Piezoelectric microsensors: Current and future perspectives

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:230947

Wohltjen, H ^[1]

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1. Microsensor Systems, Inc., Bowling Green, KY (United States)

Solid-state microsensor devices based on the modulation of piezoelectrically generated acoustic wave properties have demonstrated great potential as highly sensitive alternatives to more traditional electrochemical and spectrometric sensors. Piezoelectric microsensors fall into three general categories namely, bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices and acoustic plate mode (APM) devices. While these acoustic wave-based sensors are intrinsically mass-producible and inexpensive in high volume production, they have not yet been employed in any high volume analytical sensor applications. Instead, they have been most successful when used in specialized instruments where they offer some uniquely superior performance characteristic. As these technologies mature, one can anticipate the introduction of a diverse array of new, high performance, field portable instrumentation that is based on piezoelectric microsensor technology. One objective of this presentation is to briefly describe several state-of-the-art instruments that are well suited for the problem of field screening and which use piezoelectric SAW vapor microsensors as their core technology. These include a hand-held instrument for detecting trace quantities of chemical warfare agent vapors, and a unique hand-held instrument that can rapidly learn and identify vapors based on their SAW microsensor response signatures.

• OSTI ID: 230947
• Report Number(s): CONF-950209--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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