High Temperature Microwave Acoustic Sensors for Aerospace Vehicle Health Management

Funding agency: DEPSCoR Air Force Research Office

The Behavior and Properties of LGX Crystals at High Temperature (150 C to 900 C)

Funding agency: Petroleum Research Funds-Acoustical Chemical Society

Battery-Free Wireless Communication System for Harsh Environments

Funding agency: Maine Space Grant Consortium MSGC/NASA

Explosives Tracking: A Microsystem for Detection of Bacterial Endospores as Self-Replicating Nucleic Acid Taggants

Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors for Turbine Engines

Funding agency: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

SST: Integrated Fluorocarbon Microsensor System Using Catalytic Modification

Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)

SENSORS: Detecting Microbial Pathogens with Novel Surface Acoustic Wave Devices in Liquid Environments

Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)

CAREER: Acoustic Wave Filters for High Frequency Wireless Communcation Applications

Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Development of a Lunar Outpost Wireless Monitoring and Analysis System (LOWMAS) for the Lunar Outpost Research and Educational Demonstrator

Funding agency: Maine Space Grant Consortium MSGC/NASA

Acoustic Wave Filters for High Frequency Wireless Communication Applications

Wireless communications is the technique employed in systems such as cell phones, LANs and mobile communication. In recent years, a very crowded wireless frequency band has created a need to expand the band to higher frquencies. Current technology employing SAW devices in critical signal procesing elements, such as RF filters, cannot be utilized in high frequency systems applications. The application of newly discoveredhigh velocity pseudo surface acoustic waves (HVPSAWs) has teh potential of satisfying high frequency requirements of today.This research focuses on an high radio frequency microwave acoustic devices, such as filters in wireless communications using HVPSAWs. The research objective is to identify piezoelectric materials and specific orientations in which HVPSAWs exist, and design, and fabricate and test prototype HVPSAw filters . . . [More]


SGER : Detection of Bioterrorism-Linked Microbial Pathogens Using Surface Acoustic Wave Liquid Sensors

Bioterrorism threats require sensors that can rapidly and accurately detect minute quantities of pathological bioagents. Selective and inexpensive sensors are urgently needed to detect pathogens in liquid environments like food and water supplies. This project involving Dr. Pereira da Cunha and Dr. Millard (department of chemical and biological engineering) brings together expertise from 2 different areas into a new exploratory application that highly relevant to bioterrorism threats. The research combines molecular padlock probes for specific nucleic acid amplification with the SH-SAW (Shear Horizontal Surface Acoustic Wave (SH) SAW mode device utilizing the new Langasite family of crystals (LGX) recently fabricated by Dr. pereira daCunha) sensor platform to produce a hybrid biosensor to detect microbialpathogens in liquid quickly and reliably. . . . [More]


Temperature Compensated Cuts on GaPO4 for Extreme Temperature Applications

This project is part of the Collaboration Agreement established between the University of Maine and Linear Measurements, Inc. on the analysis of Temperature Compensated Cuts on GaPO4 for Extreme Temperature Applications. The general scope of this work is to investigate the temperature performance of GaPO4 for acoustic wave applications for temperatures far away from room temperature, thus outside of what is considered commercial practice.The specific tasks to be developed at UM are 1)Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Propagation Directions Analyses And Predictions At Extreme Temperatures 2)On wafer fabrication of SAW devices 3)2.3.On wafer SAW device measurements from 5-300 C temperature range. . . . [More]


High Temperature Oscillator and Digital Clock

The purpose of this proposal is to look at new materials for fabrication of SAW resonators that can have a sustained operation in the 200 oC to 300 oC temperature ranges. This work will investigate the use of quartz and the langasite family of available crystals for substrate material and will investigate metallization that can maintain its mechanical and electrical integrity at these temperatures. The application is for high temperature clocks that use SAW resonators as their frequency control element. The clocks will be used in geothermal and oil well environments. . . . [More]


New Acoustic Wave Materials for High Temperature Chemical Sensors

The main objective in the proposed Seed Grant research is to study the feasibility of the LGX family of crystals to operate at temperatures up to 600 oC and serve as acoustic wave materials for sensing applications. Such devices aim at fulfilling the current NASA needs of quick response, point contact H2, CxHy, NOx, CO, CO2, and O2 sensors for safety monitoring, emission monitoring, and fire detection. These sensors are particularly important in improving safety, decreasing the cost of space travel, and decreasing the amount of emissions produced by aeronautic engines. . . . [More]