A SENSOR FOR LIQUIDS CHARACTERIZATION BASED ON ELASTIC SURFACE-WAVES GENERATED WITH A P(VF2-VF3) FILM IN A NON-PIEZOELECTRIC MEDIA

Early works in elastic waves devices for sensors applications at liqui d interfaces mainly utilize plate mode resonators, build with thin fil m technology. In general, these plates are fragile and difficult to ha ndle during manufacture and use. Some of them are very sensitive to ch anges in ambient pressure, and airborne sound. We present a sensor whi ch fabrication process was simplified using a piezo-polymer P(VF2-VF3) film stuck on a non-piezoelectric media. II presents great robustness and is adequate for liquid immersion. Equations for generation, propa gation and detection of the a(0) mode of Lamb waves are presented. The measured values leads to the determination of propagation-path parame ters and their changes due to liquid loading conditions. (C) 1998 Else vier Science B.V.