Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080229831 | Design and deposition of sensing layers for surface acoustic wave chemical sensors based on supra-molecular chemistry - The design and deposition of a sensing layer for room temperature SAW/BAW chemical sensors utilizing macrocyclic compounds in accordance with supra-molecular chemistry principles. The gas to be sensed is attached to the organic sensing film thus changing its visco-elastic properties and creating a mass increase of the film deposited on the surface of SAW/BAW devices. A direct printing method can be used as an additive, mask-less procedure to deposit metallic interdigital transducers and electrodes required for SAW/BAW devices, along with the deposition of a guiding layer and the organic films only on the location required by the sensing SAW/BAW principle of the sensor. Different thermal treatment solutions can be used for the consolidation of the gelly organic films deposited by the direct printing methods. | 09-25-2008 |
20090039832 | Mems based battery monitoring technical field - A battery protection and monitoring system includes a plurality of MAFET (Mechanically Actuated Field Effect Transistor) switches, wherein each MAFET switch among the MAFET switches is capable of switching from an open switch condition to a closed switch condition or vice versa, such that the plurality of MAFET switches are connectable to a battery. Such a system further includes one or more transistors associated with and which communicate electrically with at least one MAFET switch among the MAFET switches. A PPTC (Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient) device is also associated with the transistors and the MAFET switches, such that the PPTC device, the MAFET switches and the transistors operate in association with one another and the open switch condition or the closed switch condition of the plurality of MAFET switches to identify, monitor and thus prevent at least one dangerous condition associated with the battery. | 02-12-2009 |
20090102317 | GLASS BASED PACKAGING AND ATTACHMENT OF SAW TORQUE SENSOR - A glass cover wafer is bonded to a quartz SAW using glass frit technology, such that the glass wafer and glass frit formulation provides a thermal coefficient of expansion (TCE) of glass that fits the average TCE of the quartz in two perpendicular directions in a unique package. A dicing technology is used for chip separation. The sensor back side and the shaft are attached with a glass glue that transitions the TCE from the shaft to the quartz without interposing a large amount of the glue. | 04-23-2009 |
20090139330 | INTEGRATED MEMS 3D MULTI-SENSOR - Apparatus, methods, and systems for sensing acceleration and magnetic fields in all three axes from a first capacitive bridge sensor having a first proof mass; and a second capacitive bridge sensor having a second proof mass located within the first proof mass. The second proof mass is coupled to the first proof mass by springs that permit movement in the second axis. The of sense the remaining axis of interest may be done by a third and fourth capacitive bridge configured similar to that of the first and second capacitive bridge sensors. The third and fourth capacitive bridge sensors may be oriented 90 degrees off of the first and second capacitive bridge. An alternative is to locate a third capacitive bridge within the second proof mass. | 06-04-2009 |
20090150029 | CAPACITIVE INTEGRATED MEMS MULTI-SENSOR - Apparatus, methods, and systems for incorporating and reading a plurality of bridge sensors is disclosed. The bridge sensors may be capacitive bridge sensors located on the same substrate with a digital processor and signal processing circuits to read the outputs of the sensors. The bridge sensors are accessed by a switch network coupled to the plurality of bridge sensors to selectively provide an output from at least one of the plurality of bridge sensors. The switch network may be a multiplexer, which provides a periodically oscillating voltage to the sensors, to energize the sensors. The multiplexer may also provide output from the energized sensor to the digital processor. | 06-11-2009 |
20090193903 | METHOD FOR SENSOR FABRICATION AND RELATED SENSOR AND SYSTEM - A method includes forming multiple trenches in a first wafer, forming a sensor structure on a first surface of a second wafer, and bonding the first wafer and the second wafer. The method also includes etching a second surface of the second wafer to form a sensor diaphragm in the second wafer. The method further includes removing a portion of the first wafer by cutting the first wafer in multiple areas of the first wafer associated with the trenches. A sensor includes a substrate and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator on a first surface of the substrate. The sensor also includes a bonding pad electrically coupled to the SAW resonator and a notch formed in a second surface of the substrate. The sensor further includes a cover separated from the first surface of the substrate by a spacer. The SAW resonator is located between the cover and the substrate. | 08-06-2009 |
20090194828 | METHOD FOR MEMS THRESHOLD SENSOR PACKAGING - Apparatus, methods, and systems for bonding a cover wafer to a MEMS threshold sensors located on a silicon disc. The cover wafer is trenched to form a region when bonded to the silicon wafer that produces a gap over the contact bond pads of the MEMS threshold sensor. The method includes a series of cuts that remove part of the cover wafer over the trenches to permit additional cuts that may avoid the contact bond pads of the MEMS threshold sensor. In addition the glass frit provides for isolation of the sensor with a hermetic seal. The cavity between the MEMS threshold sensor and the cover wafer may be injected with a gas such as nitrogen to influence the properties of the MEMS threshold sensor. The MEMS threshold sensor may be utilized to sense a threshold for pressure, temperature or acceleration. | 08-06-2009 |
20090267761 | INTELLIGENT PACKAGING METHOD AND SYSTEM BASED ON ACOUSTIC WAVE DEVICES - An intelligent packaging system utilizing acoustic wave devices includes an electronic module, a SAW ID, various passive SAW sensors and a printed antenna. The passive SAW sensors include a SAW pressure sensor, a SAW temperature sensor and one or more SAW chemical sensors for monitoring physical parameters of a package content. The electronic module generally includes a printed large area distributed electrical circuit, an impedance transformer and a SAW transponder for realizing passive wireless monitoring of the structural integrity of the package. A separate power harvesting antenna and/or a separate dual band antenna can generate radio frequency (RF) power for biasing components associated with the electronic module. | 10-29-2009 |
20100058834 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOW DRIFT CHEMICAL SENSOR ARRAY - An on-chip low baseline drift SAW/LAW chemical sensor array and method of forming the same. A dual SAW delay line includes a common IDT for generating an acoustic wave and a pair of IDT for reception of the acoustic wave. One sensing layer or one reference layer can be deposited in position on each side of the common IDT. An ASIC chip includes on chip dual operational amplifiers and a mixer in order to obtain a differential measurement utilizing a difference being given by the sensing and the reference layers. A 3D technology can be employed in order to connect the sensor array and the ASIC in the same package and thereby form a 3D stack. The chemical sensor array and the ASIC can be configured in different packages and interconnected on the same substrate utilizing 2D technologies. A number of gases can be detected independently, and each gas can be detected differentially, with respect to its associated sensing layer and specific reference layer. | 03-11-2010 |
20100127834 | PASSIVE SURFACE ACOUSTIC WAVE SENSING SYSTEM - The present disclosure relates generally to wireless detection systems. In one illustrative embodiment, a wireless detection system includes a plurality of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors, and an electronic reader for interrogating the plurality of SAW sensors. In some instances, each of the surface acoustic wave based sensors includes an integrated sensor coil. The electronic reader may include a plurality of reader coils and a controller. The controller may be configured to interrogate the plurality of surface acoustic wave based sensors using a time division interrogation. In some cases, each of the plurality of reader coils is inductively coupled to only one of the integrated coils of the SAW sensors at any given time. | 05-27-2010 |
20110138933 | SENSOR HAVING EMI SHIELDING FOR MEASURING ROTATING SHAFT PARAMETERS - An EMI shielded sensing system is for measuring parameters associated with a rotating device having a rotating shaft. The system includes a rotating unit mechanically coupled to the rotating shaft. The rotating unit includes a sensor that provides a sensing signal that is coupled to a first antenna. A stationary unit includes a second antenna. The stationary unit and rotating unit are in wireless communication via a wireless link, and the stationary unit provides RF energy to power the rotating unit over the wireless link. The rotating unit sends the sensing output to the stationary unit over the wireless link. A multi-metal shroud for EMI shielding is positioned around the rotating unit and stationary unit. The shroud includes a ferromagnetic layer and a non-ferromagnetic layer. | 06-16-2011 |
20110241959 | SENSOR DEVICE WITH HELICAL ANTENNA AND RELATED SYSTEM AND METHOD - An apparatus includes a sensor that receives a first electrical signal and provides a second electrical signal in response to the first electrical signal. The second electrical signal is based on at least one parameter monitored by the sensor. The apparatus also includes an antenna that converts first wireless signals into the first electrical signal and that converts the second electrical signal into second wireless signals. The antenna includes a substrate, conductive traces, and conductive interconnects. The conductive traces are formed on first and second surfaces of the substrate. The conductive interconnects couple the conductive traces, and the conductive interconnects and the conductive traces form at least one helical arm of the antenna. The conductive traces could be formed in various ways, such as by etching or direct printing. The conductive interconnects could also be formed in various ways, such as by filling vias in the substrate or direct printing. | 10-06-2011 |
20120036917 | SENSING DEVICES AND METHODS - Embodiments of the present disclosure include devices and methods for humidity and temperature sensing. For example, in one embodiment, a sensing device can include a first surface acoustic wave (SAW) component, wherein the first SAW component is a temperature component, a second SAW component, wherein the second SAW component is a humidity component, a third SAW component, wherein the third SAW component is a reference component, and a piezoelectric layer, wherein the first SAW component, the second. SAW component, and the third SAW component are on a surface of the piezoelectric layer. | 02-16-2012 |
20120125118 | SYSTEM FOR MONITORING STRUCTURAL ASSETS - A system for detection of stress and deformation in a structural asset, for instance, one of reinforced concrete. An area on the asset may have a structure interface, such as a patch, attached to it with a fastening mechanism which may be a layer of an epoxy or other material, or be items such as screws, bolts, welds, or the like. One or more surface acoustic wave (SAW) strain sensors may be attached to the interface with an adhesive layer of epoxy or other material, or with mechanical items. Stress may be transmitted by the interface to the strain sensors. The sensors may be interrogated with a wire or wireless reader to obtain strain measurements. The measurements may indicate stress and deformations such as bulges and breaks in the asset. The measurements may also be a basis for determining location and extent of the stress and deformations. | 05-24-2012 |
20120161147 | HIGH TEMPERATURE STRAIN SENSOR - An example sensor that includes a first Schottky diode, a second Schottky diode and an integrated circuit. The sensor further includes a voltage generator that generates a first voltage across the first Schottky diode and a second voltage across the second Schottky diode. When the first Schottky diode and the second Schottky diode are subjected to different strain, the integrated circuit measures the values of the currents flowing through the first Schottky diode and the second Schottky diode to determine the strain on an element where the first Schottky diode and the second Schottky diode are attached. | 06-28-2012 |
20130207867 | ANTENNA WITH EFFECTIVE AND ELECTROMAGNETIC BANDGAP (EBG) MEDIA AND RELATED SYSTEM AND METHOD - An apparatus includes an antenna having multiple layers. At least a first of the layers includes both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium. The antenna could include a ground plane and a feed line, and the first layer of the antenna can be located between the ground plane and the feed line. The antenna could also include a slot ground and a planar antenna structure, and the first layer of the antenna could be located between the slot ground and the planar antenna structure. The antenna could further include a first substrate between a feed line and a slot ground and a second substrate covering a planar antenna structure, and the first layer could include one of the first and second substrates. | 08-15-2013 |
20150022491 | TOUCH SENSOR AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME - The present disclosure relates to a touch sensor and touch sensitive display having a plurality of first and second conductive lines arranged substantially orthogonally with a sensing material to sense a change in capacitance between them. The first and second conductive lines and the sensing material defining an array of sensitive transistors. | 01-22-2015 |
20150035092 | SENSORS AND METHOD OF OPERATING SENSOR - Sensors and methods of operating sensors are described herein. One sensor includes a number of III-nitride strain sensitive devices and a number of passive electrical components that connects each of them to one of the III-nitride strain sensitive devices. | 02-05-2015 |