Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducers As a Materials Characterization Probe

The non-destructive assessment of structural materials is essential to many industries. Chemical or physical alterations in these materials over time due to environmental effects are often reflected as measurable changes in their mechanical properties. The output characteristics of an embedded sensor could be used for assessment and monitoring of these changes over time. This paper is a follow-up study of a series in evaluating the feasibility of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers (PMUTs) to assess polymer specimens non-destructively. The current study qualitatively evaluates the ability of a dual-port configuration PMUT in a 3-layer model to distinguish between various materials in air. In doing so, the operational envelope of the designed PMUT is tested at different voltages and sample-transducers spacings. The results are compared to simulation predictions of a preceding study.