SENSORS FOR MEASURING AT LEAST ONE OF PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE, SENSOR ARRAYS AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20120181900A1
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChampionX LLC (ChampionX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Puccio, Derek Wayne, EerNisse, Errol P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,038,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/338
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/162 using piezoelectric resonators
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0016 of a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0022 of a piezoelectric element
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/85 Piezoelectric or electrostrictive active materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4908 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

Arrays of resonator sensors include an active wafer array comprising a plurality of active wafers, a first end cap array coupled to a first side of the active wafer array, and a second end cap array coupled to a second side of the active wafer array. Thickness shear mode resonator sensors may include an active wafer coupled to a first end cap and a second end cap. Methods of forming a plurality of resonator sensors include forming a plurality of active wafer locations and separating the active wafer locations to form a plurality of discrete resonator sensors. Thickness shear mode resonator sensors may be produced by such methods.

Claims

1. An array of resonator sensors, comprising:

an active wafer array comprising a plurality of unsingulated active wafers,;

a first unsingulated end cap array coupled to a first side of the active wafer array; and

a second unsingulated end cap array coupled to a second side of the active wafer array, wherein each unsingulated active wafer comprises a resonating portion, the resonating portion of each unsingulated active wafer being out of contact with each of the first and second unsingulated end cap arrays.

2. The array of resonator sensors of claim 1, wherein each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first cavity positioned proximate to a central portion of an unsingulated active wafer on the first side of the active wafer and a second cavity positioned proximate to the central portion of the unsingulated active wafer on the second side of the active wafer.

3. The array of resonator sensors of claim 2, wherein the first cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first recess formed in a first face of the active wafer and the second cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a second recess formed in a second, opposing face of the active wafer.

4. The array of resonator sensors of claim 2, wherein the first cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first recess formed in a face of the active wafer and the second cavity of each resonator sensors of the array of resonator sensors comprises a second recess formed in a face of the second unsingulated end cap array.

5. The array of resonator sensors of claim 2, wherein the first cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first recess formed in a face of the first unsingulated end cap array and wherein the second cavity of each resonator sensor of the plurality of resonator sensors comprises a second recess formed in a face of the second unsingulated end cap array.

6. The array of resonator sensors of claim 2, wherein the first cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a first recess formed in a first face of the active wafer and a second recess formed in a face of the first unsingulated end cap array, and wherein the second cavity of each resonator sensor of the array of resonator sensors comprises a third recess formed in a second, opposing face of the active wafer and a fourth recess formed in a face of the second unsingulated end cap array.

7. The array of resonator sensors of claim 1, wherein each active wafer of the plurality of unsingulated active wafers comprises a central portion having a thickness less than a thickness of an outer portion of the unsingulated active wafer.

8. The array of resonator sensors of claim 1, wherein each of the unsingulated active wafer array, the first end cap array, and the second end cap array comprises a quartz plate.

9. A plurality of thickness shear mode resonator sensors produced by a process, comprising:

forming a plurality of active wafer locations in a first sheet of material comprising;

locating a central portion of each active wafer of the plurality of active wafer locations; and

bounding the plurality of active wafer locations about the central portions thereof to form a first cavity on a first side of each central portion and a second cavity on a second side of each central portion to form an array of resonator sensors; and

separating the array of resonator sensors.

10. The plurality of thickness shear mode resonator sensors of claim 9, wherein forming a plurality of active wafer locations in a first sheet of material further comprises forming the central portion in each active wafer location of the plurality of active wafer locations to have a thickness less than a thickness of an outer portion of the active wafer location.

11. The plurality of thickness shear mode resonator sensors of claim 9, wherein bounding the plurality of active wafer locations about the central portions thereof and over the first and second cavities on the first side and on the second side comprises:

coupling a first side of the first sheet of material to a second sheet of material comprising a plurality of first end caps to cover the first side of the plurality of active wafer locations; and

coupling a second side of the first sheet of material to a third sheet of material comprising a plurality of second end caps to cover the second side of the plurality of active wafer locations.

12. The plurality of thickness shear mode resonator sensors of claim 11, wherein coupling a first side of the first sheet of material to a second sheet of material and coupling a second side of the first sheet of material to a third sheet of material comprises coupling with a fused glass frit.

13. The plurality of thickness shear mode resonator sensors of claim 9, further comprising forming the plurality of resonator sensors to each exhibit a substantially quadrilateral cross section.

14. The plurality of thickness shear mode resonator sensors of claim 9, further comprising forming the plurality of resonator sensors to each exhibit a substantially cylindrical cross section.

15. A method of forming a plurality of resonator sensors, comprising:

forming a plurality of active wafer locations in a unitary structure;

coupling a plurality of first end cap structures to a first side of the unitary structure;

coupling a plurality of second end cap structures to a second, opposing side of the unitary structure; and

separating the plurality of active wafer locations laterally between the end cap structures to form a plurality of discrete resonator sensors.

16. A method of forming a plurality of resonator sensors, comprising:

forming a plurality of active wafer locations in a first sheet of material comprising;

locating a central portion of each active wafer of the plurality of active wafer locations;

bounding the plurality of active wafer locations about the central portions thereof to form a first cavity on a first side of each central portion and a second cavity on a second side of each central portion to form an array of resonator sensors; and

separating the array of resonator sensors to form a plurality of discrete resonator sensors.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein forming a plurality of active wafer locations in a first sheet of material further comprises forming the central portion in each active wafer location of the plurality of active wafer locations to have a thickness less than a thickness of an outer portion of the active wafer location.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein bounding the plurality of active wafer locations about the central portions thereof and over the first and second cavities on the first side and on the second side comprises:

coupling a first side of the first sheet of material to a second sheet of material comprising a plurality of first end caps to cover the first side of the plurality of active wafer locations; and

coupling a second side of the first sheet of material to a third sheet of material comprising a plurality of second end caps to cover the second side of the plurality of active wafer locations and to form an array of resonator sensors.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein separating the array of resonator sensors comprises separating the array of resonator sensors along a plane transverse to an interface between the first sheet of material and at least one of the second sheet of material and the third sheet material.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein forming a plurality of active wafer locations in a first sheet of material further comprises:

forming a first electrode on the central portion of each active wafer location of the plurality of active wafer locations on the first side of the first sheet of material;

extending the first electrode to a conductive tab formed on an outer portion of each active wafer location of the plurality of active wafer locations on the first side of the first sheet of material;

forming a second electrode on the central portion of each active wafer location of the plurality of active wafer locations on the second side of the first sheet of material; and

extending the second electrode to a conductive tab formed on an outer portion of each active wafer location of the plurality of active wafer locations on the second side of the first sheet of material.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing at least one recess in an interface between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material to expose a conductive tab formed on at least one active wafer location of the plurality of active wafer locations; and

providing at least one recess in an interface between the first sheet of material and the third sheet of material to expose another conductive tab formed on at least one active wafer location of the plurality of active wafer locations.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein forming a plurality of active wafer locations in a first sheet of material further comprises forming the plurality of active wafer locations in a quartz plate.

23. A thickness shear mode resonator sensor, comprising:

an active wafer comprising a resonating element;

a first end cap coupled to a first side of the active wafer, at least one surface of the active wafer and at least one surface of the first end cap forming a first cavity between the resonating element of the active wafer and the first end cap; and

a second end cap coupled to a second, opposing side of the active wafer, at least one surface of the active wafer and at least one surface of the second end cap forming a second cavity between the resonating element of the active wafer and the second end cap, wherein the active wafer exhibits a substantially quadrilateral cross section taken in a direction along an interface of the active wafer and at least one of the first end cap and the second end cap.

24. The thickness shear mode resonator sensor of claim 23, wherein the active wafer further comprises:

a first electrode disposed on the first side of the active wafer proximate a central portion of the active wafer and extending to a first conductive tab extending along a first outer portion of active wafer on the first side of the active wafer; and

a second electrode disposed on the second side of the active wafer proximate the central portion and extending to a second conductive tab extending along a second outer portion of the active wafer on the second side of the active wafer.

25. The thickness shear mode resonator sensor of claim 24, wherein the first conductive tab extends along an entirety of a first edge on the first side of the active wafer, and wherein the second conductive tab extends along an entirety of a second edge opposing the first edge on the second side of the active wafer.

26. The thickness shear mode resonator sensor of claim 23, wherein the first end cap and the second end cap each exhibit a substantially quadrilateral cross section taken in the direction along the interface of the active wafer and at least one of the first end cap and the second end cap.