Abstract
This paper presents a micromachining process for lithium niobate (LiNbO3) material for the rapid prototyping of a resonant sensor design for medical devices applications. Laser micromachining was used to fabricate samples of lithium niobate material. A qualitative visual check of the surface was performed using scanning electron microscopy. The surface roughness was quantitatively investigated using an optical surface profiler. A surface roughness of 0.526 μm was achieved by laser micromachining. The performance of the laser-micromachined sensor has been examined in different working environments and different modes of operation. The sensor exhibits a Quality-factor (Q-factor) of 646 in a vacuum; and a Q-factor of 222 in air. The good match between the modelling and experimental results shows that the laser-micromachined sensor has a high potential to be used as a resonance biosensor.
Highlights
Transparent materials, such as lithium niobate, can be micromachined by Femtosecond laser micromachining technique [1]
A surface roughness of 0.526 μm was achieved by the laser micromachining
This work reported the micromachining of lithium niobate for the prototyping of a circular diaphragm resonant biosensor using laser micromachining
Summary
Transparent materials, such as lithium niobate, can be micromachined by Femtosecond laser micromachining technique [1]. Due to its pre-eminent optical, electronics, and physical properties, lithium niobate has a wide range of applications, such as optical devices, surface acoustic wave sensors, intensity modulator, and radio telecommunications [2,3]. Lithium niobate material is used widely in micro-electromechanical system MEMS applications due to its superior piezoelectric properties. The common microfabrication processes require a significant capital investment due to the use of clean room facilities. The ability to produce MEMS-based sensors using new micromachining techniques offers a low-cost and sustainable technology, provided production volumes are low. The high overhead costs associated with classical microfabrication results in the prototyping of designs typically costing in the range of £10,000 to £100,000 and with process flows not yet optimised for such designs
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