Theoretical optimizations of acoustic wave gas sensors with high conductivity sensitivities

Abstract The frequency shift and electric loss induced by the variation of the surface conductivity caused by the sorbed matter in the acoustic wave (AW) gas sensor are evaluated with the transfer matrix method. It is found that the high conductivity sensitivity is always accompanied by the high electric loss, which increases the insert losses and the minimum detectable masses of the sensors. However, with the same electric perturbation, the AW sensors with longer operating wavelengths have smaller electric losses, which provides the opportunities to achieve the high conductivity sensitivity and reduce the minimum detectable mass simultaneously in the gas sensor.

[1]  R. Kaner,et al.  Graphene-like nano-sheets for surface acoustic wave gas sensor applications , 2009 .

[2]  David S. Ballantine,et al.  Acoustic wave sensors : theory, design, and physico-chemical applications , 1997 .

[3]  Richard M. White,et al.  Analytic comparison of the sensitivities of bulk‐wave, surface‐wave, and flexural plate‐wave ultrasonic gravimetric sensors , 1989 .

[4]  M. Lewis.  The Surface Acoustic Wave Oscillator - A Natural and Timely Development of the Quartz Crystal Oscillator , 1974 .

[5]  W. Wlodarski,et al.  Polyaniline Nanofiber Based Surface Acoustic Wave Gas Sensors—Effect of Nanofiber Diameter on $\hbox{H}_{2}$ Response , 2007, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[6]  Naif H. Al-Hardan,et al.  The gas response enhancement from ZnO film for H2 gas detection , 2009 .

[7]  Li Fan,et al.  Optimization of sensitivity induced by surface conductivity and sorbed mass in surface acoustic wave gas sensors , 2012 .

[8]  C. Champeaux,et al.  Piezoelectric characteristic of nanocrystalline AlN films obtained by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature , 2010 .

[9]  A. Noreika,et al.  Dielectric Properties of Reactively Sputtered Films of Aluminum Nitride , 1969 .

[10]  Wojtek Wlodarski,et al.  Highly sensitive layered ZnO/LiNbO3 SAW device with InOx selective layer for NO2 and H2 gas sensing , 2005 .

[11]  W. Wlodarski,et al.  Hydrogen gas sensor based on highly ordered polyaniline nanofibers , 2009 .

[12]  A. Pohl.  A review of wireless SAW sensors , 2000, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[13]  M. Shur,et al.  Electromechanical coupling coefficient for surface acoustic waves in single-crystal bulk aluminum nitride , 2004 .

[14]  Kim,et al.  Elastic constants and related properties of tetrahedrally bonded BN, AlN, GaN, and InN. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[15]  Jason L. Johnson,et al.  Room temperature hydrogen detection using Pd-coated GaN nanowires , 2008 .

[16]  B. Auld,et al.  Acoustic fields and waves in solids , 1973 .

[17]  W. Wlodarski,et al.  Layered SAW gas sensor based on CSA synthesized polyaniline nanofiber on AlN on 64° YX LiNbO3 for H2 sensing , 2009 .

[18]  K. Shibata,et al.  Preparation of aluminum nitride thin films by reactive sputtering and their applications to GHz‐band surface acoustic wave devices , 1994 .

[19]  S. Wenzel,et al.  Computer modelling of polymer-coated ZnO/Si surface-acoustic-wave and lamb-wave chemical sensors , 1988 .

[20]  Li Fan,et al.  Influence of surface conductivity on sensitivity of acoustic wave gas sensors based on multilayered structures , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.