High frequency SAW stabilized oscillators for chemical agents sensors

Abstract

The surface acoustic wave (SAW) chemical agents sensors usually operate in the oscillator feed-back configuration. It converts a molecular interactions between SAW surface and chemisensitive layer placed on it to relative easy to measurement electrical quantities (most often it is an operating frequency or phase change). Although in the SAW sensors the key role play chemisensitive coatings but nearly as important as the coatings are electronic circuits cooperating with SAW devices. The results of theoretical calculations show that the SAW sensors operating frequency increasing is profitable from the sensitivity point of view. Unfortunately, an advantageous sensitivity-frequency dependence is hard to apply because of decreasing of SAW device dimensions and thereby the area of the chemisensitive layer with the operating frequency. The smaller area of the layer, the smaller amount of detecting gas particles sorbed and the weakest response of the sensor. It is possible to avoid the problem using special constructions of SAW stabilised oscillators. In the paper such constructions have been described.