Sensing liquid density using resonant flexural plate wave devices with sol–gel PZT thin films

Abstract

This study presents the design, fabrication and possible applications in liquid density sensing and biosensing of a flexure plate wave (FPW) resonator using sol–gel-derived lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films. The resonator has a two-port structure with a reflecting grating on a composite membrane of PZT and SiNx. The design of the reflecting grating is derived from a SAW resonator model using COM theory to generate a sharp resonant peak. A comparison between the theoretical mass and the viscosity effects reveals the applications and the constraints of the proposed device in liquid sensing. Multiple coatings of sol–gel-derived PZT films are employed because of the cost advantage and the strong electromechanical coupling effect over other piezoelectric films. Issues of fabrication of the proposed material structure are addressed. Theoretical estimates of the mass and the viscosity effects are compared with the experimental values. The resonant frequency relates quite linearly to the density of low-viscosity liquids, revealing the feasibility of the proposed device.