg/C that corresponds to an optimal operating temperature of the gas sensor. It is believed that the high oxygen vacancy concentration present in the solid solution, 0.2/spl alpha/-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/-0.8ZrO/sub 2/, and the dissociation of the associated oxygen vacancy defect complexes at 320/spl deg/C are the critical factors for the high relative resistance to oxygen gas at low operating temperature.     

CO-sensing properties of In/sub 2/O/sub 3/-doped SnO/sub 2/ thick-film sensors: effect of doping concentration and grain size

In/sub 2/O/sub 3/-doped SnO/sub 2/ nanoparticles were prepared using sol-gel technique from 0.1-M solutions of both stannic chloride (SnCl/sub 4/ 5H/sub 2/O) and indium nitrate. The doping concentration was varied from 7.718/spl times/10/sup -5/ to 3.859/spl times/10/sup -4/ moles. The average particle size, as measured from XRD, SEM, and TEM analyses, varies from 34-130 nm as a result of powder calcination at different temperatures ranging from 300/spl deg/C-900/spl deg/C. Thick-film samples with a thickness of /spl sim/15 /spl mu/m, were tested for low concentration (15-1000 ppm) of CO in air ambient. The optimal temperature for CO sensing is found to be 220/spl deg/C-240/spl deg/C. A blue shift in the sensing temperature and increase in sensitivity factor (S/sub f/) is observed with increasing doping concentration of indium oxide. Maximum sensitivity factor of /spl sim/5 is found for the highest doping concentration (3.859/spl times/10/sup -4/ moles) at 1000 ppm of CO concentration. The morphological and elemental studies of the film are carried out using SEM, TEM, XRD, and EDAX techniques. The results are discussed based on elemental analyses and available theories.     

Ultrahigh-sensitive tin-oxide microsensors for H/sub 2/S detection

Ultrahigh-sensitivity SnO/sub 2/-CuO sensors were fabricated on Si(100) substrates for detection of low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide. The sensing material was spin coated over platinum electrodes with a thickness of 300 nm applying a sol-gel process. The SnO/sub 2/-based sensors doped with copper oxide were prepared by adding various amounts of Cu(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/.3H/sub 2/O to a sol suspension. Conductivity measurements of the sensors annealed at different temperatures have been carried out in dry air and in the presence of 100 ppb to 10-ppm H/sub 2/S. The nanocrystalline SnO/sub 2/-CuO thin films showed excellent sensing characteristics upon exposure to low concentrations of H/sub 2/S below 1 ppm. The 5% CuO-doped sensor having an average grain size of 20 nm exhibits a high sensitivity of 2.15/spl times/10/sup 6/ (R/sub a//R/sub g/) for 10-ppm H/sub 2/S at a temperature of 85/spl deg/C. By raising the operating temperature to 170/spl deg/C, a high sensitivity of /spl sim/10/sup 5/ is measured and response and recovery times drop to less than 2 min and 15 s, respectively. Selectivity of the sensing material was studied toward various concentrations of CO, CH/sub 4/, H/sub 2/, and ethanol. SEM, XRD, and TEM analyses were used to investigate surface morphology and crystallinity of SnO/sub 2/ films.     

Contribution to the electromechanical and nonlinear properties of GaPO4 crystals

In the last decade, much attention has been given to piezoelectric crystals with large electromechanical coupling coefficient. The quartz homeotypes berlinite and gallium orthophosphate (GaPO/sub 4/), along with the calcium gallo-germanates such as langasite are representative of these crystals. The coupling coefficient k/sub 26/ associated with thickness-shear mode resonators is two times greater than that of quartz, increasing the spacing between the series and parallel resonance frequencies of resonators suitable for the frequency range from 1 to 100 MHz. This is important for some types of crystal oscillators and monolithic filters. The large electromechanical coupling coefficient also increases the difference between the temperature dependencies of the fundamental resonance frequency and its harmonics. In this paper, measured resonance frequency-temperature characteristics of the fundamental and third harmonics of selected rotated Y-cut GaPO/sub 4/ resonators vibrating in the thickness-shear mode are presented. Further attention is given to the measurement of some nonlinear properties of rotated Y-cut GaPO/sub 4/ resonators. Knowledge of such nonlinear interactions is important for the analysis of intermodulation phenomena in resonators, and for the application of GaPO/sub 4/ resonators in crystal oscillators, filters and other electronic devices.     

The /spl plusmn/45/spl deg/ correlation interferometer as a means to measure phase noise of parametric origin

A radiofrequency interferometric detector is combined with the correlation-and-averaging technique in a new scheme for the measurement of the phase noise of a component. The method relies upon the assumption that the phase noise of the component being tested (DUT) exceeds the amplitude noise, which is consistent with the general experience in the field of wireless engineering. The new scheme is based on the amplification of the DUT noise sidebands and on the simultaneous measurement of the amplified noise by means of two mixers driven in quadrature, /spl plusmn/ 45/spl deg/ off the carrier phase. The /spl plusmn/45/spl deg/ detection has two relevant properties, namely 1) the sensitivity is neither limited by the thermal energy k/sub B/T/sub 0/, nor by temperature uniformity, and 2) the noise of the measurement amplifier is rejected, despite a single amplifier being shared by the two channels of the correlator. The article provides the theoretical background and experimental results. The sensitivity of the first 100-MHz prototype, given in terms of the S/sub /spl phi//(f) floor, is some 12 dB below k/sub B/T/P/sub 0/, where P/sub 0/ is the carrier power. Using a dual carrier suppression scheme, the residual flicker is as low as -168 dBrad/sup 2//Hz at f=1 Hz off the carrier.     

Lam e-mode miniaturized quartz temperature sensors

Lam e-mode is very useful for realization of a miniaturized quartz crystal resonator because its resonant frequency principally depends only on the contour dimensions. Because the heat capacitance for the miniaturized quartz crystal resonator is small and the frequency response versus temperature is very rapid, the quartz crystal resonator is useful for application in temperature sensors. In addition, because a Lam e-mode quartz crystal resonator has zero temperature coefficients, designated LQ(1) cut and LQ(2) cut, and, particularly, the resonator for LQ(1) cut has a comparatively large value of the second-order temperature coefficient beta, a Lam e-mode quartz crystal resonator can be obtained with the large first-order temperature coefficient or when beta=0. In this paper, when cut angles phi=45 degrees and theta=45 degrees , alpha has a value of 44.6x10(-6)/ degrees C in the calculation and 39.9x10(-6)/ degrees C in the experiments with beta=0; when phi=51.5 degrees and theta=45 degrees , alpha=68.1x10(-6)/ degrees C in the calculation and 62.0x10(-6)/ degrees C in the experiments with a value of beta larger than that of phi=45 degrees and theta=45 degrees . For both cut angles, the calculated frequency change vs. temperature is found to be sufficiently large and slightly larger than the measured one.     

Gas-sensing properties of sprayed films of (CdO)/sub x/(ZnO)/sub 1-x/ mixed oxide

A novel NO/sub 2/ sensor based on (CdO)/sub x/(ZnO)/sub 1-x/ mixed-oxide thin films deposited by the spray pyrolysis technique is developed. The sensor response to 3-ppm NO/sub 2/ is studied in the range 50/spl deg/C-350/spl deg/C for three different film compositions. The device is also tested for other harmful gases, such as CO (300 ppm) and CH/sub 4/ (3000 ppm). The sensor response to these reducing gases is different at different temperatures varying from the response typical for the p-type semiconductor to that typical for the n-type semiconductor. Satisfactory response to NO/sub 2/ and dynamic behavior at 230/spl deg/C, as well as low resistivity, are observed for the mixed-oxide film with 30% Cd. The response to interfering gas is poor at working temperature (230/spl deg/C). On the basis of this study, a possible sensing mechanism is proposed.     

Fabrication of resonant-tunneling diodes by Sb surfactant modified growth of Si films on CaF/sub 2//Si

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of Si thin films on CaF/sub 2//Si(111) substrates has been studied. A surfactant-modified solid-phase epitaxy method, where the room temperature Si deposition was followed by annealing under Sb flux, resulted in a continuous, smooth epitaxial crystalline Si film with a sharp (/spl radic/3/spl times//spl radic/3)R30/spl deg/ reconstruction and a surface roughness of 0.15-nm rms for a 2.8-nm Si thin film. This growth technique was used to fabricate CaF/sub 2//Si/CaF/sub 2/ double-barrier resonant tunneling diodes in SiO/sub 2/ windows patterned on Si(111) substrates. A negative differential resistance (NDR) peak was found at /spl sim/0.35 V at 77 K, and the current density at the NDR peak was estimated to be 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than in earlier reports.     

Effects of calcining and sintering parameters on the magnetic properties of high-permeability MnZn ferrites

For asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology applications, new MnZn ferrites are required with not only high initial permeability, but also with low hysteresis material constant /spl eta//sub B/. The effects of calcining and sintering temperatures and oxygen equilibrium partial pressure on the magnetic properties of MnZn ferrites are studied in this work. It was found that raising the calcining temperature required a rise in the sintering temperature to simultaneously achieve maximum permeability and the lowest /spl eta//sub B/ value. Both grain size and porosity had an effect on the initial permeability of the samples. Porosity had an even larger effect on the /spl eta//sub B/ value than the initial permeability. Oxygen equilibrium partial pressure also had an important effect on the initial permeability and /spl eta//sub B/ value. In our testing range, both the initial permeability and the /spl eta//sub B/ value decreased with increasing value of A (oxygen parameter). In order to optimize synthesis conditions for the high initial permeability and low /spl eta//sub B/ value, it was best to calcine the sample at 950/spl deg/C and sinter it at 1370/spl deg/C, with A=7.55.     

SAW COM-parameter extraction in AlN/diamond layered structures

Highly c-axis oriented aluminum nitride (AlN) thin piezoelectric films have been grown on polycrystalline diamond substrates by pulsed direct current (DC) magnetron reactive sputter-deposition. The films were deposited at a substrate temperature below 50/spl deg/C (room temperature) and had a typical full width half maximum (FWHM) value of the rocking curve of the AlN-002-peak of 2.1 degrees. A variety of one-port surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators have been designed and fabricated on top of the AlN films. The measurements indicate that various SAW modes are excited. The SAW phase velocities of up to 11.800 m/s have been measured. These results are in agreement with calculated dispersion curves of the AlN/diamond structure. Finally, the coupling of modes parameters have been extracted from S/sub 11/ measurements using curve fitting for the first SAW mode, which indicate an effective coupling K/sup 2/ of 0.91% and a Q factor of about 600 at a frequency of 1050 MHz.     

Evaluation method of TiO/sub 2/-SiO/sub 2/ ultra-low-expansion glasses with periodic striae using the LFB ultrasonic material characterization system

Experimental procedures and standard specimens for characterizing and evaluating TiO/sub 2/-SiO/sub 2/ ultralow expansion glasses with periodic striae using the line-focus-beam (LFB) ultrasonic material characterization system are discussed. Two types of specimens were prepared, with specimen surfaces parallel and perpendicular to the striae plane using two different grades of glass ingots. The inhomogeneities of each of the specimens were evaluated at 225 MHz. It was clarified that parallel specimens are useful for accurately measuring velocity variations of leaky surface acoustic waves (LSAWs) excited on a water-loaded specimen surface associated with the striae. Perpendicular specimens are useful for obtaining periodicities in the striae for LSAW propagation perpendicular to the striae plane on a surface and for precisely measuring averaged velocities for LSAW propagation parallel to the striae plane. The standard velocity of Rayleigh-type LSAWs traveling parallel to the striae plane for the perpendicular specimens was numerically calculated using the measured velocities of longitudinal and shear waves and density. Consequently, a reliable standard specimen with an LSAW velocity of 3308.18 /spl plusmn/ 0.35 m/s at 23/spl deg/C and its temperature coefficient of 0.39 (m/s)//spl deg/C was obtained for a TiO/sub 2/-SiO/sub 2/ glass with a TiO/sub 2/ concentration of 7.09 wt%. A basis for the striae analysis using this ultrasonic method was established.