Papers by Keyword: Sensitivity Enhancement

Abstract: Thermal lens microscope (TLM) coupled to lab-on-chip chemistry in microfluidic systems is a powerful tool for analyzing a variety of compounds. However, the limited range of emission lines of laser-based TLM severely restricted the specificity of this technique and therefore limited the use of such TLM systems for practical applications. Here, a broad-band incoherent light source was introduced into the TLM to improve the specificity. A three-layer theoretical model was built. Through numerical simulation, it was found that at usual sample length of 100 μm in micro-volumes, the sensitivity can be increased by approximately one order of magnitude at low frequencies when the top and bottom layers are organic solvents. The sensitivity is even higher than that in laser excitation case.

Abstract: To determine the micro-mechanical properties for micro/nano materials, it may be essential to measure the strain/deformation during micro-mechanical testing. Therefore, in this study, continuous measurement of in-plane tensile strain in micro-sized specimens of thin film materials was introduced using the micro-ESPI technique. TiN and Au thin films 1 and 0.47µm thick, respectively, were deposited on the silicon wafer and fabricated into the micro-sized tensile specimens by the electromachining process. The micro-tensile loading system and micro-ESPI system were developed to measure the tensile strain during micro-tensile loading. Micro-tensile stress-strain curves for these materials were determined using the algorithm for continuous strain measurement. Furthermore, the new algorithm for enhancing the sensitivity to measurement of in-plane tensile strain was suggested. Using the algorithm, micro-tensile strain data between interfringes were calculated. It is shown that the algorithm for enhancement of the sensitivity suggested in this study makes the sensitivity to the in-plane tensile strain increase.