Integrated tunable surface acoustic wave technology and sensors provided thereby

• US 20030201694A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rutgers University
• Original Assignee: Rutgers University
• Inventors: Emanetoglu, Nuri W., Lu, Yicheng
• Granted Patent: US 6,710,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/313A
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02976 with semiconductor devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a ZnO based tunable surface acoustic wave (SAW), preferably monolithically integrated tunable SAW (MITSAW) device. The MITSAW comprises a ZnO/Mg_xZn_1−xO quantum well structure and piezoelectric ZnO thin film epitaxially grown on R-plane sapphire ((01{overscore (1)}2)Al₂O₃) substrate using MOCVD. R-plane sapphire provides in-plane anisotropy in the ZnO layer as the c-axis of ZnO lies in the growth plane. A two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is placed in the delay path of the SAW device and interacts with the lateral electric field resulting in ohmic loss which attenuates and slows the surface acoustic wave. This mechanism is used to tune the acoustic velocity. The high coupling coefficients offered by the ZnO/R-(Al₂O₃) system allows large velocity tuning. ZnO based MITSAW is used for chemical and biochemical sensors, offers excellent manufacturability, high yield and low cost. Such SAW sensors have a “resettable” sensing mechanism. The multiple acoustic wave modes are used for improved sensitivity and simultaneously use UV absorption measurement and SAW sensing mechanisms.

Claims

1. A SAW sensor comprising:

an R-plane sapphire substrate;

a first and second layers of piezoelectric member comprised of zinc oxide disposed on said substrate;

a quantum well structure comprised of zinc oxide and magnesium zinc oxide heterostructure disposed on said first layer of said piezoelectric member;

input and output IDTs disposed on said second layer of said piezoelectric member;

a metal electrode disposed on said heterostructure and on a SAW path of said piezoelectric member;

a sensing coating disposed on top of said SAW path of the piezoelectric member.

2. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, further including an oscillator, said input and output IDTs being connected respectively to input and output terminals of said oscillator.

3. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrode is a patterned metal layer controlling electron conductivity in said quantum well structure.

4. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said quantum well structure comprises ZnO/Mg_xZn₁₋

xO monolithically integrated on said R-plane sapphire substrate through a crystal growth technique.

5. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 4, wherein said crystal growth technique is MOCVD.

6. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said second layer of said piezoelectric member is disposed on said quantum well structure.

7. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrode is disposed on said SAW path of said second layer of said piezoelectric member.

8. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said R-plane sapphire substrate provides high acoustic velocity in said piezoelectric member.

9. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said R-plane sapphire substrate provides low lattice mismatch in said piezoelectric member.

10. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said R-plane sapphire substrate provides in-plane anisotropy in said piezoelectric member.

11. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 10 wherein waves generated in said piezoelectric member are capable of being used for gas-phase and liquid-phase sensing.

12. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 11, wherein said waves are Rayleigh waves excited parallel to a c-axis of the zinc oxide and is used for said gas-phase sensing.

13. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 11, wherein said waves are Love waves excited parallel to the c-axis of the zinc oxide and is used for said liquid-phase sensing.

14. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said coating is fabricated parallel to the c-axis of said piezoelectric member.

15. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said coating is fabricated perpendicular to the c-axis of said piezoelectric member.

16. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, wherein said device can be simultaneously operated for SAW and UV optical sensing.

17. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 1, including a transparent and conductive ZnO electrode and having capability of acoustic and UV optical mode operation.

18. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 17 wherein said UV optical mode operation functions as a UV detector for identification of absorbed species to monitor absorption rate and amount of said species.

19. A SAW sensor comprising:

first and second channels, wherein said first and second channels each comprise;

an R-plane sapphire substrate;

a first and second layers of piezoelectric member comprised of zinc oxide disposed on said substrate;

a quantum well structure comprised of zinc oxide and magnesium zinc oxide heterostructure disposed on said first layer of said piezoelectric member;

input and output IDTs disposed on said second layer of said piezoelectric member;

a metal electrode disposed on said heterostructure and on a SAW path of said piezoelectric member; and

a chemically selective receptor coating being disposed on the quantum well structure of an exclusive one of said first and second channels.

20. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 19, further including a first amplifier having an input connected to one of said IDTs of said first channel and an output connected to the other of said IDTs of said first channel and a second amplifier having an input connected to one of said IDTs of said second channel and an output connected to the other of said IDTs of said second channel.

21. The SAW sensor claimed in claim 20, further including a mixer connected to said output of each of said first and second amplifiers.