Dynamics and Response of Polymer-Coated Surface Acoustic Wave Devices: Effect of Viscoelastic Properties and Film Resonance

The response of polymer-coated surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices to temperature changes and polymer vapor absorption is examined. A perturbational approach is used to relate velocity and attenuation responses to film translational and strain modes generated by the SAW. Two distinct regimes of film behavior arise, causing different SAW responses. For glassy films, displacement is nearly uniform across the film thickness, varying only in the direction of propagation. A model developed to predict velocity and attenuation in this regime (model 1), reduces to the familiar Tiersten (Wohltjen) equation for purely elastic films. For elastomeric (rubbery) films, inertial effects cause a phase lag to occur across the film for shear displacements. A model to account for these cross-film displacement gradients (model 2) predicts a characteristic resonant response when the film phase shift reaches n[pi]/2, where n is an odd integer. These model predictions are compared with measured responses from polyisobutylene-coated SAW devices as temperature is varied and during exposure to high vapor concentrations. 48 refs., 15 figs., 6 tabs.