SAW RFID devices using connected IDTs as an alternative to conventional reflectors for harsh environments

Cécile Floer (1) , Sami Hage-Ali (1) , Pascal Nicolay (2) , Hugo Chambon (2) , Sergei Zhgoon (3) , Alexander Shvetsov (3) , Jérémy Streque (1) , Hamid M'Jahed (1) , Omar Elmazria (1)

1 IJL - Institut Jean Lamour
2 CTR - Carinthian Tech Research
3 National Research University, Moscow Power Engineering Institute

Remote interrogation of surface acoustic wave ID-tags imposes a high signal amplitude which is related to a high coupling coefficient value (K 2) and low propagation losses (α). In this paper, we propose and discuss an alternative configuration to the standard one. Here, we replaced the conventional configuration, i.e. one interdigital transducer (IDT) and several reflectors, by a series of electrically connected IDTs. The goal is to increase the amplitude of the detected signal using direct transmission between IDTs instead of the reflection from passive reflectors. This concept can therefore increase the interrogation scope of ID-tags made on conventional substrate with high K 2 value. Moreover, it can also be extended to suitable substrates for harsh environments such as high temperature environments: the materials used exhibit limited performances (low K 2 value and relatively high propagation losses) and are therefore rarely used for identification applications. The concept was first tested and validated using the lithium niobate 128°Y-X cut substrate, which is commonly used in ID-tags. A good agreement between experimental and numerical results was obtained for the promising concept of connected IDTs. The interesting features of the structure were also validated using a langasite substrate, which is well-known to operate at very high temperatures. Performances of both substrates (lithium niobate and langasite) were tested with an in-situ RF characterization up to 600°C. Unexpected results regarding the resilience of devices based on congruent lithium niobate were obtained. Index Terms-high temperature, lithium niobate, radio frequency identification (RFID), surface acoustic wave (SAW)

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]; Micro et nanotechnologies/Microélectronique

Cécile Floer, Sami Hage-Ali, Pascal Nicolay, Hugo Chambon, Sergei Zhgoon, et al.. SAW RFID devices using connected IDTs as an alternative to conventional reflectors for harsh environments. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, 2020, Volume: 67 (6), pp.1267 - 1274. ⟨10.1109/TUFFC.2019.2943310⟩. ⟨hal-02352199⟩