Using silver nano-particle ink in electrode fabrication of high frequency copolymer ultrasonic transducers: modeling and experimental investigation

Adit Decharat; Sanat Wagle; Svein Jacobsen; Frank Melandsø

doi:10.3390/s150409210

Using silver nano-particle ink in electrode fabrication of high frequency copolymer ultrasonic transducers: modeling and experimental investigation

Sensors (Basel). 2015 Apr 20;15(4):9210-27. doi: 10.3390/s150409210.

Authors

Adit Decharat¹, Sanat Wagle², Svein Jacobsen³, Frank Melandsø⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway. adit.decharat@uit.no.
² Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway. sanat.wagle@uit.no.
³ Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway. svein.jacobsen@uit.no.
⁴ Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, Norway. frank.melandso@uit.no.

Abstract

High frequency polymer-based ultrasonic transducers are produced with electrodes thicknesses typical for printed electrodes obtained from silver (Ag) nano-particle inks. An analytical three-port network is used to study the acoustic effects imposed by a thick electrode in a typical layered transducer configuration. Results from the network model are compared to experimental findings for the implemented transducer configuration, to obtain a better understanding of acoustical effects caused by the additional printed mass loading. The proposed investigation might be supportive of identification of suitable electrode-depositing methods. It is also believed to be useful as a feasibility study for printed Ag-based electrodes in high frequency transducers, which may reduce both the cost and production complexity of these devices.