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| Profil Titel | Ultrasonic capacitive transducer for non-destructive tests |  |
Referenz | 10 ES 28G2 3IMB | |
| Herkunftsland | Spain | |
| Kooperationsart | Angebot | |
| Eintrag/Änderung | 2010-10-26 / 2010-10-26 |
Kurzfassung
A Spanish public research organisation has developed a transducer useful to analyze objects or the content of recipients using non-destructive testing techniques. In particular, this is done by emitting ultrasonic signals with air as the coupling medium. The transducer achieves a better efficiency in the emission of ultrasonic waves thanks to its design, with a partially free-oscillating membrane and a resonant cavity. The group is seeking partners interested in a patent license.Details
Ultrasonic devices are natural candidates for non-destructive testing (NDT) applications. Checking the properties or the content of a body or recipient without altering or compromising its integrity is possible using them by direct contact or with air as a coupling medium. In the past decades ultrasonic transducers, most of them made of piezoelectric materials, have become very popular for this task.A significant advance in the state-of-the-art has been made in recent years through the use of micromachining techniques for the development of Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (cMUTs). The basic unit of these devices is a capacitor, which consists of an electrode fixed inside a cavity and another electrode held in a micromembrane. When a polarization voltage and an excitation signal are applied, the membrane vibrates according to this signal, thus emitting acoustic waves within the range of the ultrasonic frequencies. The reduced size of these devices (membranes have sizes 100-200 µm long) bears certain advantages, most importantly the possibility of grouping cMUTs in complex arrays to improve the resolution in ultrasonic imaging.
The ultrasonic transducer patented by CSIC takes cMUTs applications in air one step further to perform NDT. In order to emit ultrasonic waves, the transducer is made of a flexible membrane of silicon or polysilicon coupled to a resonant cavity. The cavity is designed with a specific volume that enhances the frequencies around the first mode of vibration of the membrane. Moreover, the membrane is characterized by its partially free contour that makes it oscillate, improving the efficiency in the emission of the ultrasonic waves. The electrodes are made of a conducting material (which may be that of the membrane), and are placed in the membrane and on a support in the resonant cavity.
Innovative Aspects:
-First-time use of a micro membrane coupled to an acoustic Helmholtz resonator to improve the emission efficiency of ultrasound.
-Use of partially free membranes to increase their displacement.
-Greater bandwidth (Q~4) due to the reactance produced when including the resonant cavity.
-Greater sensitivity (Pa/V) in emission with respect to conventional cMUTs (11 dB with respect to the maximum sensitivity of a conventional cMUT around the same operation point).
-Small size (100-200 µm) membranes as compared with commercially available coupled ultrasonic transductors.
-It is possible to combine transducers, connected in parallel, to form a single element or complex arrays, with which one- or bi-dimensional END in air can be performed.
Technologiesektor | - Mikro- und Nanotechnologie - Verstärker, Analog/Digitalwandler - Elektrische/Elektronische Meßgeräte |
Anwendungsbereich | - Industrial measurement and sensing equipment - Process control equipment and systems |
Entwicklungstand | Development phase - Laboratory tested |
Patentrechte (IPR) | Patent(s) applied for but not yet granted |
| Spanish patent filed. | |
Kooperationstyp | - License Agreement # Type of partner sought Industrial. # Specific area of activity of the partner Aeronautical or food industry sectors. # Task to be performed by the partner sought Manufacture and large scale production. |
Organisationstyp | Research institute/University Größe: > 500 |
| Status | Dieses Profil ist abgelaufen! Falls Sie denoch Interesse haben, kontaktieren Sie uns. |
Möchten Sie mit dieser Firma in Kontakt treten? Ja |
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