Nano-electro-mechanical labels and encoder
AssigneeUniversity of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsRoozbeh Tabrizian, Swarup Bhunia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Data is encoded for identification and labeling using a multitude of nano-electro-mechanical structures formed on a substrate. The number of such structures, their shapes, choice of materials, the spacing therebetween and the overall distribution of the structures result in a vibrational pattern or an acoustic signature that uniquely corresponds to the encoded data. A first group of the structures is formed in conformity with the design rules of a fabrication process used to manufacture the device that includes the structures. A second group of the structures is formed so as not to conform to the design rules and thereby to undergo variability as a result of the statistical variations that is inherent in the fabrication process.
Claims29
A device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of structures patterned on the substrate;
- a piezoelectric layer disposed on the plurality of structures;
- and
- an interdigital transducer layer formed above the piezoelectric layer;
- wherein a first subset of the plurality of structures is formed in conformity with patterning rules of a fabrication process used to manufacture the device, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of structures is formed in violation of the patterning rules such that the second subset of the plurality of structures exhibits a larger variation in patterning than a variation of the first subset of the plurality of structures.
A method of encoding data comprising:
- forming a first plurality of structures on a substrate, wherein the first plurality of structures is fabricated in conformity with patterning rules of a fabrication process;
- and
- forming a second plurality of structures in violation of the patterning rules such that the second plurality of structures exhibits a larger variation in patterning than a variation of the first plurality of structures;
- wherein an acoustic signature of the first plurality of structures represents a first portion of encoded data, and wherein an acoustic signature of the second plurality of structures represents a second portion of the encoded data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.