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AlN Acoustic Wave Sensors Using Excimer Laser Micromachining Techniques

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Feng Zhong
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
Changhe Huang
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
Gregory W. Auner
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
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Abstract

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) is a promising piezoelectric material for Acoustic Wave (AW) sensor application due to its high acoustic velocity, linear thermal coefficient and high electromechanical coupling coefficient. Epitaxial AlN thin films were successfully grown on the Sapphire C plane substrate by Plasma Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy (PSMBE). Standard two-port resonator structures were fabricated on the AlN/Sapphire by standard photolithography. Excimer laser micromachining techniques were utilized to fabricate microgroove gratings on the surface of thin film. Beside Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW), Surface Transverse Wave (STW) propagation was also found on the devices with those microgroove and classical metal strip gratings. Laser micromachinined microgroove gratings were found to enhance the propagation of STW. Further, sensors based on STW showed little attenuation in the liquid environment, while sensors based on SAW suffered excess loss when exposed to liquid.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

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