An electrical force and/or deformation sensor includes a support structure constituted by a rigid plate in one face of which a recess is formed. The bottom wall of the recess is thin and is resiliently deformable under the action of a force or pressure to be measured. At least one piezoresistive sensitive element constituted by a thick-film resistor is applied to the other face of the plate in correspondence with the recess. Electrical conductor elements connected to the sensitive element or elements are also applied to this face of the plate to enable its connection to supply and processing circuits. These circuits may conveniently be produced by thick- or thin-film hybrid circuit technology on the same face of the support plate as that which carries the piezoresistive element or elements. In order to measure absolute pressure, the inlet opening of the recess may be closed by a gas-tight seal so as to define a closed cavity in the thickness of the plate, in which a vacuum is formed.

FIELD: medicine; medical engineering. ^ SUBSTANCE: device has scanner unit and transceiver unit allocated on objects belonging to risk group. The scanner unit has driving oscillator, power amplifier, circulator, transceiver antenna, high frequency amplifier, phase detector and computer. The transceiver unit is manufactured as piezocrystal with aluminum thin-film interdigitated converter covering its surface and connected to microstrip antenna and a set of reflectors. The interdigitated converter has two comb electrode systems covering acoustic duct surface. The electrodes belonging to each of the combs are connected to each other via busses. The busses are connected to the microstrip antenna in their turn. ^ EFFECT: wide range and field of functional applications. ^ 2 cl, 3 dwg

A system and corresponding method for bulge testing films (e.g. thin films(57), coatings, layers, etc.) is provided, as well as membrane structures (47) for use in bulge testing and improved methods of manufacturing same so that resulting membrane structures have substantially identical known geometric and responsive characteristics. Arrayed membrane structures, and corresponding methods, are provided in certain embodiments which enable bulge testing of a film(s) over a relatively large surface area via a plurality of different freestanding membrane portions. Improved measurements of film bulging or deflection are obtained by measuring deflection of a center point of a film, relative to nondeflected peripheral points on the film being tested. Furthermore, membrane structures are adhered to mounting structure in an improved manner, and opaque coatings may be applied over top of film(s) to be bulge tested so that a corresponding optical transducer (49) can more easily detect film deflection/bulging. In certain embodiments, a laser triangulation transducer is utilized to measure film deflection/bulging. A system and corresponding method for bulge testing films (e.g. thin films (57), coatings, layers, etc.) is provided, as well as membrane structures (47) for use in bulge testing and improved methods of manufacturing same so that resulting membrane structures have substantially identical known geometric and responsive characteristics. Arrayed membrane structures, and corresponding methods, are provided in certain embodiments which enable bulge testing of a film(s) over a relatively large surface area via a plurality of different freestanding membrane portions. Improved measurements of film bulging or deflection are obtained by measuring deflection of a center point of a film, relative to nondeflected peripheral points on the film being tested. Furthermore, membrane structures are adhered to mounting structure in an improved manner, and opaque coatings may be applied over top of film(s) to be bulge tested so that a corresponding optical transducer (49) can more easily detect film deflection/bulging. In certain embodiments, a laser triangulation transducer is utilized to measure film deflection/bulging.

PURPOSE:To analyze quantitatively materials having a wide range of film thickness or layer thickness with high accuracy and to measure simultaneously the thickness thereof by adding correction factors with the film thickness as a variable to a ZAF method. CONSTITUTION:The ratio L of the energy of incident electrons with respect to the electron energy passing through the film or layer is first assumed. An element concn. Ci is then determined by defining the correction factors fZ, fA, fF of bulk ZAF as 1 and assuming the correction factor Gi of the thin film. The correction factor FZAF of ZAF and the correction factor Gi of the thin film are then calculated by using the Ci value and again the concn. Ci is determined. The operation is repeated until the Ci converges. The sum of the Ci is calculated and whether the sum is substantially approximate to 1 or not is judged. The value L is assumed again and the Ci is determined again if the sum is not approximate to 1. As a result, the concn. Ci of the compsn. and the value L which is the function of the film thickness are determined.

PURPOSE: To measure the partial pressure or concentration of gas and vapor of any normal solvent by forming at least a part of sensor substance of at least one kind of hydrophobic metal complex. CONSTITUTION: Partial pressure of gas or vapor is measured using a sensor substance having electrical or optical characteristics variable through action of gas. At least a part of sensor substance is composed of a hydrophobic metal complex and the mobility or concentration of ion thereof is varied through action of gas. The sensor substance is a thin film of a metal complex having a hydrophobic ligand for varying the concentration, mobility and/or transparency of ion, and thereby the dielectric or optical characteristics thereof, through action of gas or vapor. This structure realizes a simple sensor for measuring the partial pressure of gas or vapor containing a sensitive sensor substance.

The method is based on measuring the relative humidity or concentration of the gas directly, e.g. using a thin-film humidity sensing element 3 of capacitive type, and simultaneously measuring the temperature of the element 3, the temperature of the relative value measuring element 3 being shifted (by means of a Peltier heater/cooler 7) to bring the element 3 into a measurement range of maximally high sensitivity. For example, at low concentrations the element may be cooled to cause operation in the range of 60 to 80% relative humidity. The true dewpoint is computed from the measured relative humidity and the sensed temperature. The ambient temperature may be measured by a further sensor 6. Calibration details are given. The arrangement may be incorporated in an icing predictor, together with a sensor for measuring the temperature of the exposed object e,g, a mast or aircraft wing.

FIELD: search-and-rescue works, particularly to search buried biological objects in earthquake zones or that covered with avalanche snow or caved rock. ^ SUBSTANCE: device comprises scanning and receiving/transmitting units. Scanning unit includes basic frequency generator 1, power amplifier 2, circulator 3, horn receiving/transmitting antenna 4, high-frequency amplifier 5, phase discriminator 6, computer 7, heterodyne oscillator 14, mixer 15, intermediate frequency amplifier 16, multiplier 17 and band-pass filter 18. The receiving/transmitting unit is made as piezo-crystal with aluminum thin-film interdigitated transducer linked to microstrip antenna, and a number of reflectors. Surface acoustic wave interdigitated transducer includes two comb-like electrode systems and buses to connect electrodes of each system with each other. The buses are in turn connected with microstrip antenna. ^ EFFECT: increased sensitivity and dynamic range of scanning block receiver, increased range of biological object information reading due to superheterodyne scheme of scanning block receiver. ^ 2 cl, 3 dwg

A microsensor or micromechanical device based upon the piezoelectric properties of thin film lead zirconate titanate (PZT) with a thickness of between 0.1 and 5 microns. The thin film PZT (11) is sandwiched between first and second electrodes (10, 12) which are provided with electrical connection means (14, 15) for electrically connecting the electrodes to a voltage sensor or voltage source (16). The invention also relates to a method for making such microsensor or micromechanical device. Dispositif de micro-détection ou micro-mécanique basé sur les propriétés piézoélectriques du titane de zirconate (PZT) à fils conducteurs à couche mince d'une épaisseur comprise entre 0,1 et 5 microns. Le PZT en couche mince (11) est pris en sandwich entre des première et seconde électrodes (10, 12), lesquelles sont dotées de moyens de connexion électrique (14, 15) permettant de relier électriquement les électrodes à un capteur de tension ou à une source de tension (16). L'invention concerne également un procédé de fabrication dudit dispositif de micro-détection ou micro-mécanique.