Surface acoustic wave sensor assembly
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorChuang-Chia Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor device that includes an integrated sensor assembly having a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor disposed on a piezoelectric substrate. The SAW sensor is adapted to measure an environmental condition of an environment in response to an RF signal. The SAW sensor includes an interdigitated transducer (IDT) formed on a substrate having at least a layer of a piezoelectric material. The SAW sensor includes either one or more SAW reflectors of a second IDT formed on the piezoelectric material. The SAW sensor further includes an RF antenna formed on the piezoelectric material. The SAW sensor and the RF antenna are integrated with one another on the piezoelectric material.
Claims20
A method for fabricating a sensor device, comprising:
- fabricating a first integrated sensor assembly by:
- depositing a first conductive structure onto a piezoelectric substrate, the first conductive structure forming a radio frequency (RF) antenna;
- depositing a second conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the second conductive structure forming matching circuitry coupled to the RF antenna;
- depositing a third conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the third conductive structure forming a first interdigitated transducer (IDT) coupled to the RF antenna, wherein the IDT is a component of a first surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor;
- and
- depositing a fourth conductive structure onto the piezoelectric substrate, the fourth conductive structure forming one at least one of (a) one or more SAW reflectors or (b) a second IDT.
A method for fabricating a sensor device, comprising:
- fabricating a first surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor on a substrate by:
- depositing a first conductive structure onto the substrate, the first conductive structure forming a first interdigitated transducer (IDT), the first IDT having a first arrangement of digits to generate a first SAW responsive to receiving a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a first frequency range, and
- depositing a second conductive structure onto the substrate, the second conductive structure forming a first RF antenna communicatively coupled to the first IDT;
- and
- fabricating a second SAW sensor on the substrate by:
- depositing a third conductive structure onto the substrate, the third conductive structure forming a second IDT, the second IDT having a second arrangement of digits, and
- depositing a fourth conductive structure onto the substrate, the fourth conductive structure forming a second RF antenna communicatively coupled to the second IDT.
A system comprising:
- a processing chamber;
- one or more RF antenna to transmit a first RF signal within the processing chamber and to receive a second RF signal propagating from within the processing chamber;
- and
- a sensor wafer disposed within the processing chamber, the sensor wafer comprising:
- at least a layer of a piezoelectric material;
- and
- a first integrated sensor assembly comprising:
- a first surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor disposed on at least the layer of the piezoelectric material, wherein the first SAW sensor is adapted to measure an environmental condition of an environment located within the processing chamber responsive to receiving the first RF signal and to output the second RF signal having data associated with the measured environmental condition, wherein the first SAW sensor comprises:
- a first interdigitated transducer (IDT) formed on a first region of the piezoelectric material, the first IDT to generate a first SAW based on the environmental condition, responsive to receiving the first RF signal;
- and
- at least one of a) one or more SAW reflectors communicatively coupled to the first IDT and formed on a second region of the piezoelectric material or b) a second IDT formed on a third region of the piezoelectric material;
- and
- an RF antenna formed on a fourth region of the piezoelectric material;
- wherein the first SAW sensor and the RF antenna are integrated with one another on the piezoelectric material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.