Flexural Plate Wave Devices Fabricated from Silicon Carbide Membranes

TL;DR

This paper presents Silicon Carbide-based Flexural Plate Wave devices that operate at low voltages, are suitable for small or hazardous areas, and serve as gravimetric sensors, replacing Silicon Nitride membranes.

Contribution

It introduces SiC membranes for FPW devices, demonstrating improved low-voltage operation and potential for use in hazardous environments.

Findings

Operates at very low voltages, reducing hazards.

Suitable for small and inaccessible areas.

Potential as gravimetric sensors for mass measurement.

Abstract

Flexural Plate Wave (FPW) devices fabricated from Silicon Carbide (SiC) membranes are presented here which exhibit electrical and mechanical characteristics in its transfer functions that makes it very useful as a low voltage probe device capable of functioning in small areas that are commonly inaccessible to ordinary devices. The low input impedance characteristic of this current driven device makes it possible for it to operate at very low voltages, thereby reducing the hazards for flammable or explosive areas to be probed. The Flexural Plate Wave (FPW) devices are of a family of gravimetric type sensors that permit direct measurements of the mass of the vibrating element. The primary objective was to study the suitability of Silicon Carbide (SiC) membranes as a replacement of Silicon Nitride (SiN) membrane in flexural plate wave devices developed by Sandia National Laboratories