# US 11,079,359 B2 · Sensor system and method

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- Number: US 11,079,359 B2
- Document ID: US11079359B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/720,471
- Filed: 2019-12-19
- Published: 2020-04-23
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-07
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Joseph Alfred Iannotti; Christopher James Kapusta; David Richard Esler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079359B2

## CPC

- G01N 29/223: {Supports, positioning or alignment in fixed situation (mounting transducers per se G10K11/004)}
- G01D 11/245: {Housings for sensors}
- G01D 11/30: Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
- G01K 1/143: for measuring surface temperatures
- G01K 11/265: {using surface acoustic wave [SAW]}
- G01N 29/2443: {Quartz crystal probes}
- G01N 29/2462: {Probes with waveguides, e.g. SAW devices}
- G01N 29/2475: {Embedded probes, i.e. probes incorporated in objects to be inspected}
- G01N 2291/02827: Elastic parameters, strength or force
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00)

## Abstract

A system includes a structure bonding layer and a sensor. The structure bonding layer is disposed on a structure. The structure bonding layer is a metallic alloy. The sensor includes a non-metallic wafer and a sensor bonding layer disposed on a surface of the non-metallic wafer. The sensor bonding layer is a metallic alloy. The sensor bonding layer is coupled to the structure bonding layer via a metallic joint, and the sensor is configured to sense data of the structure through the metallic joint, the structure bonding layer, and the sensor bonding layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
an inlay disposed in a recess defined along a surface of a structure, wherein the inlay is a different material than a material of the structure surrounding the inlay;
a structure bonding layer disposed on an outer surface of the inlay, wherein the structure bonding layer is a metallic alloy; and
a sensor including a non-metallic wafer and a sensor bonding layer disposed on a surface of the non-metallic wafer, wherein the sensor bonding layer is a metallic alloy;
wherein the sensor bonding layer is coupled to the structure bonding layer via a metallic joint, and the sensor is configured to sense data of the structure through the metallic joint, the structure bonding layer, and the sensor bonding layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the non-metallic wafer is single crystal quartz.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the inlay is planar and the surface of the structure surrounding the inlay is curved.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the inlay projects beyond the surface of the structure surrounding the inlay such that the outer surface of the inlay is offset relative to the surface of the structure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the inlay includes copper.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the structure bonding layer includes tin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the structure bonding layer is one of electrolytic nickel gold or electroless nickel immersion gold (eNIG).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device and the data of the structure that is sensed by the sensor includes one or more of temperature data, stress data, or strain data.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the inlay comprises a metal foam.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the inlay includes more than 50% copper by weight.

### Claim 11

A method comprising:
depositing an inlay in a recess defined within a surface of a structure, wherein the inlay is a different material than a material of the structure surrounding the inlay;
disposing a structure bonding layer on an outer surface of the inlay, wherein the structure bonding layer is a metallic alloy;
disposing a sensor bonding layer on a surface of a non-metallic wafer of a sensor, wherein the sensor bonding layer is a metallic alloy; and
coupling the structure bonding layer to the sensor bonding layer via a metallic joint, wherein the sensor is configured to sense data of the structure through the metallic joint, the structure bonding layer, and the sensor bonding layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising grinding the inlay such that the outer surface of the inlay is planar prior to disposing the structure bonding layer on the outer surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the inlay includes copper and the structure bonding layer includes tin.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the inlay is deposited to project beyond the surface of the structure surrounding the inlay such that the outer surface of the inlay is offset relative to the surface of the structure.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the inlay comprises a metal foam.

### Claim 16

A system comprising:
a sensor including a sensor bonding layer disposed on a surface of the sensor, wherein the sensor bonding layer is a metallic alloy;
an inlay disposed on a curved surface of a structure, wherein the inlay comprises a metal foam and has a planar outer surface; and
a structure bonding layer disposed on the planar outer surface of the inlay, wherein the structure bonding layer is a metallic alloy,
wherein the sensor bonding layer is coupled to the structure bonding layer via a metallic joint, and the sensor is configured to sense data of the structure through the metallic joint, the structure bonding layer, and the sensor bonding layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the inlay projects beyond the curved surface of the structure surrounding the inlay such that the outer surface of the inlay is offset relative to the curved surface of the structure.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the inlay is a different material than a material of the structure surrounding the inlay.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the sensor is a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device that includes a single crystal quartz wafer, and the surface of the sensor on which the sensor bonding layer is deposited is a surface of the single crystal quartz wafer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the inlay extends into a recess defined along the curved surface of the structure.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the metal foam of the inlay has a modulus of elasticity no greater than 100 MPa.