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Wideband high-frequency line-focus PVDF transducer for materials characterization
Wei Zou1, Steve Holland, Kwang Yul Kim
1Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. zouwei@us.ibm.com
Ultrasonics
|May 3, 2003
Summary
Researchers developed a wideband, high-frequency transducer using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film, achieving over 150 MHz for advanced material property analysis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Acoustics
- Piezoelectric Devices
Background:
- Advanced materials characterization requires high-frequency acoustic transducers.
- Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) offers unique piezoelectric properties for transducer fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, fabricate, and characterize a wideband, high-frequency, line-focus beam transducer.
- To demonstrate the transducer's application in measuring anisotropic elastic properties of silicon wafers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 9 µm thick piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film for transducer construction.
- Measured frequency spectrum, focal length (2.38 mm), and aperture angle (84 degrees).
- Operated the transducer in pulse and radio-frequency (rf) tone burst modes.
Main Results:
- Achieved a wide frequency response from 10 MHz to over 100 MHz, exceeding 150 MHz with compensation.
- Successfully measured phase velocities of surface acoustic waves (SAW) on a silicon wafer.
- Demonstrated the transducer's capability for determining anisotropic elastic properties.
Conclusions:
- The PVDF transducer is effective for high-frequency acoustic measurements.
- The device enables precise characterization of material elastic properties.
- This technology advances non-destructive material analysis techniques.
