Interpretation of Quartz Crystal Microbalance Behavior with Viscous Film Using a Mason Equivalent Circuit

In odor sensing based on Quartz Crystal Microbalances (QCMs), the sensing film is crucial for both sensor sensitivity and selectivity. The typical response of the QCM due to sorption is a negative frequency shift. However, in some cases, the sorption causes a positive frequency shift, and then, Sauerbrey’s equation and Kanazawa’s equation cannot be applied to this situation. We model the QCM response with a Mason equivalent circuit. The model approximates a single layer of a uniform viscous coating on the QCM. The simulation of the equation circuit shows the possibility of the positive frequency change when the sorption occurs, which is the situation we find in some of the odor sensing applications. We measured the QCM frequency and resistance using the Vector Network Analyzer (VNWA). The QCMs were coated with glycerol, PEG2000, and PEG20M. To simulate odor exposure, a microdispenser was used to deposit the water. A positive frequency shift was observed in the case of PEG2000, and a negative frequency change was obtained for PEG20M. These results can be explained by the Mason equivalent circuit, with the assumption that when the film is exposed to water, its thickness increases and its viscosity decreases

Overview of Quartz Crystal Microbalance Behavior Analysis and Measurement

Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) is one of the many acoustic transducers. It is the most popular and widely used acoustic transducer for sensor applications. It has found wide applications in chemical and biosensing fields owing to its high sensitivity, robustness, small sized-design, and ease of integration with electronic measurement systems. However, it is necessary to coat QCM with a sensing film. Without coating materials, its selectivity and sensitivity are not obtained. At present, this is not an issue, mainly due to the advancement of oscillator circuits and dedicated measurement circuits. Since a new researcher may seek to understand QCM sensors, we provide an overview of QCM from its fundamental knowledge. Then, we explain some of the recent QCM applications both in gas-phase and liquid-phase. Next, the theory of QCM is introduced by using piezoelectric stress equations and the Mason equivalent circuit, which explains how the QCM behavior is obtained. Then, the conventional equations that govern QCM behaviors in terms of resonant frequency and resistance are described. We show the behavior of QCM with a viscous film based on the acoustic wave equation and Mason equivalent circuit. Then, we present various existing QCM electronic measurement methods. Furthermore, we describe the experiment on QCM with viscous loading and its interpretation based on the Mason equivalent circuit. Lastly, we review some theoretical models to describe QCM behavior with various models