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[Illinois] ECE 416 Acoustic Wave Sensors

By Brian Cunningham


Published on


&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In this lecture, we look at the concepts and theories behind the acoustic wave sensor. This sensor communicates through the vibrational waves in matter. The atoms in the system are displaced, causing an Internal Elastic Restoring Force. This is the vibration that transmits the acoustic waves. The waves transmission are able to detect the biomolecules through the change in the frequencies. A piezoelectric mass, materials that produce oscillation and generate output, has antibodies placed on it and as the target molecules attach themselves to these molecules, the mass of the piezoelectric material changes. An electric field is being placed through the material and the voltage potential can be measured and tell the changing of the frequency of the system. The piezoelectric material is a transducer that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. To determine the resonant frequency for oscillation, a voltage is needed to be applied and adjusted until the maximum voltage output is found. The best way for the electric field to go through the piezoelectric material is through shear stress. This brought about the Thickness Shear Mode Biosensor, in which there antibodies on a quartz(as piezoelectric material) and there is oscillator circuit in which the more mass there is, the lower the vibrations.





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  • Brian Cunningham (2013), "[Illinois] ECE 416 Acoustic Wave Sensors,"

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL


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