Design issues of resonant piezoelectric sensors

This paper presents some issues governing the design of piezoelectric resonant sensors delivering a frequency output. We focus on BAW resonant sensors. As an application example, we consider the case study of miniature temperature sensors using strip resonators as sensing elements. In addition, we shortly discuss the current trends in the field of micromachined inertial acoustic sensors especially regarding miniaturization. Although currently available sensors of this type mostly rely on low frequency flexural vibrations, strip resonators micro-machined in III-V piezoelectric semi conductors multilayer substrates may take over a significant role for such application in the near future since they could bring the precision level characterizing essentially thickness shear resonators into monolithic sensors systems built upon completely integrated piezoelectric oscillators.