Non-contact thermoacoustic detection of embedded targets using airborne-capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF)/ultrasound hybrid imaging system using airborne capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) is proposed for the remote detection of embedded objects in highly dispersive media (e.g., water, soil, and tissue). RF excitation provides permittivity contrast, and ultra-sensitive airborne-ultrasound detection measures thermoacoustic-generated acoustic waves that initiate at the boundaries of the embedded target, go through the medium-air interface, and finally reach the transducer. Vented wideband CMUTs interface to 0.18 μm CMOS low-noise amplifiers to provide displacement detection sensitivity of 1.3 pm at the transducer surface. The carefully designed vented CMUT structure provides a fractional bandwidth of 3.5% utilizing the squeeze-film damping of the air in the cavity.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Feb 23, 2015
Source ID
10.1063/1.4909508

Entities

People

  • Amin Arbabian
  • Amin Nikoozadeh
  • Anshuman Bhuyan
  • Butrus T. Khuri-yakub
  • Hao Nan
  • Kevin C Boyle
  • Miaad S. Aliroteh
  • Nikhil Apte

Organizations

  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  • Stanford University

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Acoustical Oceanography.
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering