Biohazard sensing system and methods thereof

• US 6,842,009 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nth Tech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nth Tech Corporation
• Inventors: Potter, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/453,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20030201784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 324633-636, 324/675, 324/450, 324/464, 73/530.5, 73/540.2, 73/541.1, 73/233, 73/233.4, 73/234
• US Class Current: 324/633
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/02511 Vertical, i.e. perpendicular to the substrate plane
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/0072 of microelectro-mechanical resonators or networks micromembranes or microbeams B81B2203/01; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02409 by application of a DC-bias voltage H03H9/02417 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2405 of microelectro-mechanical resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2457 Clamped-free beam resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2463 Clamped-clamped beam resonators

Abstract

A sensing system for a target includes a member with an embedded charge, at least one input electrode, at least one output electrode, at least one common electrode, one or more probes, an input system, and an output monitoring system. The input and output electrodes are spaced from and on substantially opposing sides of the member from the common electrode. At least one of the member and the input and output electrodes is movable with respect to the other. The probes which engage with the target hazardous substance are connected to the at least one of the member and the input and output electrodes which is movable with respect to the other. The input system is coupled between the at least one input electrode and the at least one output electrode and provides an input signal. The output monitoring system is coupled between the at least one output electrode and the at least one common electrode and detects a change in an output signal when the target engages with the movable member or electrode.

Claims

1. A sensing system for at least one target, the system comprising:

a member with an embedded charge;

at least one input electrode;

at least one output electrode;

at least one common electrode, the at least one input and output electrodes are spaced from and on substantially opposing sides of the member from the at least one common electrode, wherein at least one of the member and the input and output electrodes is movable with respect to the other;

one or more probes that engage with the target, the probes are connected to the at least one of the member and the input and output electrodes which is movable with respect to the other;

an input system coupled between the at least one input electrode and the at least one output electrode, the input system providing an input signal; and

an output monitoring system coupled between the at least one output electrode and the at least one common electrode, the output monitoring system detecting a change in an output signal when the target engages with the one or more probes.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one common electrode comprises a corresponding input electrode for each of the at least one input electrode and a corresponding output electrode for each of the at least one output electrode.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode have a substantially circular shape and the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode are arranged in a substantially annulus fashion around and spaced from the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode have a substantially circular shape and the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode are arranged in a substantially annulus fashion around and spaced from the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode.

5. The system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising at least two of the input electrodes, each of the at least two input electrodes having one of the corresponding input electrodes spaced from and on a substantially opposing side of the member, an input lead coupled to one of the two input electrodes and the one of the corresponding input electrodes for the one of the two input electrode, a tuning bias input coupled to the other of the two input electrodes and the other one of the corresponding input electrodes for the other one of the two input electrode, and an output lead coupled to the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode.

6. The system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising at least two of the input electrodes, each of the at least two input electrodes having one of the corresponding input electrodes spaced from and on a substantially opposing side of the member, input leads coupled to each of the at least two input electrodes, an output lead coupled to the at least one output electrode, and a common reference lead coupled to the corresponding input electrodes and the corresponding output electrode.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one common electrode comprises a substrate comprising a conductive material.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the member is movable with respect to the input and output electrodes.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input and output electrodes are movable with respect to the member.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a chamber, wherein at least one portion of the member is connected to the chamber and the member extends at least partially across the chamber.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the member is connected on at least substantially opposing sides of the chamber.

12. The system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the member is fixed.

13. The system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the member has at least one elongated side and at least one end, wherein the member is connected to the chamber along the at least one elongated side.

14. The system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the member has at least one elongated side and at least one end, wherein the member is connected to the chamber at the at least one end.

15. The system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the member has at least one pair of opposing surfaces, wherein at least one of the opposing surfaces is fixed with respect to the chamber.

16. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the member is at least one of a single dielectric layer, a composite of two or more dielectric layers, a floating conductor, and an electret.

17. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the member is made from one or more materials selected from a group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, tantalum oxide, tantalum pentoxide, titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, barium strontium titanium oxide.

18. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an input lead coupled to the at least one input electrode, an output lead coupled to the at least one output electrode, and a common reference coupled to the common electrode.

19. A method for making a resonator, the method comprising:

providing a member with an embedded charge;

providing at least one input electrode;

providing at least one output electrode;

providing at least one common electrode, the at least one input and output electrodes are spaced from and on substantially opposing sides of the member from the at least one common electrode, wherein at least one of the member and the input and output electrodes is movable with respect to the other;

providing one or more probes that engage with the target object, the probes are connected to the at least one of the member and the input and output electrodes which is movable with respect to the other;

coupling an input system between the at least one input electrode and the at least one output electrode, the input system providing an input signal; and

coupling an output monitoring system between the at least one output electrode and the at least one common electrode, the output monitoring system detecting a change in an output signal when the target binds with the one or more probes.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the providing at least one common electrode further comprises providing a corresponding input electrode for each of the at least one input electrode and a corresponding output electrode for each of the at least one output electrode.

21. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the member is movable with respect to the input and output electrodes.

22. The resonator as set forth in claim 19 wherein the input and output electrodes are movable with respect to the member.

23. The method as set forth in claim 19 further comprising providing a chamber, wherein at least one portion of the member is connected to the chamber and the member extends at least partially across the chamber.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the member is connected on at least substantially opposing sides of the chamber.

25. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the member is fixed.

26. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the member has at least one elongated side and at least one end, wherein the member is connected to the chamber along the at least one elongated side.

27. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the member has at least one elongated side and at least one end, wherein the member is connected to the chamber at the at least one end.

28. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the member has at least one pair of opposing surfaces, wherein at least one of the opposing surfaces is fixed with respect to the chamber.

29. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the providing a chamber further comprises:

providing a first insulating layer;

providing a second insulating layer over at least a portion of the first insulating layer;

etching a first trench in second insulating layer which extends to the first insulating layer;

filling at least a portion of the first trench with a first sacrificial material, wherein the providing a member is on at least a portion of the first layer of sacrificial material and on at least a portion of the second insulating layer;

depositing a third insulating layer over at least a portion of the member;

etching a second trench in third insulating layer which extends to the member;

filling at least a portion of the second trench with a second layer of sacrificial material;

depositing a fourth insulating layer on at least a portion of the third insulating layer; and

removing the first and second layers of sacrificial material.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29 wherein the providing a member further comprises depositing the member on at least a portion of the first layer of sacrificial material and on at least a portion of the second insulating layer.

31. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the providing a chamber further comprises:

providing a first insulating layer;

providing a second insulating layer over at least a portion of the first insulating layer, wherein the providing a member is on at least a portion of the second insulating layer;

depositing a third insulating layer over at least a portion of the member;

etching a second trench in third insulating layer which extends to the member;

filling at least a portion of the second trench with a first layer of sacrificial material;

depositing a fourth insulating layer on at least a portion of the third insulating layer; and

removing the first layer of sacrificial material.

32. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein the providing a member further comprises depositing the member on at least a portion of the second insulating layer.

33. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the member is at least one of a single dielectric layer, a composite of two or more dielectric layers, a floating conductor, and an electret.

34. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the member is made from one or more materials selected from a group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, tantalum oxide, tantalum pentoxide, titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, barium strontium titanium oxide.

35. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode have a substantially circular shape and the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode are arranged in a substantially annulus fashion around and spaced from the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode.

36. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode have a substantially circular shape and the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode are arranged in a substantially annulus fashion around and spaced from the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode.

37. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the providing a member further comprises storing the embedded charge in the member.

38. The method as set forth in claim 37 wherein the storing the embedded charge in the member comprises at least one of injecting electrons into the member, using ballistic injection to embed the charge, using polarization to embed the charge, and using high field injection to embed the charge.

39. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the providing at least one common electrode further comprises providing a substrate comprising at least one conductive material, the substrate providing the at least one common electrode.

40. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the providing at least one common electrode further comprises providing a first conducting layer to provide the at least one common electrode.

41. The method as set forth in claim 40 wherein the providing at least one common electrode further comprises etching the first conducting layer to form a corresponding input electrode for each of the at least one input electrode and to form a corresponding output electrode for each of the at least one output electrode.

42. The method as set forth in claim 40 wherein the providing the at least one input electrode and providing the at least one output electrode further comprises:

depositing a second conducting layer on at least a portion of the second layer of sacrificial material to provide the other one of the electrodes for at least one of the pairs of electrodes; and

etching the second conducting layer to form the at least one input electrode and the at least one output electrode.

43. The method as set forth in claim 42 wherein the etching of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer for the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode each have a substantially circular shape and for the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode a substantially annulus shape around the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode with the substantially circular shape.

44. The method as set forth in claim 42 wherein the etching of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer for the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode each have a substantially circular shape and for the at least one output electrode and the corresponding output electrode a substantially annulus shape around the at least one input electrode and the corresponding input electrode with the substantially circular shape.

45. A method for detecting a target, the method comprising:

receiving an input signal around a resonant frequency;

applying a first varying signal on at least a first pair electrodes in response to the received input signal, each of the first pair of electrodes spaced from and on substantially opposing sides of a member with an embedded charge;

oscillating one of the member and one of the first pair of electrodes in response to the applied varying signal on the first pair of electrodes;

transmitting an output signal based on a second varying signal which is induced on the second pair of electrodes in response to the oscillation of the member;

placing probes that engage with the target and are located on one of the member and one of the first pair of electrodes in an environment to be monitored; and

signaling a presence of the target when a change in the output signal is detected.

46. The method as set forth in claim 45 wherein the first varying signal comprises at least one of an amplitude modulated input signal and a frequency modulated input signal.

47. The method as set forth in claim 45 wherein the at least a first pair of electrodes and the at least a second pair of electrodes share a common electrode.

48. The method as set forth in claim 45 wherein the at least a first pair of electrodes and the at least a second pair of electrodes are separate sets of electrodes.

49. The method as set forth in claim 45 wherein the at least a first pair of input electrodes comprises at least two of the first pair of input electrodes.

50. The method as set forth in claim 49 further comprising applying a tuning bias to one of the at least two of the first pair of input electrodes.