Adding Or Subtracting Mass Patents (Class 310/312)
  • Patent number: 6002195
    Abstract: The invention utilizes harmonics of certain clamped ultrasound transducers to generate ultrasound within the liquid of an ultrasonic tank and in a frequency range of between about 100 khz to 350 khz (i.e., "microsonic" frequencies). The application of microsonic frequencies to liquid preferably occurs simultaneously with a sweeping of the microsonic frequency within the transducer's harmonic bandwidth to reduce or eliminate (a) standing waves within the liquid, (b) other resonances, (c) high energy cavitation implosion, and (d) non-uniform sound fields, each of which is undesirable for cleaning and/or processing of semiconductor wafers and other delicate parts. The invention can also drive ultrasonic transducers such that the frequency of applied energy has a sweep rate within the ultrasonic bandwidth of the transducers; and that sweep rate is also varied so that the sweep rate is substantially non-constant during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Inventor: William L. Puskas
  • Patent number: 5986385
    Abstract: A vibration driven motor or actuator has a piezoelectric element, arranged in a vibrating member, for generating a vibration in a first direction, and another piezoelectric element, arranged in the vibrating member, for generating a vibration in a second direction different from the first direction. In the motor or actuator, the vibrating member has a recess portion which shaved e.g., by a laser, or a portion added with a mass, so that the natural frequencies of a given vibration mode of the vibrations in the first and second directions coincide or substantially coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akio Atsuta
  • Patent number: 5977687
    Abstract: A sensor for detection of a trace fluid component in a fluid environment, comprising: a piezoelectric crystal having a fundamental resonant frequency in response to an applied oscillating electric field; a coating on the piezoelectric crystal of a sensor material which is reactive with the trace fluid component to yield a solid interaction product of changed mass in relation to initial mass of the sensor material interacting with the trace fluid component to yield the solid interaction product; means for applying an oscillating electric field to the piezoelectric crystal which generates an output resonant frequency therefrom; means for (i) sampling the output resonant frequency of the piezoelectric crystal while the oscillating electric field is applied thereto, (ii) determining the change in resonant frequency from the fundamental resonant frequency that occurs on formation of the solid interaction product when the sensor material interacts with the trace fluid component in the fluid environment, and (iii) g
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn M. Tom, Cynthia A. Miller
  • Patent number: 5969463
    Abstract: An energy trapping piezoelectric device trapping a thickness vibration into projections which suppress a reflection of a vibration from end portions of electrodes provided substantially on a piezoelectric plate, and which suppress unnecessary spurious vibrations, low impedance and higher frequency, and a method of easily producing such a piezoelectric device are provided. The piezoelectric device has an energy trapping projection provided over a piezoelectric plate, and a top electrode is divided into a exciting electrode and dummy electrode. A small gap is provided between the divided electrodes, and the electrodes are electrically insulated from each other. The thickness vibration is not generally reflected, and vibrating energies due to the thickness vibrations are substantially trapped into the projections provided on the piezoelectric plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Tomita, Tetsuyoshi Ogura, Atsushi Komatsu, Shinji Itamochi
  • Patent number: 5932953
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting material bound on a surface of a piezoelectric resonator introduces a signal of a constant frequency through the sensing resonator and detects a change in the insertion phase shift of the resonator as a result of the binding of the material being detected on the surface of the resonator. Environmental effects on the measurement are effectively canceled by the use of a reference resonator driven by the same input signal. A multiple-port sensing device is provided which includes thin-film sensing and reference resonators monolithically formed on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis M. Drees, Howard R. Shanks, Richard A. Van Deusen, Allen R. Landin
  • Patent number: 5920146
    Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator (10) with electrodes (14) having a periodic pattern (28) along a portion of an edge (30) of at least one of the electrodes (26). The periodic pattern (28) has a periodicity that destructively interferes with the undesirable vibrational mode. For example, a rectangular AT-cut quartz resonator, which vibrates in a thickness-shear mode may also possess undesirable flexure and face-shear modes. These modes not only present undesirable spurious frequencies, they also change over temperature, disturbing a frequency-temperature response (16) of the quartz crystal. The periodic pattern (28) substantially reduces these undesirable modes, providing a more uniform frequency-temperature response which is beneficial in temperature compensated crystal oscillator applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola Inc.
    Inventors: Beverly A. Carroll, Weiping Zhang, Sang Kim
  • Patent number: 5918354
    Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator is provided which is formed of an element piece. This element piece further includes a piezoelectric material and an electrode formed on the surface of the piezoelectric material. A plug for mounting the element piece and a case for housing said element piece in an air-tight manner are also provided. The surface of the element piece is coated with a resin film formed from an excited active species of an organic compound generated through a gas discharge in a predetermined discharge gas at approximately atmospheric pressure. A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric resonator is also provided, which comprises the steps of first mounting the element piece on the plug. Next, a gas discharge in a predetermined discharge gas is produced at approximately atmospheric pressure and an excited active species of an organic compound which is a liquid or a gas at room temperature is generated as a result of this gas discharge in a gas discharge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasumitsu Ikegami, Takuya Miyakawa
  • Patent number: 5889351
    Abstract: A viscosity measuring device is equipped with a piezo-electric vibrator, an oscillator and a loss factor monitoring means. The elastic properties of the piezo-electric vibrator and the viscous resistance of the fluid are controlled so that the tangent of loss factor of the piezo-electric vibrator may change largely enough to measure the viscosity. The characteristics measuring device is equipped with a first ceramic plate, a piezo-electric element sandwiched between a pair of electrodes attached to one surface of this first ceramic plate, a second ceramic plate having a hollow portion therein sintered integrally with the first ceramic plate, and a lid disposed so as to sandwich the second ceramic plate between the lid and the first ceramic plate and so as to face the other surface of the first ceramic plate. The amount of a glass component on the other surface of the first ceramic plate is regulated to be smaller than that of the glass component on the one surface of the first ceramic plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidemasa Okumura, Kazuyoshi Shibata, Yukihisa Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 5869763
    Abstract: A quartz crystal resonator is excited in two different modes at the same time such that the mass change and the temperature change can be measured independently. In using such a quartz crystal the change in mass can be calculated accurately and in real time, independent of temperature effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: John R. Vig, Raymond L. Filler
  • Patent number: 5850166
    Abstract: Multiple piezoelectric ceramic filter elements have different center frequencies from each other and are cascade connected together. The piezoelectric ceramic filter elements satisfy the condition 0<.vertline.dF.sub.0 .vertline./BW.sub.3 <0.8; where .vertline.dF.sub.0 .vertline. is the absolute value of the frequency difference dF.sub.0 between the center frequencies, and BW.sub.3 is the band width of each piezoelectric ceramic filter element in which the amplitude loss is 3 dB or less. A low insertion loss and an improvement in the group delay characteristics are compatible at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Ikuo Katoh, Tsuyoshi Momiyama
  • Patent number: 5850117
    Abstract: A vibration actuator is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped elastic member of which a surface bears electromechanical converting elements adhered thereto and a relative moving member maintained in pressure contact with the other surface of the elastic member. A driving voltage is applied to excite the electromechanical converting elements to generate, in the elastic member, a longitudinal vibration vibrating in a plane parallel to the surface of the elastic member contacting the relative moving member and a bending vibration vibrating in a direction crossing the contacting surface, thereby generating a relative motion between the elastic member and the relative moving member. The elastic member has working portions for adjusting the difference of the resonance frequencies of the longitudinal and bending vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Michihiro Tobe, Tadao Takagi
  • Patent number: 5828159
    Abstract: A resonator device having an insulating substrate, a strip-shaped vibrating element which is mounted on said insulating substrate and is provided with driving electrodes formed on the main opposing surfaces of a piezoelectric substrate, and terminal electrodes which are provided on said insulating substrate so as to be electrically connected with said driving electrodes and to which driving signals are applied by an external signal source. At least the longitudinal side portions of said vibrating element are coated with a surface active agent. With such a constitution, fluctuations in resonant resistance which are due to the excitation level can be suppressed, thereby contributing to the stable operation of the device, reducing the number of producing steps, and raising the yield rate in production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Miyagawa, Masanori Yachi
  • Patent number: 5814525
    Abstract: A piezoelectric biosensor substrate useful for immobilizing biomolecules in an oriented manner on the surface of a piezoelectric sensor has a ladder polymer of polyacrylonitrile. To make the substrate, a solution of an organic polymer, preferably polyacrylonitrile, is applied to the surface of a piezoelectric sensor. The organic polymer is modifying by heating the polymer in a controlled fashion in air such that a ladder polymer is produced which, in turn, forms the attachment point for the biomolecules comprising the piezoelectric biosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford L. Renschler, Christine A. White, Robert M. Carter
  • Patent number: 5773912
    Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator has oscillating electrodes disposed on opposite major surfaces of a piezoelectric substrate, which oscillating electrodes are arranged so as to extend from respective opposite ends of the piezoelectric substrate to a central portion of the piezoelectric substrate so that the central portions of the oscillating electrodes overlap with each other, with the oscillating substrate sandwiched between the oscillating electrodes. Oscillation buffer materials are disposed on portions of the opposite major surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate, which portions are displaced by the third harmonic oscillation having a frequency which is substantially equal to about three times the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Saeki, Yoshiharu Kuroda
  • Patent number: 5761781
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric ceramic resonator, comprising the steps a of preparing a piezoelectric ceramic plate, polarizing the piezoelectric ceramic plate, and adjusting an anti-resonance frequency of the piezoelectric ceramic plate, by lapping the same to adjust its thickness while measuring the anti-resonance frequency thereof. Preferably a homogeneous material is used as the piezoelectric ceramic plate in this manufacturing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Teragaki
  • Patent number: 5753518
    Abstract: A method of determining the affinity and kinetic properties of low molecular weight ligands for their interaction with a common receptor comprises the steps of immobilizing the receptor on a sensing structure, mixing in known proportions each ligand with a ligand analogue the response of which on the sensing structure is substantially higher than that of the low molecular weight ligands, contacting each mixture with the sensing structure and measuring the response, and comparing the response of each mixture with that of the ligand analogue alone, the distortion of the ligand analogue response being representative of the affinity and kinetic properties of the ligand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Pharmacia AB
    Inventor: Robert Karlsson
  • Patent number: 5736911
    Abstract: In a piezoelectric resonator 11 in which resonance electrodes 13 and 14 are formed on both major surfaces of a rectangular plane piezoelectric plate 12 and which utilizes stretching vibration along the short side of the piezoelectric plate 12, notches 15 and 16 are partially formed on the long sides of the piezoelectric plate 12, respectively in order to increase the resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5728583
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining an abnormal component of blood functions is described. A whole blood sample is cycled as a laminar flow through a flow cell having a measuring element prepared by plating the surface of a plate-shaped quartz oscillator with a protein layer. The amount of adhesion of the blood component on the protein layer is determined on the basis of the change in resonance frequency of the measuring element. The measured value is compared with a standard value of adhesion for blood from a healthy individual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Jeol, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiko Kawakami, Yoshiyuki Harada, Tadashi Sakon, Yutaka Kishida, Yasuo Ikeda
  • Patent number: 5708320
    Abstract: A vibratory gyroscope including an elongated vibrator having a central (neutral) axis (Y-axis), a drive unit for deforming the first direction such that the vibrator vibrates in a first (X) direction, an added mass attached to the vibrator at a position offset from the central axis in a second (Z) direction, and a detector formed on the vibrator. Rotation of the vibratory gyroscope about the second (Z) direction during vibration in the second direction causes Coriolis force to acting on the added mass in a direction parallel to the central axis. Because the added mass is offset from the central axis, a resulting vibration in the second (Z) direction is produced, which is detected by the detector. With this arrangement, the central axis of the vibrator is placed in parallel with the surface of rotation of the rotating system. Thus, rotations about two or three axes in each direction can be detected in such a manner that noise generation is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignees: Alps Electric Co., Ltd, Yoshiro Tomikawa
    Inventors: Kazumasa Ohnishi, Akira Satoh, Yoshiro Tomikawa
  • Patent number: 5705399
    Abstract: A chemical sensor for measuring a change in the sensor mass relating to the interaction of a surface of the sensor with a solution comprises a crystal detector oscillator capable of providing a measurement signal based upon the resonant frequency of the crystal detector oscillator. The crystal detector oscillator has a first crystal side for directly contacting the solution, and a second crystal side isolated from contacting the solution. A first electrode is integral to the first crystal side, with the first electrode having an inner and outer perimeter defining an outer portion of the first crystal side which is exterior to the outer perimeter of the first electrode and an inner portion of the first crystal side which is interior to the inner perimeter of the first electrode. A second electrode is integral to the second crystal side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: The Cooper Union for Advancement of Science and Art
    Inventor: Rebecca A. Larue
  • Patent number: 5692279
    Abstract: A monolithic thin film resonator, lattice filter including spaced apart strips of a conductive film positioned on a substrate so as to define a first set of I/O terminals, a layer of piezoelectric material positioned on the conductive film, and spaced apart conductive strips of a conductive film positioned on the piezoelectric layer orthogonal to the first strips to form cross-over areas, each defining a thin film resonator and a second set of I/O terminals. A plurality of portions of a dielectric film are positioned on selected cross-over areas to mass load the thin film resonators so as to lower the resonant frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Motorola
    Inventors: Luke Mang, Fred S. Hickernell, Robert G. Kinsman
  • Patent number: 5629472
    Abstract: A vibrating cylindrical rate sensor (10) is mechanically balanced and mode aligned with respect to the vibrating portion of the sensor (10) by removing material from a vibrating portion of the vibrating cylinder (34) after the drive and pick-off transducers (30, 32, 30a, 18, 20) are fixed to the vibrating portion of the vibrating cylinder (34) of the cylindrical rate sensor (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: British Aerospace Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Malcolm P. Varnham, James McInnes
  • Patent number: 5595908
    Abstract: A system for detecting polynucleotide hybridization is disclosed. A polynucleotide is immobilized on a surface of a piezoelectric crystal. The resonance frequency of the piezoelectric crystal is measured through means for determining the resonant frequency of a piezoelectric crystal. A separate source of polynucleotide is exposed to the polynucleotide-coated piezoelectric crystal for a sufficient length of time and under conditions suitable for hybridization. The resonance frequency of the crystal is then again measured, and the difference between the resonance frequency before and after the incubation period will indicate the extent of hybridization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: University of Southern Mississipi
    Inventors: Newton C. Fawcett, Jeffrey A. Evans
  • Patent number: 5587620
    Abstract: An acoustical resonator comprising top and bottom electrodes that sandwich a PZ layer. The resonance frequency of the acoustical resonator may be adjusted after fabrication by utilizing heating elements included in the acoustical resonator and/or by adjusting the thickness of a tuning layer. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electrodes comprise Mo layers. One embodiment of the present invention is constructed on a Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 membrane. A second embodiment of the present invention is constructed such that it is suspended over a substrate on metallic columns. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electrodes are deposited by a method that minimizes the stress in the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Richard C. Ruby, Paul P. Merchant
  • Patent number: 5568001
    Abstract: A surface acoustic wave device (100), includes a piezoelectric substrate (105) having a surface acoustic wave structure with an acoustic region (130). An acoustic element (115) disposed in a portion (110) of the acoustic region (130), has a different mass loading than an acoustic element (122) disposed in another portion (120) of the acoustic region (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger A. Davenport
  • Patent number: 5495135
    Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator (10) with an attenuated spurious response. The resonator (10) includes a piezoelectric crystal plate (12) having opposite surfaces (14, 16), an electrode (18, 24) positioned and overlying relationship on each of the opposite surfaces (14, 16), the electrodes (18, 24) being substantially coextensive and opposite, and providing a primary frequency mode of operation and spurious modes upon suitable energization, and a number of mass loading structures (34) on at least one of the surfaces (14, 16) substantially surrounding at least one of the electrodes (18, 24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Zimnicki, Kevin Haas, Iyad Alhayek
  • Patent number: 5478756
    Abstract: A chemical sensor includes a piezoelectric support (1) capable of supporting a shear horizontal wave provided on its surface with an electrode (2,3). The sensor is characterized in that the surface of the piezoelectric support (1) including the region bearing the electrode (2,3) is covered by a layer of dielectric material (9) of thickness 0.5 to 20 microns. The piezoelectric support (1) is preferably a single crystal. The dielectric layer (1) may be of, for example, silicon dioxide or a suitable polymer, and preferably has a thickness of between 0.5 and 5 .mu.m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignees: Fisons plc, GEC Marfoni Limited
    Inventors: Electra Gizeli, Adrian C. Stevenson
  • Patent number: 5469010
    Abstract: A method of adjusting a frequency-to-temperature coefficient of an NS-GT cut quartz resonator comprises providing a coupling resonator having a first order temperature coefficient .alpha..sub.+. A normalized frequency .delta. of the coupled vibrational modes is then calculated according to the relationship .alpha..sub.+ =m.delta.+n, where m and n are constants. The normalized frequency .delta. is then adjusted according to the relationship .alpha..sub.+ =m.delta.+n to set the first order temperature coefficient to substantially zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Seiko Electronic Components Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 5424601
    Abstract: An electronic circuit including a frequency-selective part including a piezoelectric crystal and an inductance; The crystal is shaped relative to its crystal axes in such a way that its temperature coefficient and the temperature coefficient of the inductance have opposite signs in order to reduce the influence temperature on the pulling range of the frequency-selective part of the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Gustaaf E. Arnolds, Jan W. Ooijman
  • Patent number: 5422532
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an energy trap type piezo-resonator (11) utilizing a thickness shear vibration mode, which is prepared by forming electrodes (13, 14) on both major surfaces of a piezoelectric substrate (12) and providing dynamic damper parts (17, 18) being held between grooves (15a, 15b; 16a, 16b) for preventing leakage of vibration from a vibrating part opposing the electrodes (13, 14) to each other to end portions of the piezoelectric substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Inoue, Hiroaki Kaida
  • Patent number: 5414320
    Abstract: A vibrating gyroscope is mounted on a cutting device. The vibrating gyroscope is heated by halogen lamps, and a drift due to temperature variation is measured by a drift measuring device. Resonance frequencies in plural directions of the vibrating gyroscope are measured by a frequency measuring device. A cutting quantity of a vibrating body of the vibrating gyroscope is calculated from the drift due to a temperature variation and a difference of plural resonance frequencies by a control device. The cutting quantity of the vibrating body is decided by deliberating the cutting quantity obtained experientially. When the cutting quantity of the vibrating body is decided, rotating bar files are pressed against the vibrating body responsive thereto, thereby the vibrating body is cut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tasuku Mashio
  • Patent number: 5376853
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electroacoustic transducer which comprises a diaphragm including an elastic plate, an added mass secured to a center portion of the elastic plate. The added mass has a contact portion, which contacts the elastic plate and is shaped to provide a portion to allow for deformation of the elastic plate within an imaginary circle defined by connecting an outer surface portion of the contact portion. Thus, the contact portion can provide a deformable elastic-plate portion within that circle. In other words, it is possible to accomplish such a structure obtained as if by connecting different springs having different spring characteristics, located outside and inside the circle. This structure can suppress and stabilize a variation in resonance frequency (f.sub.0) caused by a change in the amplitude of the diaphragm. The follow-up reproducibility of an output to an input is thus improved enough to cope with the case of using the electroacoustic transducer for AM sounds or attenuating sounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: Star Micronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isao Fushimi
  • Patent number: 5374521
    Abstract: A passive process for selectively sensing analyte molecules in a fluid by reflection of acoustic waves from a sensing surface of a bulk accoustive wave quartz sensing device to which analyte molecules bind is provided. The sensing surface has a plurality of receptors for which analyte molecules have an affinity. The process has the following steps:i) contacting a fluid in which analyte molecules are suspected with the sensing surface so that acoustic waves are reflected from the sensing surface;ii) directing acoustic waves at the sensing surface; andiii) detecting a change in a characteristic of acoustic waves reflected from the sensing surface due to analyte molecules binding the receptors. The change in a reflected acoustic wave characteristic being measured by electrical means detecting values which are related to the amplitude and phase of the reflected acoustic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Inventors: Arlin L. Kipling, Michael Thompson
  • Patent number: 5334303
    Abstract: A quartz crystal resonator is utilized to effect evaluation of the viscoelastic characteristic of a film deposited on an electrode by an electrochemical reaction. The quartz crystal resonator is connected to a resonator characteristic measurement unit comprised of an oscillating circuit, a frequency counter, and an amplitude level meter. An electrochemical measurement unit in the form of a potentiostat is connected to a working electrode which comprises one of the electrodes of the resonator, to a reference electrode and to a counter electrode. The frequency counter, the amplitude level meter and the potentiostat are connected to a CPU. The resonator, reference electrode and counter electrode are all immersed in an electrolyte solution in an electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Muramatsu, Xuanjing Ye
  • Patent number: 5306644
    Abstract: A system for accurate and precise measurements of analyte(s) in a system. The measurement system comprises piezoelectric surface wave sample devices, at least one piezoelectric surface wave reference device, and the measurement instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Carl A. Myerholtz, May Tom-Moy, Darlene J. Spira-Solomon, Richard L. Baer, Thomas P. Doherty
  • Patent number: 5283496
    Abstract: A thickness, shear crystal resonator and a method of manufacturing therefor in which a natural crystal surface is appeared on at least a part of surfaces of crystal plate thereof to the extent that the part is made substantially transparent, the impedance of the crystal resonator is made small thereby and a large Q factor can be obtained. And, there is found no dip in the temperature characteristics of the impedance and the vibrating frequency of the crystal resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1994
    Assignee: Asahi Dempa Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoaki Hayashi, Isao Mutai
  • Patent number: 5283037
    Abstract: A sensor suitable for use as a viscosity sensor, a chemically selective sensor, or a chemically specific sensor. The sensor is a surface transverse wave (STW) or Love Wave device that, for solute concentration measurements, includes a chemically reactive layer selected to react with the solute to be measured. The surface trapping structure in this device can include dielectric material either as a protective coating or as the core material of the surface trapping structure. The substrate material and cut are selected so that only shear horizontal acoustic waves are produced. Nonpiezoelectric portions of this device can be utilized in the region in which chemicals react the sensor and/or in the region in which energy is converted between electrical and acoustical forms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1994
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Richard L. Baer, Curt Flory
  • Patent number: 5245245
    Abstract: An electronic device (100) includes a housing (222) and a piezo-bender (400). The piezo-bender (400) includes a metal beam (402) having at least a portion of a surface mechanically coupled to a piezo-ceramic layer (304). The piezo-bender (400) is flexibly coupled to the housing (222) at an end of the metal beam (402) forming a cantilever structure. A vibratable body (404) is mechanically coupled to the other end of the metal beam (402). A tuning slide (604) is slidably coupled to the piezo-bender (400) for mechanically tuning the resonant frequency of vibration of the piezo-bender (400) by varying the length of the piezo-bender (400) that can vibrate. An electrical drive circuit (708) is electrically coupled to the piezo-bender (400) for electrically driving the piezo-bender (400) with a drive signal to generate vibratory motion in the piezo-bender (400) for providing a vibratory alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael P. Goldenberg
  • Patent number: 5235135
    Abstract: In-situ adjustments to frequency characteristics of an electronic device such as a piezoelectric element (40) can be accomplished by means of a predetermined atmosphere (18) enclosed within a package comprised of a base (12) and a cover (14) and an included amount of sputterable electrode material (22). By attachment of appropriate electric potentials (2), electrode molecules can be sputtered onto the electrode surfaces adjusting the resonant frequency characteristics of a crystal filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Knecht, Brian M. Mancini, Joseph P. Krause
  • Patent number: 5233261
    Abstract: An AT-cut quartz crystal for a quartz crystal microbalance has a buffer layer sandwiched between an adhesion layer and an electrode layer on the front or deposition side of the crystal. The buffer layer can be a zinc layer of 6000 .ANG. sandwiched between a titanium or chromium adhesion layer of 100 to 160 .ANG. and a gold, silver, or aluminum outer electrode layer of about 2000 .ANG.. The zinc layer has a relatively low bulk modulus, and absorbs stress imposed by the deposited layer. The buffer layer prolongs useful crystal life, particularly when depositing dielectric materials. The crystal should have a modest surface roughness as keying-in structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Leybold Inficon Inc.
    Inventor: Abdul Wajid
  • Patent number: 5179028
    Abstract: A sensor for detecting the presence of a particular chemical by determining the absolute frequency shift in the oscillating frequency of an antibody-coated oscillator. Specific antibodies deposited on a high Q crystal oscillator detect the change in frequency as chemical particulates become trapped by the antibodies and change the effective mass of the crystal. In one embodiment, two oscillating crystals are used, one that has been coated with the antibodies, and one that is uncoated. This permits detection of frequency differences between the oscillating frequencies of the two crystals, thus eliminating pressure, temperature, and humidity corrections that conventionally must be made. The sensor maintains a high specificity by using antibodies that are specifically related to the chemical to be detected, while achieving relatively good sensitivity by using high Q oscillators, such as quartz or sapphire, and eliminating drift problems due to temperature, pressure, and humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Victor Vali, Kenn S. Bates, David B. Chang, Brian M. Pierce
  • Patent number: 5168191
    Abstract: In a process of producing crystal resonators in which the direction and magnitude of the gamma vector is substantially the same for each resonator, a method of altering the resonator during the process to change the resonator mass, shape, or electrode placement so as to reduce the gamma vector magnitude of each crystal. This alteration may be done by adding mass, removing mass, or both adding and removing mass, or by positioning the electrodes to selectively position the electric field in the crystal, all in order to move the location of the active region of vibration and thereby reduce the gamma vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: Quartztronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Errol P. EerNisse, Roger W. Ward, O. Lew Wood
  • Patent number: 5144184
    Abstract: A micromechanical device having a frequency trimmable, resonant structure, including a semiconductor substrate forming a support frame. First and second flexures flexibly couple and support a structure within the support frame, to permit rotation with a resonant frequency about a first axis which passes through the flexures. First and second elongated openings located proximate the first and second flexures form first and second tension relief beams adjacent the flexures, for providing stress relief of the tensile forces between the resonant structure and the flexures, and for establishing and trimming the resonant frequency of the resonant structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Greiff
  • Patent number: 5138214
    Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer arranged to allow the adjustment of its oscillation frequency. The piezoelectric transducer comprises a piezoelectric member which is encased in an airtight housing having at least one portion which allows transmission of light. The piezoelectric member has on its surfaces electrodes and is coupled to one end portions of electrical conductors the other end portions of which extend toward the external of said airtight housing. Also housed in the airtight housing is a deposition member which is evaporated in response to illumination of a light beam. The deposition member is provided so as to face the light-transmitting portion of the airtight housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Nakai, Junji Tanaka, Yukio Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 5130680
    Abstract: A small ladder-type electric filter for use in radio equipment or the like, includes a casing, a plurality of resonators having a small mechanical quality coefficient and a frequency constant, and a plurality of resonators having a large mechanical quality coefficient. The small mechanical quality coefficient resonators and the large mechanical quality coefficient resonators being combined in series-parallel to each other. The external size of the large mechanical quality coefficient resonators is substantially equal to the external size of the small mechanical quality coefficient resonators. A plurality of terminal plates hold the plurality of small and large mechanical quality coefficient resonators in the casing. Slits are selectively formed in side edges of each of the plurality of large mechanical quality coefficient resonators for adjusting the resonance frequency of the large mechanical quality coefficient resonators to a predetermined resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takesumi Nagai, Shoji Shimizu
  • Patent number: 5117146
    Abstract: Solid-state acoustic sensors for monitoring conditions at a surface immersed in a liquid and for monitoring concentrations of species in a liquid and for monitoring electrical properties of a liquid are formed by placing interdigital input and output transducers on a piezoelectric substrate and propagating acoustic plate modes therebetween. The deposition or removal of material on or from, respectively, a thin film in contact with the surface, or changes in the mechanical properties of a thin film in contact with the surface, or changes in the electrical characteristics of the solution, create perturbations in the velocity and attenuation of the acoustic plate modes as a function of these properties or changes in them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Stephen J. Martin, Antonio J. Ricco
  • Patent number: 5109175
    Abstract: A monolithic resonator structure for a vibrating beam force sensor, comprising an accelerometer and pressure transducer, is provided which comprises an outer structure including a mounting structure, a force transfer structure, a plurality of flexure beams extending between the mounting and force transfer structures; and an inner structure including a vibrating beam extending between the mounting structure and the force transfer structure. The monolithic resonator is non-planar in that the outer structure has a thickness greater than said inner structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Lucas Schaevitz Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Albert
  • Patent number: 5045745
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a piezoelectric beam of a dual-axis angular rate sensor, in which the piezoelectric beam is excited in a direction at right angles to the lengthwise direction of two piezoelectric sensors and to a rotary shaft; detected voltages of the two piezoelectric sensors are measured by a signal measuring circuit; a bending portion of at least one of the two piezoelectric sensors is ground so that the levels of the two measured signals and the difference therebetween become small; the piezoelectric beam is excited again in the lengthwise direction of the piezoelectric sensors at right angles to the rotary shaft; detected voltages of the two piezoelectric sensors are measured by the signal measuring circuit; and a weight mounted on the free end of at least one of the two piezoelectric sensors is ground so that the levels of the two measured signals and the difference therebetween become small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
    Inventors: Kaneyuki Umemoto, Toshio Tamura, Teruo Yano
  • Patent number: 5032755
    Abstract: A method and arrangement for providing damping of undesired modes of piezoelectric vibrators is disclosed that eliminates the tedious and often inaccurate methods of known mass-loading techniques. Instead, the arrangement relies on physically altering a controlled amount of the piezoelectric material located at a predetermined point to effect the selective damping needed to minimize the undesired responses and to minimally interfere with the desired mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert S. Witte
  • Patent number: 5022130
    Abstract: In a process of producing crystal resonators in which the direction and magnitude of the gamma vector is substantially the same for each resonator, a method of altering the resonator during the process to change the resonator mass, shape, or electrode placement so as to reduce the gamma vector magnitude of each crystal. This alteration may be done by adding mass, removing mass, or both adding and removing mass, or by positioning the electrodes to selectively position the electric field in the crystal, all in order to move the location of the active region of vibration and thereby reduce the gamma vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Assignee: Quartztronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Errol P. EerNisse, Roger W. Ward, O. Lew Wood