Magnetoelastic sensor for characterizing properties of thin-film/coatings

US6688162B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• University of Kentucky Research Foundation · US

Inventors

• Leonidas G. Bachas · Lexington, US
• Gary Barrett · Coldwater, US
• Craig A. Grimes · Boalsburg, US
• Dimitris Kouzoudis · Lexington, US
• Stefan Schmidt · Aalen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 20, 2001
• Grant date: Feb 10, 2004
• Expiry date: Oct 20, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N11/16
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus for determining elasticity characteristics of a thin-film layer. The apparatus comprises a sensor element having a base magnetostrictive element at least one surface of which is at least partially coated with the thin-film layer. The thin-film layer may be of a variety of materials (having a synthetic and/or bio-component) in a state or form capable of being deposited, manually or otherwise, on the base element surface, such as by way of eye-dropper, melting, dripping, brushing, sputtering, spraying, etching, evaporation, dip-coating, laminating, etc. Among suitable thin-film layers for the sensor element of the invention are fluent bio-substances, thin-film deposits used in manufacturing processes, polymeric coatings, paint, an adhesive, and so on. A receiver, preferably remotely located, is used to measure a plurality of values for magneto-elastic emission intensity of the sensor element in either characterization: (a) the measure of the plurality of values is used to identify a magneto-elastic resonant frequency value for the sensor element; and (b) the measure of the plurality of successive values is done at a preselected magneto-elastic frequency.