Dosimeter Powered by Passive RF Absorption

• US 20110127438A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Koester, Steven J., Rodbell, Kenneth P., Yau, Jeng-bang, Murray, Conal E., Rossnagel, Stephen M., Wisnieff, Robert L., Gordon, Michael S., Cabral, Cyril JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,212,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/370.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/026 Semiconductor dose-rate meters

Abstract

A system for determining an amount of radiation includes a dosimeter configured to receive the amount of radiation, the dosimeter comprising a circuit having a resonant frequency, such that the resonant frequency of the circuit changes according to the amount of radiation received by the dosimeter, the dosimeter further configured to absorb RF energy at the resonant frequency of the circuit; a radio frequency (RF) transmitter configured to transmit the RF energy at the resonant frequency to the dosimeter; and a receiver configured to determine the resonant frequency of the dosimeter based on the absorbed RF energy, wherein the amount of radiation is determined based on the resonant frequency.

Claims

1. A method for determining an amount of radiation, the method comprising:

receiving the amount of radiation by a dosimeter, the dosimeter comprising a circuit, the circuit having a resonant frequency that is configured to change according to the amount of radiation received by the dosimeter;

absorbing radiofrequency (RF) energy by the dosimeter at the resonant frequency of the circuit from an RF transmitter;

determining the resonant frequency of the circuit based on the absorbed RF energy; and

determining the amount of radiation based on the determined resonant frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF energy is part of an RF field scanned across a frequency range comprising the resonant frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises an inductor, a capacitor, and an antenna.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the received amount of radiation changes a capacitance of the capacitor, and the resonant frequency of the circuit is determined by the capacitance of the capacitor.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the capacitor comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of radiation comprises determining a dose of protons, neutrons, alphas, ions, gamma rays or x-rays.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the resonant frequency of the circuit based on the absorbed RF energy comprises determining a dip in a received strength of an RF field at the resonant frequency by a receiver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the resonant frequency of the circuit based on the absorbed RF energy comprises receiving an oscillation from the dosimeter at the resonant frequency.

9. A system for determining an amount of radiation, comprising:

a dosimeter configured to receive the amount of radiation, the dosimeter comprising a circuit having a resonant frequency, such that the resonant frequency of the circuit changes according to the amount of radiation received by the dosimeter, the dosimeter further configured to absorb RF energy at the resonant frequency of the circuit;

a radiofrequency (RF) transmitter configured to transmit the RF energy at the resonant frequency to the dosimeter; and

a receiver configured to determine the resonant frequency of the dosimeter based on the absorbed RF energy, wherein the amount of radiation is determined based on the resonant frequency.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the RF energy is part of an RF field scanned across a frequency range comprising the resonant frequency.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the circuit comprises an inductor, a capacitor, and an antenna.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the received amount of radiation changes a capacitance of the capacitor, and the resonant frequency of the circuit is determined by the capacitance of the capacitor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the capacitor comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the amount of radiation comprises a dose of protons, ions, neutrons, alphas, ions, gamma rays, or x-rays.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the dosimeter comprises a plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of circuits having a different resonant frequency.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the receiver is configured to determine the resonant frequency of the circuit based on the absorbed RF energy by determining a dip in a received strength of an RF field at the resonant frequency by the receiver.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the receiver is configured to determine the resonant frequency of the circuit based on the absorbed RF energy by receiving an oscillation from the dosimeter at the resonant frequency.

18. A device for determining an amount of radiation, comprising:

a circuit, the circuit having a resonant frequency, the circuit comprising;

a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is configured to receive an amount of radiation, wherein a capacitance of the capacitor changes based on the amount of radiation, and the resonant frequency changes according to the capacitance;

an inductor; and

an antenna configured to absorb radiofrequency (RF) energy at the resonant frequency, such that the amount of radiation is determined based on the absorbed RF energy.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the capacitor comprises a metal-oxide semiconductor capacitor.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the device for determining an amount of radiation comprises a plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of circuits having a different resonant frequency.