Sensor element and sensor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018348166-A1
Application number	US-201715771883-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

There are provided a sensor element and a sensor device having high measurement accuracy by improving temperature characteristics. A sensor element includes an element substrate, a detection portion located on an upper surface of the element substrate, and a protective film covering at least a first IDT electrode and a second IDT electrode. The element substrate is formed of quartz and has the following Euler angles, φ=0°, 97.2°≤θ≤128.9°, and 85°≤ψ≤95°. An expression 0<tc≤0.17λ is satisfied, in which tc denotes a thickness of a part of the protective film covering the first IDT electrode and the second IDT electrode, namely denotes a thickness standardized by a wavelength λ (μm) of a surface acoustic wave.

First claim

1 . A sensor element for detecting a detection target contained in a sample, comprising:
a quartz substrate having the following Euler angles, φ=0°, 97.2°≤θ≤128.9°, and 85°≤ψ≤95°; a detection section located on an upper surface of the quartz substrate, the detection section comprising
a reaction portion which reacts with the detection target,
a first IDT electrode which generates a surface acoustic wave which propagates toward the reaction portion, and
a second IDT electrode which receives a surface acoustic wave which has passed through the reaction portion; and
a protective film covering at least the first IDT electrode and the second IDT electrode, an expression 0<tc≤0.17λ being satisfied, in which tc denotes a thickness of a part of the protective film covering the first IDT electrode and the second IDT electrode, namely denotes a thickness standardized by a wavelength λ (μm) of the surface acoustic wave.

2 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the protective film has a compressive stress.

3 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the protective film contains SiO 2 .

4 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the protective film is located on the upper surface of the quartz substrate.

5 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the protective film is configured to contact with the first IDT electrode and the second IDT electrode.

6 . The sensor element according to claim 5 , wherein
each of the first IDT electrode and the second IDT electrode has a plurality of electrode fingers, and the protective film is configured to contact with surfaces of the plurality of electrode fingers of the first IDT electrode and the second IDT electrode, and also a surface of a part of the quartz substrate which lies between the plurality of electrode fingers.

7 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the protective film does not cover the reaction portion.

8 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the protective film continuously covers a region from the first IDT electrode to the second IDT electrode.

9 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction portion is located on the upper surface of the quartz substrate via the protective film.

10 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction portion comprises a reactant capable of reacting with the detection target, and an immobilization film capable of binding with the reactant.

11 . The sensor element according to claim 10 , wherein the reactant is bound, via the immobilization film, to the quartz substrate.

12 . The sensor element according to claim 10 , wherein an expression 0.007λ≤tf is satisfied, in which tf denotes a thickness of the immobilization film.

13 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein an expression 0.35 mm≤tb≤0.55 mm is satisfied, in which tb denotes a thickness of the quartz substrate.

14 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein
the detection section further comprises a first reflector located opposite to the reaction portion with respect to the first IDT electrode, and a second reflector located opposite to the reaction portion with respect to the second IDT electrode, and the protective film further covers the first reflector and the second reflector, and, an expression 0<tr≤0.05λ is satisfied, in which tr denotes a thickness of a part of the protective film covering the first reflector and the second reflector.

15 . The sensor element according to claim 14 , wherein an expression 0<tc≤0.05λ is satisfied.

16 . The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the quartz substrate has the following Euler angles, φ=0°, 110.0°≤θ≤128.9°, and 85°≤ψ≤95°.

17 . A sensor device, comprising:
a sensor element according to claim 1 ; a supply section which delivers the sample containing the detection target to the detection section of the sensor element; and a signal processing section which detects the detection target based on an electrical signal outputted from the sensor element.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Kobayashi Kyohei

Classifications

• G01N29/2443

  Quartz crystal probes · CPC title

• G01N29/022 Primary

  Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices (microdevices per se B81B) · CPC title