Thickness shear mode resonator sensors and methods of forming a plurality of resonator sensors

• US 10,048,146 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChampionX LLC (ChampionX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Quartzdyne, Inc. (ChampionX Corporation)
• Inventors: Puccio, Derek W., EerNisse, Errol P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenau, Derek
• Application Number:
  US14/707,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20150247771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 310320, 310338, 310348, 310361
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/162 using piezoelectric resonators
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0016 of a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0022 of a piezoelectric element
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/85 Piezoelectric or electrostrictive active materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4908 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

Arrays of resonator sensors include an active wafer array comprising a plurality of active wafers, a first end cap array coupled to a first side of the active wafer array, and a second end cap array coupled to a second side of the active wafer array. Thickness shear mode resonator sensors may include an active wafer coupled to a first end cap and a second end cap. Methods of forming a plurality of resonator sensors include forming a plurality of active wafer locations and separating the active wafer locations to form a plurality of discrete resonator sensors. Thickness shear mode resonator sensors may be produced by such methods.

Claims

1. An array of resonator sensors, comprising:

an active wafer array comprising a plurality of unsingulated active wafers, the active wafer array comprises a quartz plate;

a first unsingulated end cap array coupled to a first side of the active wafer array; and

a second unsingulated end cap array coupled to a second side of the active wafer array, wherein each unsingulated active wafer comprises a resonating portion, the resonating portion of each unsingulated active wafer being out of contact with each of the first and second unsingulated end cap arrays, each unsingulated active wafer comprising a continuous quartz structure extending from an outermost portion of the each unsingulated active wafer to the resonating portion on all sides of the resonating portion.

2. The array of resonator sensors of claim 1, wherein each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first cavity positioned proximate to a central portion of an unsingulated active wafer on the first side of the active wafer and a second cavity positioned proximate to the central portion of the unsingulated active wafer on the second side of the active wafer.

3. The array of resonator sensors of claim 2, wherein the first cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first recess formed in a first face of the active wafer and the second cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a second recess formed in a second, opposing face of the active wafer.

4. The array of resonator sensors of claim 2, wherein the first cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first recess formed in a face of the active wafer and the second cavity of each resonator sensors of the array of resonator sensors comprises a second recess formed in a face of the second unsingulated end cap array.

5. The array of resonator sensors of claim 2, wherein the first cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first recess formed in a face of the first unsingulated end cap array and wherein the second cavity of each resonator sensor of the plurality of resonator sensors comprises a second recess formed in a face of the second unsingulated end cap array.

6. The array of resonator sensors of claim 2, wherein the first cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first recess formed in a first face of the active wafer and a second recess formed in a face of the first unsingulated end cap array, and wherein the second cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a third recess formed in a second, opposing face of the active wafer and a fourth recess formed in a face of the second unsingulated end cap array.

7. The array of resonator sensors of claim 1, wherein each active wafer of the plurality of unsingulated active wafers comprises a central portion having a thickness less than a thickness of an outer portion of the unsingulated active wafer.

8. The array of resonator sensors of claim 1, wherein each of the first end cap array and the second end cap array comprises a quartz plate.

9. A thickness shear mode resonator sensor, comprising:

an active wafer comprising a resonating element positioned at an inner portion of the active wafer, the active wafer singulated from an array of active wafers, the active wafer comprising a continuous structure extending from the resonating element to an outermost portion of the active wafer about all lateral sides of the resonating element;

a first end cap coupled to a first side of the active wafer, at least one surface of the active wafer and at least one surface of the first end cap forming a first cavity between the resonating element of the active wafer and the first end cap; and

a second end cap coupled to a second, opposing side of the active wafer, at least one surface of the active wafer and at least one surface of the second end cap forming a second cavity between the resonating element of the active wafer and the second end cap, wherein the active wafer exhibits a substantially quadrilateral cross section taken in a direction along an interface of the active wafer and at least one of the first end cap and the second end cap, wherein the first end cap and the second end cap are both coupled to the active wafer with an electrically insulating material, the resonating element of each active wafer being out of contact with each of the first end cap and the second end cap.

10. The thickness shear mode resonator sensor of claim 9, wherein the active wafer further comprises:

a first electrode disposed on the first side of the active wafer proximate a central portion of the active wafer and extending to a first conductive tab extending along a first outer portion of the active wafer on the first side of the active wafer; and

a second electrode disposed on the second side of the active wafer proximate the central portion and extending to a second conductive tab extending along a second outer portion of the active wafer on the second side of the active wafer.

11. The thickness shear mode resonator sensor of claim 10, wherein the first conductive tab extends along an entirety of a first edge on the first side of the active wafer, and wherein the second conductive tab extends along an entirety of a second edge opposing the first edge on the second side of the active wafer.

12. The thickness shear mode resonator sensor of claim 9, wherein the first end cap and the second end cap each exhibit a substantially quadrilateral cross section taken in the direction along the interface of the active wafer and at least one of the first end cap and the second end cap.

13. A pressure sensor, comprising:

an active wafer comprising a resonating element positioned at an inner portion of the active wafer, the active wafer singulated from an array of active wafers, the active wafer comprising a continuous structure extending from the resonating element to an outermost portion of the active wafer on all sides of the resonating element; and

a housing coupled to the active wafer, wherein at least one of the housing and the active wafer exhibits a square cross section taken in a direction along an interface between the active wafer and the housing, wherein the housing comprises;

a first end cap coupled to a first side of the active wafer with an electrically insulative material, at least one surface of the active wafer and at least one surface of the first end cap forming a first cavity between the resonating element of the active wafer and the first end cap; and

a second end cap coupled to a second, opposing side of the active wafer with an electrically insulative material, at least one surface of the active wafer and at least one surface of the second end cap forming a second cavity between the resonating element of the active wafer and the second end cap, the resonating element of each active wafer being out of contact with each of the first end cap and the second end cap.

14. The pressure sensor of claim 13, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a thickness shear mode resonator sensor, wherein the active wafer comprises quartz, and wherein the active wafer comprises an unbroken structure extending continuously from an outer portion of the active wafer to the resonating element.

15. A plurality of resonator sensors, comprising:

a separated array of active wafers formed in a quartz plate comprising a plurality of simultaneously shaped resonating portions, each resonating portion of the plurality of simultaneously shaped resonating portions comprising a continuous structure extending from the resonating portion at an inner portion of the active wafer to an outermost portion of the resonating portion about all lateral sides of the resonating portion; and

at least one housing member coupled to each active wafer of the separated array of active wafers, wherein each resonator sensor of the plurality of resonator sensors exhibits an outer surface with a polygonal cross section, wherein the at least one housing member is coupled to each active wafer, the resonating portion of each of the separated array of active wafers being out of contact with the at least one housing member.

16. The plurality of resonator sensors of claim 15, wherein the at least one housing member comprises at least a portion of a quartz plate.

17. The plurality of resonator sensors of claim 15, wherein each resonator sensor of the plurality of resonator sensors comprises a cavity on a side of a respective active wafer of the array of active wafers between a respective resonating portion of the plurality of simultaneously shaped resonating portions and the at least one housing member.

18. The plurality of resonator sensors of claim 17, wherein each resonator sensor of the plurality of resonator sensors further comprises another cavity on an opposing side of the respective active wafer between the respective resonating portion and at least another housing member.

19. The plurality of resonator sensors of claim 15, further comprising at least one recess in the electrically insulative material at the interface between the active wafer and the at least one housing.