Acoustic wave sensor apparatus, method and system using wide bandgap materials

Abstract

An acoustic wave sensor to detect an analyte, the sensor comprising a piezoelectric material including a wide bandgap semiconductor material grown using plasma source molecular beam epitaxy.

1 . An acoustic wave sensor to detect an analyte, comprising: 
 a piezoelectric material including a wide bandgap semiconductor material grown using plasma source molecular beam epitaxy.    
     
     
         2 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a high acoustic velocity.  
     
     
         3 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a high electromechanical coupling coefficient.  
     
     
         4 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a near linear temperature coefficient.  
     
     
         5 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a high resistance to a plurality of acids.  
     
     
         6 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material has an optical property that permits transmission of UV.  
     
     
         7 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a high stability in one of a humid and a high temperature environment.  
     
     
         8 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material is compatible with Si.  
     
     
         9 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a bandgap of 6.2 eV.  
     
     
         10 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material includes aluminum nitride.  
     
     
         11 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the analyte is a chemical.  
     
     
         12 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the analyte is a biological contaminant.  
     
     
         13 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 12 , wherein the contaminant is bacterial.  
     
     
         14 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 12 , wherein the contaminant is  Esherichia Coli.    
     
     
         15 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a micro-machined arrangement having a resonating frequency; and    an immobilization layer traversing the micro-machined arrangement, the layer containing a binding site to allow a target structure of the analyte to bind to the micro-machined arrangement so as to change the resonating frequency.    
     
     
         16 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the micro-machined arrangement includes a wide bandgap semiconductor material.  
     
     
         17 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the micro-machined arrangement includes aluminum nitride.  
     
     
         18 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the micro-machined arrangement has an acoustic wavelength of 32 μm.  
     
     
         19 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 an oscillator circuit to detect the change in resonating frequency.    
     
     
         20 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor uses a shear wave.  
     
     
         21 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor uses a lamb wave.  
     
     
         22 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is operable in a dual mode.  
     
     
         23 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is operable in a surface acoustic mode.  
     
     
         24 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is operable in a surface transverse mode.  
     
     
         25 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is operable in a liquid medium and maintains a high sensitivity without a severe attenuation.  
     
     
         26 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the immobilization layer includes a chemical linker.  
     
     
         27 . (canceled)  
     
     
         28 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is operable to provide at least one of a continuous, in situ, and a rapid detection.  
     
     
         29 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is operable to detect multiple target structures.  
     
     
         30 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the micro-machined arrangement includes an input interdigital transducer, an output interdigital transducer, a reflector grating, and a central energy-trapping grating formed between the input interdigital transducer and the output interdigital, the central energy-trapping grating arranged to constrain a bulk wave to propagate in a surface transverse wave mode with a shear horizontal polarization.  
     
     
         31 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 30 , wherein the central energy-trapping grating is a lithographically-patterned metal strip.  
     
     
         32 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 30 , wherein the central energy-trapping grating is a laser micro-machined groove.  
     
     
         33 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 32 , wherein the laser micro-machined groove is created by an EXCIMER laser.  
     
     
         34 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the micro-machined arrangement includes 20 pairs of input and output interdigital transducers, 40 reflector gratings, and 120 central energy-trapping gratings.  
     
     
         35 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is integrated with electronics on a chip.  
     
     
         36 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is coupled to a communications network.  
     
     
         37 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is coupled to a wireless communications network.  
     
     
         38 - 42 . (canceled)  
     
     
         43 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 an electronic interdigital electrode to detect the change in frequency.    
     
     
         44 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein a driving frequency of the sensor is in the GHz range.  
     
     
         45 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein a driving frequency of the sensor is 1 to 6 GHz.  
     
     
         46 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is operable to detect a frequency change of less than 0.1 GHz.  
     
     
         47 - 48 . (canceled)  
     
     
         49 . A method for operating an acoustic wave sensor, the method comprising: 
 generating an acoustic wave;    directing the acoustic wave to transverse a micro-machined arrangement;    detecting a resonating frequency of the micro-machined arrangement; and    determining a presence of an analyte based on the detected resonating frequency,    wherein the analyte contains a target structure that binds to an immobilization layer of the micro-machined arrangement.    
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the acoustic wave sensor is based on a wide bandgap semiconductor material grown using plasma source molecular beam epitaxy.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor material includes aluminum nitride.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the acoustic wave includes a surface transverse wave.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the acoustic wave includes a surface acoustic wave.  
     
     
         54 - 71 . (canceled)  
     
     
         72 . A method for operating an acoustic wave sensor, the method comprising: 
 generating an acoustic wave;    directing the acoustic wave to transverse a resonating arrangement including a wide bandgap material grown using plasma source molecular beam epitaxy;    detecting a resonating frequency of the resonating arrangement; and    determining a presence of an analyte based on the detected resonating frequency,    wherein the analyte contains a target structure that binds to an immobilization layer of the resonating arrangement.    
     
     
         73 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the piezoelectric material has a high acoustic velocity;    the piezoelectric material has a high electromechanical coupling coefficient;    the piezoelectric material has a near linear temperature coefficient; and    the piezoelectric material includes aluminum nitride.    
     
     
         74 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 73 , wherein the piezoelectric material is compatible with Si.  
     
     
         75 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 73 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a high resistance to a plurality of acids.  
     
     
         76 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 73 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a bandgap of 6.2 eV.  
     
     
         77 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 73 , wherein the piezoelectric material has an optical property that permits transmission of UV.  
     
     
         78 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 77 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a bandgap of 6.2 eV.  
     
     
         79 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 78 , wherein the piezoelectric material is compatible with Si.  
     
     
         80 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 77 , wherein the piezoelectric material is compatible with Si.  
     
     
         81 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 73 , wherein the piezoelectric material has a high stability in one of a humid and a high temperature environment.  
     
     
         82 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the micro-machined arrangement includes a wide bandgap semiconductor material;    the sensor is operable in a surface acoustic mode;    the sensor is operable in a surface transverse mode;    the sensor is operable in a liquid medium and maintains a high sensitivity without a severe attenuation; and    the immobilization layer includes a chemical linker.    
     
     
         83 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 82 , wherein the micro-machined arrangement includes aluminum nitride.  
     
     
         84 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 82 , wherein the micro-machined arrangement has an acoustic wavelength of 32 μm.  
     
     
         85 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 82 , further comprising: 
 an oscillator circuit to detect the change in resonating frequency.    
     
     
         86 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 82 , wherein the sensor uses a shear wave.  
     
     
         87 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 82 , wherein the sensor uses a lamb wave.  
     
     
         88 . (canceled)  
     
     
         89 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 82 , wherein the sensor is operable to provide one of a continuous detection, an in situ detection, and a rapid detection.  
     
     
         90 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 82 , wherein the sensor is operable to detect multiple target structures.  
     
     
         91 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 30 , wherein the central energy-trapping grating is a laser micro-machined groove formed by an EXCIMER laser, the sensor is integrated with electronics on a chip, and the sensor is coupled to a communications network.  
     
     
         92 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 an electronic interdigital electrode to detect the change in frequency;    wherein a driving frequency of the sensor is in the GHz range, and the sensor is operable to detect a frequency change of less than 0.1 GHz.    
     
     
         93 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 92 , wherein a driving frequency of the sensor is 1 to 6 GHz.  
     
     
         94 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a micro-machined arrangement having a sinusoidal-shaped surface topology.    
     
     
         95 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 94 , wherein the micro-machined arrangement includes sinusoidal-shaped microgrooves.  
     
     
         96 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is operable to at least one of scan and switch between at least one of a surface acoustic wave mode and a surface transverse wave mode.  
     
     
         97 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is operable to at least one of scan and switch between a 100% surface transverse wave mode and a 100% surface acoustic wave mode.  
     
     
         98 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 96 , wherein the surface acoustic wave mode and the surface transverse wave mode essentially do not interfere with each other.  
     
     
         99 . The acoustic wave sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is operable to collect surface acoustic wave readings and surface transverse wave readings at least one of separately and simultaneously.