Aligned embossed diaphragm based fiber optic sensor
US7697797B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 25, 2008 |
| Grant date | Apr 13, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 13, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J2009/023
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention is a diaphragm-fiber optic sensor (DFOS), interferometric sensor. This DFOS is based on the principles of Fabry-Perot and Michelson/Mach-Zehnder. The sensor is low cost and is designed with high efficiency, reliability, and Q-point stability, fabricated using MEMS (micro mechanic-electrical system) technology, and has demonstrated excellent performance. A DFOS according to the invention includes a cavity between two surfaces: a diaphragm made of silicon or other material with a rigid body (or boss) at the center and clamped along its edge, and the endface of a single mode optic fiber. By utilizing MEMS technology, the gap width between the diaphragm and the fiber endface is made accurately, ranging from 1 micron to 10 microns. To stabilize the Q-point of the DFOS when in use as an acoustic sensor, a system of microchannels is built in the structure of the diaphragm so that the pressure difference on two sides of the diaphragm is kept a constant, independent of the hydraulic pressure and/or low frequency noise when the device is inserted in liquid mediums.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.