Resonator structure for mass sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596102-B2
Application number	US-202017787198-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A solid mount resonator sensor has a substrate. An anti-reflector stack is disposed proximate the substrate. The anti-reflector stack includes one or more acoustic interference layers. A first electrode is disposed proximate the anti-reflector stack. A second electrode having a first surface facing towards the first electrode and an opposing second surface facing away from the first electrode. A substantially quarter-wave piezoelectric material layer is disposed between the first and second electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A solid mount resonator sensor, comprising:
a substrate; an anti-reflector stack disposed proximate the substrate, the anti-reflector stack comprising one or more acoustic interference layers; an active region, comprising;
a first electrode disposed proximate and incorporated into the anti-reflector stack;
a second electrode having a first surface facing towards the first electrode and an opposing second surface facing away from the first electrode;
a quarter-wave piezoelectric material layer disposed between the first and second electrodes; and
a functionalization material arranged over the active region; wherein the anti-reflector stack causes substantially no dampening at a fundamental resonance frequency and causes little or no acoustic energy to be delivered to a non-sensing side of the solid mount resonator sensor.

2 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 1 , wherein the quarter wave piezoelectric material layer has a thickness that represents a quarter-period of an acoustic wave at a fundamental resonance frequency.

3 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 1 , further comprising actuation circuitry configured to drive the solid mount resonator sensor into an oscillating motion.

4 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 3 , wherein the actuation circuitry is configured to drive the solid mount resonator sensor into one or more of a longitudinal mode and a shear mode.

5 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 1 , wherein an acoustic reflectivity of the anti-reflector stack is zero.

6 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 1 , wherein a mass sensitivity of the solid mount resonator sensor is twice a mass sensitivity of a half-wave resonator sensor when operating at the same frequency.

7 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 1 , wherein a design frequency of operation is in a range of 2 GHz to 10 GHz.

8 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 1 , wherein the functionalization material comprises a specific or a non-specific binding material.

9 . A resonator sensor system comprising:
a solid mount resonator comprising:
a substrate;
an anti-reflector stack disposed proximate the substrate, the anti-reflector stack comprising one or more acoustic interference layers;
an active region, comprising;
a first electrode disposed proximate and incorporated into the anti-reflector stack;
a second electrode having a first surface facing towards the first electrode and an opposing second surface facing away from the first electrode; and
a quarter-wave piezoelectric material layer disposed between the first and second electrodes; and

a functionalization material arranged over the active region;
actuation circuitry configured to drive the solid mount resonator into an oscillating motion; measurement circuitry configured to measure one or more resonator output signals representing a resonance characteristic of the oscillating motion of the solid mount resonator; and a controller operatively coupled to the actuation circuitry and the measurement circuitry; wherein the anti-reflector stack causes substantially no dampening at a fundamental resonance frequency and causes little or no acoustic energy to be delivered to a non-sensing side of the solid mount resonator.

10 . The resonator sensor system of claim 9 , wherein the quarter wave piezoelectric material layer has a thickness that represents a quarter-period of an acoustic wave at a fundamental resonance frequency.

11 . The resonator sensor system of claim 9 , wherein an acoustic reflectivity of the anti-reflector stack is zero.

12 . The resonator sensor system of claim 9 , wherein a mass sensitivity of the solid mount resonator sensor is twice a mass sensitivity of a half-wave resonator sensor when operating at the same frequency.

13 . The resonator sensor system of claim 9 , wherein a design frequency of operation is in a range of 2 GHz to 10 GHz.

14 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 9 , wherein the functionalization material comprises a specific or a non-specific binding material.

15 . A solid mount resonator sensor, comprising:
a substrate; an anti-reflector stack disposed proximate the substrate, the anti-reflector stack comprising:
one or more acoustic interference layers;
an active region, comprising;
a first electrode incorporated into the anti-reflector stack;
a second electrode having a first surface facing towards the first electrode and an opposing second surface facing away from the first electrode; and
a quarter-wave piezoelectric material layer disposed between the first and second electrodes; and
a functionalization material arranged over the active region; wherein the anti-reflector stack causes substantially no dampening at a fundamental resonance frequency and causes little or no acoustic energy to be delivered to a non-sensing side of the solid mount resonator sensor.

16 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 15 , wherein the quarter wave piezoelectric material layer has a thickness that represents a quarter-period of an acoustic wave at a fundamental resonance frequency.

17 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 15 , further comprising actuation circuitry configured to drive the solid mount resonator sensor into an oscillating motion.

18 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 17 , wherein the actuation circuitry is configured to drive the solid mount resonator sensor into one or more of a longitudinal mode and a shear mode.

19 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 15 , wherein an acoustic reflectivity of the anti-reflector stack is zero.

20 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 15 , wherein a mass sensitivity of the solid mount resonator sensor is twice a mass sensitivity of a half-wave resonator sensor when operating at the same frequency.

21 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 15 , wherein a design frequency of operation is in a range of 2 GHz to 10 GHz.

22 . The solid mount resonator sensor of claim 15 , wherein the functionalization material comprises a specific or a non-specific binding material.

Assignees

• Qorvo Us Inc

Inventors

• Webster James

Classifications

• G01N29/022 Primary

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