56 research outputs found
A Novel Interdigital Capacitor Pressure Sensor Based on LTCC Technology
A novel passive wireless pressure sensor is proposed based on LTCC (low temperature cofired ceramic) technology. The sensor employs a passive LC circuit, which is composed of a variable interdigital capacitor and a constant inductor. The inductor and capacitor were fabricated by screen-printing. Pressure measurement is tested using a wireless mutual inductance coupling method. The experimental sensitivity of the sensor is about 273.95 kHz/bar below 2 bar. Experimental results show that the sensor can be read out wirelessly by external antenna at 600°C. The max readout distance is 3 cm at room temperature. The sensors described can be applied for monitoring of gas pressure in harsh environments, such as environment with high temperature and chemical corrosion
Wearable RF Resonant Gaseous Chemical Sensor Array
Biomarker detection is a major engineering goal that enables numerous applications in the fields of biomedical and law enforcement. By monitoring the conditions of the subject with a dedicated biomarker detection system, the health condition as well as other biomedical parameters of interest can be evaluated in real-time, and further preemptive measures can be taken to improve the safety and chance of survival of the subject. In the pursuit of a better biomarker monitoring system, the ubiquitous and unobtrusiveness of the sensor is proven to be a critical design factor that directly impacts the subject’s safety and the comfort level. The thesis presents the research results obtained for a novel single-port, multi-pole resonant sensor array fabricated on a novel Frame-Flex flexible substrate for a wearable epidermal ethanol sensor system in an attempt to achieve minimal obtrusiveness to the subject under testing. In this system, individual sensors carrying different functional polymers are brought together to share the same electrical input and output, and their resonance behavior along with inter-resonator coupling are captured through a single reflected array response curve (S11). Initially, six RF resonant sensors carrying different polymeric sensing materials have been characterized individually under exposures of ethanol and three other interferents in order to characterize the steady-state and transient responses of the polymeric sensing materials. A thin film resonant sensor and a combline cavity-based resonant gaseous chemical sensor for chemical gas line integrated sensing system have been designed employing some of these polymeric sensing materials. Next, thin film RF sensors have been cascaded together and fabricated on the Kapton-SU-8 Frame-Flex flexible substrate, forming the flexible single-port, multi-resonator resonant sensor array. The array response was collected from its S11 response at the input port of the array. Then, a coupling-matrix readout extraction (CMRE) technique has been proposed to determine, from the S11 response, the changes in each of the cascaded resonant sensors, which were used as a signature to identify different chemical analytes. The proposed CMRE technique was then employed to obtain the coupling signatures of four analytes on various flexible sensor arrays. It has been successfully shown that the array response analyzed through the CMRE technique can clearly distinguish the presence of ethanol from other chemical interferents. For other complex mixtures of ethanol and other unwanted analytes, the distinctive coupling signatures obtained by CMRE can be used as a reliable data source fed to post-readout multi-variant analysis for pattern recognition. The research has made a contribution to establishing the engineering foundation for the development of wearable transdermal gaseous biomarker sensors / sensor arrays with low cost, optimal unobtrusiveness, and a compact form factor
Sensors for Wireless Body Monitoring Applications
Body monitoring systems have recently drawn great attention to modern electronic consumers due to their various health−care and security applications. However, most of the existing monitoring systems need wire connections that prevent free body movements. Complementary metal−oxide−semiconductor (CMOS) technology based wireless sensor systems need integration of different components that make the device volume and production cost high. In adition, their dependency on on−sensor power source limits the continuous monitoring capability. In the thesis, to demonstrate the feasibility of low cost and simple body monitoring systems, we propose a near−infrared (NIR) photodetector (PD) and a humidity sensor (HS) using low−temperature thin−film processes suitable for large−area electronics application.
For NIR detection, a novel lateral metal−semiconductor−metal (MSM) PD architecture is proposed using low−temperature nanocrystalline silicon (nc−Si) as a NIR absorption layer and organic polyimide (PI) as a blocking layer. Experimental results show that addition of PI layer reduces the dark current (ID) up to 103−105 times compared with the PDs without PI layer. Fabricated devices exhibit a low ID of ~10−10 A, a response time of <1.5 ms, and an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 35−15% for the 740−850 nm wavelengths of light under 100−150 V biasing conditions. Unlike the standard p−i−n PD, our high−performance lateral PD does not require doped p+ and n+ layers. Thus, the reported device is compatible with industry standard amorphous silicon (a−Si) thin−film transistor (TFT) fabrication process, which makes it promising for large−area full hand biometric imagers suitable for various non−invasive body monitoring applications.
For humidity detection, a 30 mm diameter passive LC (p−LC) HS is formed by joining an octagonal planer inductor and a moisture sensitive interdigital zinc oxide (ZnO) capacitor in series. A PCB reader coil is also designed, which is able to sense the HS from <25 mm distance. The HS reads 30−90% of relative humidity (RH) by interrogating change of the resonance frequency (fR) of the reader−sensor system. The reading resolution is ±2.38%RH and the sensitivity is 53.33−93.33 kHz/1%RH for the above 45% RH measurements. Experimental results show that the proposed HS is operational in a range of 0−75 oC as long as recalibration is performed for a temperature drift of above ±3 oC, which makes it suitable for various promising applications operated at different temperatures. Above all, the presented results are promising for the continuous body monitoring applications to observe the humidity wirelessly without any power source on the sensor
Heterogenous integrated passive inductive sensors
U disertaciji je prikazano teorijsko i praktično istraživanje koje se odnosi na projektovanje, fabrikaciju i karakterizaciju heterogeno integrisanih induktivnih senzora za mjerenje sile, pritiska i pomjeraja. Cilj istraživanja doktorske disertacije je kombinovanje različitih tehnologija izrade i materijala, kako bi se projektovali senzori koji će biti konkurentni aktuelnim rešenjima, i koji bi se mogli koristiti za konkretne primjene. U okviru istraživanja, heterogenom integracijom su kombinovane prednosti tehnologije štampanih ploča (Printed Circuit Board - PCB), fleksibilne tehnologije i tehnologije niskotemperaturne zajedno-pečene keramike (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics – LTCC). Razvijena su tri prototipa senzora za mjerenje sile, pritiska i pomjeraja korišćenjem struktura sa induktorom i feritom u njegovoj blizini. Mjerenje realizovanih prototipova senzora vrši se bežično pomoću spregnutog antenskog namotaja. Na osnovu početnih rezultata ispitivanja, senzori su modifikovani u cilju poboljšanja i optimizovanja performansi. Projektovani senzori omogućavaju bežično mjerenje, jeftini su, kompaktni i jednostavni. Na osnovu teorijske analize, simulacija, eksperimetnalnih mjerenja, ustanovljena je ispravnost rada i primjenljivost realizovanih senzora.In doctoral thesis theoretical and practical investigation on design, fabrication and characterisation of heterogenous integrated inductive sensors for measuring force, pressure and displacement are shown. The aim of the thesis is to investige the usage of different technologies and materials in order to design sensors which will be competitive to actual solutions and usable for specific aplications. Using heterogenous integraton, advantages of Printed Circuit Board technology (PCB), flexible and Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) technologies are used. Three sensor prototypes for measuring force, pressure and displacement are developed using inductor and ferrite in its near proximity. Measurements of the realised sensor prototypes are wirelessly done using an external surrounding coil as an antenna. Based on the initial measuring results, sensors are redesigned in order to improve and optimize their performance. Projected sensors are low-cost, compact, simple, and enable wireless measurement. The proper operation and applicability of realized sensors are confirmed using theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental testing with presented results
Passive Wireless Temperature Sensing in Extreme Harsh Environments
As the technology in the elds of aerospace and the US power generation industry advances, there is a critical need for new extreme high temperature sensing / monitoring technologies to replace the current out-of-date sensing systems. As the operating temperatures of these jet and turbine engines continue to rise over 1000 C, it is vitally important to monitor the extreme high temperatures in these engines for system health monitoring and to achieve greater engine eciencies. We propose a new passive wireless temperature sensor capable of sensing these extreme high temperatures. The sensor uses an LC resonance circuit to measure the temperature through passive wireless communications. A new novel method of capturing large quantities of frequency information from the sensor is proposed and allows for advanced signal processing methods form other applications areas like wireless communi- cations, radar, and radio astronomy to be implemented. The passive wireless LC resonance high temperature sensor was successfully able to sense temperatures up to 700 C
Remotely interrogated MEMS pressure sensor
This thesis considers the design and implementation of passive wireless microwave readable pressure sensors on a single chip. Two novel-all passive devices are considered for wireless pressure operation.
The first device consists of a tuned circuit operating at 10 GHz fabricated on SiO2 membrane, supported on a silicon wafer. A pressure difference across the membrane causes it to deflect so that a passive resonant circuit detunes. The circuit is remotely interrogated to read off the sensor data. The chip area is 20 mm2 and the membrane area is 2mm2 with thickness of 4 µm. Two on chip passive resonant circuits were investigated: a meandered dipole and a zigzag antenna. Both have a physical length of 4.25 mm. the sensors show a shift in their resonant frequency in response to changing pressure of 10.28-10.27 GHz for the meandered dipole, and 9.61-9.58 GHz for the zigzag antenna. The sensitivities of the meandered dipole and zigzag sensors are 12.5 kHz and 16 kHz mbar, respectively.
The second device is a pressure sensor on CMOS chip. The sensing element is capacitor array covering an area of 2 mm2 on a membrane. This sensor is coupled with a dipole antenna operating at 8.77 GHz. The post processing of the CMOS chip is carried out only in three steps, and the sensor on its own shows a sensitivity of 0.47fF/mbar and wireless sensitivity of 27 kHz/mbar. The MIM capacitors on membrane can be used to detune the resonant frequency of an antenna
Design, optimization and characterization of LC sensors for wireless measurement of moisture concentration in building materials
Pasivni bežični LC senzori projektovani su u tehnologiji štampanih kola (PCB) i u tehnologiji nisko-temperaturno pečene keramike (LTCC). Predstavljena su tri tipa LC senzora izrađenih na PCB-u u jednoslojnoj i dvoslojnoj štampi. Takođe su prikazana i dva tipa LC senzora izrađenih u LTCC tehnologiji. Karakterizacija senzora je izvršena u laboratorijskim uslovima a za testiranje korišćeni su građevinska opeka i siporeks blok kao jedni od najčešće korišćenih materijala u građevinskoj industriji za zidane objekte.Passive LC wireless sensors are designed in technology printed circuit boards (PCB) and the technology of Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramics (LTCC). Presented are three types of LC sensors made on the PCB in the monolayer and bilayer press. It also presents two types of LC sensors manufactured in LTCC technology. Characterization of the sensor is carried out in the laboratory for testing were used building bricks and aerated concrete block as one of the most commonly used materials in the construction industry
Inductively Coupled Passive Resonance Sensors: Readout Methods and Applications
Measurement systems are used to acquire information from the surrounding world. The requirements of the measurement system depend on the application, and the acquired information is used in different ways. For example, measurements are taken as part of the control systems of industrial processes. Alternatively, the information obtained from the measurements can be used to provide answers to scientific questions. Each measurement has a case-specific importance for the user and a certain cost in terms of time and money. Therefore, the same measurement approach is not optimal in every case. The design process of the measurement systems always includes a compromise between performance, viability, and cost. These factors are, in turn, strongly dependent on the implementation of the measurement system in each separate case. Inductively coupled passive resonance sensors provide a measurement method that has two notable benefits: the simple structure of the sensors and the possibility to take short-range wireless measurements. However, the limitations of the available readout devices have often impeded the use and development of these sensors in many demanding applications. In addition, uncertainty in the measurement results due to inductive coupling hinders the use of this method.This work concerns the development and implementation of a measurement system based on inductively coupled passive resonance sensors. A custom-made readout device to improve the feasibility of the readout in applications where continuous field measurements are performed was both specified and produced. The readout device was implemented using a simplified version of the method used in conventional impedance analyzers. In addition, signal processing methods were developed which can extract resonance characteristics from the measured data. A special algorithm was developed to compensate for the effects of the changes in the inductive coupling when the measurement distance varies. The operation of the developed readout methods was studied using simulations, and several realistic measurement configurations were tested. Competing readout methods published in the literature were also simulated. The accuracy of all the studied methods depended on the configuration of the measurement system. The inductive coupling coefficient also had a significant influence on the accuracy of the tested methods.The newly-developed readout methods and the inductively coupled passive resonance sensor were then utilized in a medical application to monitor the pressure between the skin and compression garments. These garments are used, for example, to improve the healing of burns and reduce swelling in the legs. Effective medical treatment of such conditions requires that the appropriate pressure is applied. With this system, the pressure reading under the compression garment can be obtained by using simple disposable sensors that can be read wirelessly through a thin fabric. Using our inductive coupling compensation method, the sensor enabled the monitoring of the pressure with the required level of precision.Inductively coupled resonance sensors can also be used to monitor the properties of the materials around the sensor. This monitoring is possible because the permittivity of the environment near to the sensor affects the sensor’s resonance characteristics. This method was tested in two applications. In the first application, the manufacturing process of ceramic slurry was monitored by a sensor that was installed inside the container where the slurry was mixed. The resonance characteristics of the sensor were measured as the manufacturing process was incrementally carried out. The results indicated that the method could be used to control the composition of the slurry. In the second application, the inductively coupled sensors were tested in monitoring the degradation processes of two different polymers during hydrolysis. In this application, the sensors were encapsulated into the tested polymers. The polymer samples were kept inside containers filled with buffer solution and the resonance characteristics of the encapsulated sensors were then measured wirelessly from outside. The results showed a clear difference in degradation profiles between the tested polymers. The method may provide a novel way to continuously monitor the degradation processes of certain materials.In summary, the developed readout methods improved the applicability of inductive coupled passive resonance sensors in the tested applications and created novel ways to acquire information. This new technology provides a good starting point for the development of a new generation of inductively coupled passive resonance sensors
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