Electrical power transmission companies have been inspecting underground power cables in a time consuming and destructive way. The current methodology used by Manitoba Hydro, is to remove the conductive material in the center of the cable, cutting the cable into wafers leaving behind the insulating polymer material known as XLPE, the area where many faults occur, and inspect the wafers manually with a microscope. The main goal of this work was to find a methodology to detect these cable faults in a non-destructive way so that the quality of the cable may be assessed, and its remaining lifetime be estimated and return it to use if possible. Two XLPE power cable samples were tested. Three small holes were drilled in one XLPE cable. A capacitive transducer with center frequency of 802.8 kHz was applied for transmitting receiving signal. For each sample, 48 scans were collected. Based on ultrasound images, we were able to detect these faults in this XLPE material from the peaks of the samples corresponding to the XLPE area by setting a threshold to 0.08 volts. Also, this detection technique was improved by using fourth-order cumulants. / May 2016

A novel micromachining technology on SOI substrates is presented that is capable of producing on-chip high-Q resonators and resonator arrays equipped with high aspect-ratio (30:1) microstructures and nano-gap capacitive transducers filled with high-k dielectrics. The newly developed IC-compatible MEMS microfabrication process consists of merely three standard photolithography steps, which is much simpler than the other SOI-based resonator device technologies. In order to achieve the optimum performance and yield of the resonators and resonator arrays, this SOI-based fabrication process has been carefully designed and investigated step by step. For capacitively-transduced extensional mode (e.g., radial-contour and wine-glass mode) resonators, formation of nano-scale capacitive gaps and large resonator-to-electrode overlap area is essential for reducing the motional resistance Rx and DC bias voltage by strengthening the capacitive transduction. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology with superb conformability and uniformity as well as outstanding thickness controllability is used to deposit the ultra-thin layer (~10 nm) of high-k dielectric material that acts as the solid capacitive gaps, which allows the mass production of on-chip capacitively-transduced resonators and resonator arrays with greatly enhanced electromechancial coupling coefficient, and thus lower motional resistance and DC bias voltage. Using this technique, high-Q micromechanical resonators and resonator arrays on SOI substrates operating at ultra-high frequencies (UHF) have been developed. The ultimate goal of this project is to implement on-chip narrow-band micromechanical filters with unprecedented frequency selectivity and ultra-low insertion loss. By fine-tuning the nonlinear characteristics of the capacitive transducers enabled by the new SOI technology, novel on-chip mechanical signal processors for frequency manipulation, such as mixer and multiplier, will be investigated.

This paper discusses basic issues of micromachined ultrasonic transducers, including their design and fabrication. First, the acoustic fundamentals of ultrasonic transducers are introduced, and relevant simulation methods are illustrated. Following these topics, important aspects of silicon micromachining are presented. Based on this knowledge, two distinctive micromachining processes for transducer fabrication are proposed. One of them, the bulk process, has been proved to be successful, whereas for the second one, a surface process, some improvements are still needed. Besides these works, an innovative direct bonding technology is also developed. This technology constitutes the basis of the bulk process. Of course, it can also be used for the packaging of other MEMS devices.

Ce travail de thèse est consacré au développement d'un capteur acoustique miniature à transduction capacitive destiné à être intégré dans un système RFID afin de dépasser certaines des limitations actuelles de ce dernier. La configuration originale du capteur acoustique étudié lui offre les avantages d'avoir une bonne performance tout en gardant une forme simple qui peut être aisément réalisée avec les techniques MEMS pour une production à grande échelle. Ce transducteur est constitué d'une membrane circulaire ou carrée et une électrode arrière centrée, de même forme mais de dimensions plus petites, séparées par une très fine couche de fluide, ainsi qu'une petite cavité située à la périphérie de l'électrode, de dimensions extérieures très proches de celles de la membrane. Le comportement de ce capteur est analysé en détail. Cette étude se base sur deux approches mathématiques originales (analytique et numérique), dont les résultats convergent malgré un niveau différent des hypothèses-simplificatrices sur lesquelles reposent ces deux modèles.Finalement, une méthode de réalisation du transducteur en technologie hybride, qui associe le procédé MEMS avec les techniques classiques des circuits imprimé, est présentée. Le prototype développé est aussi caractérisé expérimentalement et les résultats obtenus correspondent bien aux caractéristiques fournies par les modèles théoriques. / This work is devoted to the development of capacitive miniature acoustic sensor to be integrated in an RFID system in order to exceed some of its current limitations.The unusual configuration of the studied sensor offers the benefits of having a significant performance while keeping a simple form that can be easily achieved with standard MEMS techniques and thus successively marketed in perspective. This transducer consists of a circular or square membrane, a centered backing electrode with the same shape, but with smaller dimensions which define a thin fluid layer between them, and a small cavity at the periphery of the backing electrode whose external dimensions are very close to the ones of the membrane. The architecture of the developed sensor is the subject of a deep theoretical study of its behavior. This investigation is based upon two original mathematical approaches (analytical and numerical ones) whose results show a high convergence despite the different-levels of simplifying assumptions on which these models are based.Finally, the transducer is made with the use of a hybrid technology, that includes the MEMS process associated with conventional printed circuit manufacturing techniques, which is presented step by step. The developed prototype is characterized experimentally and the measured results correspond to the ones predicted by theoretical models.

[pt] Nesta dissertação é realizada uma análise experimental da influência da pressão estática na medição de pressão diferencial com transmissores eletrônicos, dotados de sensores capacitivos ou sensores de silício ressonante, cuja tecnologia é amplamente difundida nos dias atuais por serem de elevada repetitividade, reprodutibilidade, exatidão e baixa histerese. A medição de pressão diferencial é amplamente utilizada na indústria de Petróleo, com o objetivo de medição de vazão, nível, entupimento de filtros e medição de interface óleo água. A calibração dos transmissores de pressão diferencial é feita no país a pressão atmosférica, não se preocupando com a influência da pressão estática do processo sobre seu desempenho. Como sua principal contribuição, o trabalho apresenta uma metodologia inovadora ainda não disponível no país de calibração de transmissores de pressão diferencial na pressão de operação, melhorando a confiabilidade e a incerteza das medições de vazão de líquidos e gases nas indústrias em geral. As faixas estudadas de pressão estática (0 a 20000 KPa) e diferencial (40 a 250 KPa), atendem a utilização interna da área de produção e exploração da Petrobras. A simples substituição da máquina de ensaio e seus instrumentos é suficiente para a calibração em uma faixa mais ampla, utilizando-se da mesma metodologia. Para alcançar os resultados, um dispositivo de amplificação de pressão foi desenvolvido neste estudo e utilizado em cada extremidade do transmissor de pressão, para aumentar a pressão desde valores próximos da atmosférica, que podem ser medidos com boa exatidão e repetitividade, até sua pressão de operação. Durante sua utilização, a pressão diferencial em suas extremidades é deduzida a partir dos valores medidos próximos da pressão atmosférica e do fator de amplificação. A incerteza dos resultados foi estimada e a metodologia foi utilizada para mostrar que a curva de calibração de um transmissor de pressão varia com sua pressão de operação. / [en] This paper deals with an experimental analysis of the static pressure influence upon the measurement of the differential pressure. Using capacitive or silicon resonator transducers, the electronic transmitters used in the experiment are thoroughly diffused nowadays due to their repetitiveness, reproducibility, accuracy and low hysteresis. The measurement of the differential pressure is widely employed in the petrol industry for determining the flow rate, level, blockage of filters and the oil-water interface. The calibration of the differential pressure transmitters is made in Brazil at atmospheric pressure, since there is little concern about the static pressure influence on the transducer performance. As a main contribution, this study presents a calibration methodology of differential pressure transmitters, still unavailable in the country, increasing its reliability and reducing the uncertainty of measuring the flow of liquid or gaseous substances. The ranges of the studied static pressure (from 0 to 20000 KPa) and differential pressure (from 40 to 250 KPa) cover Petrobras production and exploration operating conditions. The same methodology can be applied to wider ranges, by properly sizing the calibrating device and the related instruments. To achieve the results, a pressure amplification device was developed and used at each port of the pressure transmitter. A methodology was also developed in this study to determine the amplification factor from near atmospheric values, which can be measured very accurately, up to the operating pressure of the transmitter. Thus, during the calibration of a pressure transmitter, the pressure differential at the transmitter ports is deduced from the measured value at nearly atmospheric pressure and the amplification factor. The uncertainty of the results were estimated and the methodology was used for the calibration of a pressure transmitter, showing that its calibrating curve varies with the operating pressure.

This paper discusses basic issues of micromachined ultrasonic transducers, including their design and fabrication. First, the acoustic fundamentals of ultrasonic transducers are introduced, and relevant simulation methods are illustrated. Following these topics, important aspects of silicon micromachining are presented. Based on this knowledge, two distinctive micromachining processes for transducer fabrication are proposed. One of them, the bulk process, has been proved to be successful, whereas for the second one, a surface process, some improvements are still needed. Besides these works, an innovative direct bonding technology is also developed. This technology constitutes the basis of the bulk process. Of course, it can also be used for the packaging of other MEMS devices.