Contactless humidity/chemical vapor sensor device and associated method of fabrication
First Claim
1. A contactless sensor device operable for sensing water vapor or a predetermined chemical vapor, the sensor device comprising:
- a thin film, wherein the thin film comprises;
a sensing layer, wherein the sensing layer comprises one of a nanostructured layer and a self-assembled monomolecular layer;
a soft magnetic layer disposed directly or indirectly adjacent to the sensing layer;
wherein the thin film has a first mass, a first density, and a first magnetostrictive resonance frequency prior to the sensing layer adsorbing a predetermined amount of a predetermined vapor; and
wherein the thin film has a second mass, a second density, and a second magnetostrictive resonance frequency subsequent to the sensing layer adsorbing the predetermined amount of the predetermined vapor;
a driving coil disposed indirectly adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the thin film, the driving coil operable for generating an alternating-current magnetic field used to query a shift in the magnetostrictive resonance frequency of the thin film from the first magnetostrictive resonance frequency to the second magnetostrictive resonance frequency; and
a measuring coil disposed indirectly adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the thin film, the measuring coil operable for measuring and quantifying the shift in the magnetostrictive resonance frequency of the thin film from the first magnetostrictive resonance frequency to the second magnetostrictive resonance frequency.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a contactless sensor device operable for sensing water vapor or a predetermined chemical vapor including a thin film, wherein the thin film includes a nanostructured sensing layer and a soft magnetic layer disposed directly adjacent to the nanostructured sensing layer. The thin film has a first mass, a first density, and a first magnetostrictive resonance frequency prior to the nanostructured sensing layer adsorbing a predetermined amount of a predetermined vapor and a second mass, a second density, and a second magnetostrictive resonance frequency subsequent to the nanostructured sensing layer adsorbing the predetermined amount of the predetermined vapor. The sensor device also includes a driving coil disposed indirectly adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the thin film, the driving coil operable for generating an alternating-current magnetic field used to query a shift in the magnetostrictive resonance frequency of the thin film. The sensor device further includes a measuring coil disposed indirectly adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the thin film, the measuring coil operable for measuring and quantifying the shift in the magnetostrictive resonance frequency of the thin film.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A contactless sensor device operable for sensing water vapor or a predetermined chemical vapor, the sensor device comprising:
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a thin film, wherein the thin film comprises;
a sensing layer, wherein the sensing layer comprises one of a nanostructured layer and a self-assembled monomolecular layer;
a soft magnetic layer disposed directly or indirectly adjacent to the sensing layer;
wherein the thin film has a first mass, a first density, and a first magnetostrictive resonance frequency prior to the sensing layer adsorbing a predetermined amount of a predetermined vapor; and
wherein the thin film has a second mass, a second density, and a second magnetostrictive resonance frequency subsequent to the sensing layer adsorbing the predetermined amount of the predetermined vapor;
a driving coil disposed indirectly adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the thin film, the driving coil operable for generating an alternating-current magnetic field used to query a shift in the magnetostrictive resonance frequency of the thin film from the first magnetostrictive resonance frequency to the second magnetostrictive resonance frequency; and
a measuring coil disposed indirectly adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the thin film, the measuring coil operable for measuring and quantifying the shift in the magnetostrictive resonance frequency of the thin film from the first magnetostrictive resonance frequency to the second magnetostrictive resonance frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for fabricating a contactless sensor device operable for sensing water vapor or a predetermined chemical vapor, the method comprising:
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providing a thin film, wherein providing the thin film comprises;
providing a soft magnetic layer;
disposing a sensing layer directly or indirectly adjacent to the soft magnetic layer, wherein the sensing layer comprises one of a nanostructured layer and a self-assembled monomolecular layer;
wherein the thin film has a first mass, a first density, and a first magnetostrictive resonance frequency prior to the sensing layer adsorbing a predetermined amount of a predetermined vapor; and
wherein the thin film has a second mass, a second density, and a second magnetostrictive resonance frequency subsequent to the sensing layer adsorbing the predetermined amount of the predetermined vapor;
disposing a driving coil indirectly adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the thin film, the driving coil operable for generating an alternating-current magnetic field used to query a shift in the magnetostrictive resonance frequency of the thin film from the first magnetostrictive resonance frequency to the second magnetostrictive resonance frequency; and
disposing a measuring coil indirectly adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the thin film, the measuring coil operable for measuring and quantifying the shift in the magnetostrictive resonance frequency of the thin film from the first magnetostrictive resonance frequency to the second magnetostrictive resonance frequency. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification