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Resonant microbeam temperature sensor

  • US 5,772,322 A
  • Filed: 05/31/1996
  • Issued: 06/30/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A strain-responsive temperature sensing device, comprising:

  • a support structure including a substrate of a first material having a first thermal expansion coefficient and a layer of a second material having a second thermal expansion coefficient different than the first thermal expansion coefficient, the layer of a second material being in intimate contact with the substrate so as to induce strain in said support structure with changes in temperature;

    a vibratory element having opposite first and second end portions, and a means for fixing the first end portion and the second end portion to the support structure, to maintain the vibratory element for oscillation at a natural resonant frequency that varies with changes in induced strain in the vibratory element; and

    a resonant frequency sensing means for detecting the natural resonant frequency of said vibratory element and for generating an output representing temperature in the region of the vibratory element, based on the natural resonant frequency.

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