Double-sided fluid sensor for reduced attenuation of shear transverse waves

• US 5,321,331 A
• Filed: 03/13/1992
• Issued: 06/14/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Baer, Richard L., Flory, Curt A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Finley, Rose M.
• Application Number:
  US07/852,365
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 73/24.06, 73/64.53, 73/61.79, 73/61.75, 73/31.05, 73/24.01, 73/599, 310/313 B, 310/313 R, 310/313 D
• US Class Current: 310/313.00D
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2462 Probes with waveguides, e.g. SAW devices

Abstract

A fluid sensing device such as a Surface Transverse Wave device or a Love Wave device having controlled transfers of energy from a transduction surface of a piezoelectric substrate to a sensing surface and back to the transduction surface. A first wave-trapping structure adjacent to an input transducer tapers to provide a controlled diffraction of shear transverse wave energy to a second wave-trapping structure disposed on an opposite side of the piezoelectric substrate. The second wave-trapping structure interfaces with the fluid under test. The shear transverse waves are then recaptured by a third wave-trapping structure on the same surface as the first wave-trapping structure. The wave energy is then decoupled from the piezoelectric substrate. In the STW device, the wave-trapping structures are periodic fingers that are selectively varied in thickness or width or both. In the LW device, the wave-trapping structures are plates that each vary in thickness.

Claims

1. A sensing device for use in testing with fluids comprising,

a substrate adapted to propagate shear transverse waves, said substrate having opposed first and second surfaces, said second surface having a sensing region,

an input means on said first surface for launching shear transverse waves, said waves having a tendency to diffract from the first surface into the bulk of said substrate,

an output means on said first surface for receiving said waves,

first wave-trapping means having a first section on said first surface for allowing increasing diffraction of waves into the bulk of said substrate with departure from said input means and having a second section for recapturing wave energy with approach to said output means,

second wave-trapping means on said sensing region of said second surface for selectively tightening and relaxing trapping of said waves which are diffracting with said departure from said input means, said second wave-trapping means having a dimensional configuration to relax trapping of said waves for said recapturing of wave energy by said second section of said first wave-trapping means, and

means for applying a fluid under test to said sensing region of said second surface.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said first and second sections of said first wave-trapping means are first and second gratings of fingers, respectively, each finger having a width substantially parallel to a direction of wave propagation from said input means, said widths of at least some of said fingers of said first grating decreasing with departure from said input means, said widths of at least some of said fingers of said second grating increasing with approach to said output means.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said first and second sections of said first wave-trapping means are first and second gratings of fingers, respectively, each finger having a height from said substrate, said heights of at least some of said fingers of said first grating decreasing with departure from said input means, said heights of at least some of said fingers of said second grating increasing with approach to said output means.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said second wave-trapping means is a grating of fingers disposed on said sensing region of said second surface, with said fingers tapering dimensionally with respect to at least one of finger width and finger height, said fingers increasing dimensionally from minimums at opposed ends of said grating of fingers to a maximum between said opposed ends.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said first and second sections of said wave-trapping means are first and second plates, respectively, at least a portion of said first plate decreasing in thickness with departure from said input means, at least a portion of said second plate increasing in thickness with approach to said output means.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said second wave-trapping means is a third plate having a minimum thickness at opposed ends and a maximum thickness along a central region.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said means of applying a fluid is a flow cell coupled to said second surface of said substrate, said flow cell including a seal in contact with said second surface in spaced apart relationship with said sensing region.

8. A Surface Transverse Wave device for use in testing with fluids comprising,

piezoelectric means for propagating shear transverse waves, said piezoelectric means having a substrate having opposed transduction and sensing sides, said piezoelectric means further having an input transducer on said transduction side to launch said waves and an output transducer on said transduction side to receive said waves, said input transducer spaced apart from said output transducer,

means for applying a fluid to said sensing side of said substrate,

first wave-trapping means on said transduction side of said substrate proximate to said input transducer for guiding transfer of wave energy from said transduction side to said sensing side, said first wave-trapping means including a first grating of fingers having heights and widths, at least one of said heights and widths varying from finger-to-finger so as to provide said guiding of wave energy,

second wave-trapping means on said sensing side within a sensing region of said substrate to trap wave energy received from said input transducer on said transduction side, said second wave-trapping means including a second grating of fingers, and

third wave-trapping means on said transduction side proximate to said output transducer for recapturing wave energy from said sensing side, said third wave-trapping means including a third grating of fingers having heights and widths, at least one of said heights and widths varying from finger-to-finger for said recapturing of wave energy.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said means for applying a fluid is a flow cell having a seal fixed to said sensing side of said substrate in spaced relationship to said second wave-trapping means.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein said first grating of fingers includes a gradual decrease in finger width in correspondence with increasing distance from said input transducer and wherein said third grating of fingers includes a gradual decrease in finger width in correspondence with increased distance from said output transducer.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein said first grating of fingers includes a gradual decrease in finger height in correspondence with increasing distance from said input transducer and wherein said third grating of fingers includes a gradual decrease in finger height in correspondence with increased distance from said output transducer.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein said second grating of fingers has first and second ends, each having fingers having widths less than the widths of fingers spaced apart from said first and second ends.

13. The device of claim 9 wherein said seal is a gasket framing said sensing region.

14. A Love Wave device for use in testing with fluids comprising,

piezoelectric means for propagating shear transverse waves, said piezoelectric means having a substrate having opposed transduction and sensing sides, said transduction side having an input transducer to launch said waves and an output transducer to receive said waves, said input transducer spaced apart from said output transducer,

means for applying a fluid to said sensing side of said substrate,

a first wave-trapping plate on said transduction side proximate to said input transducer, said first wave-trapping plate diminishing in thickness at a plate end opposite to said input transducer,

a second wave-trapping plate on said sensing side for surface trapping of wave energy from said input transducer, and

a third wave-trapping plate on said transduction side proximate to said output transducer, said third wave-trapping plate diminishing in thickness at a plate end opposite to said output transducer, said first and third wave-trapping plates being spaced apart.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said means for applying a fluid is a flow cell having a seal fixed to said sensing side of said substrate in spaced relationship to said second wave-trapping plate.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein said input and output transducers are each interdigital transducers.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein said second wave-trapping plate has opposed ends, said opposed ends each being gradually tapered in thickness.