A Time-of-Flight (ToF) estimation algorithm for ranging using Silicon-On-Nothing pMUTs

Abstract

This work presents a novel ToF estimation algorithm using Silicon-on-Nothing (SoN) ScAlN pMUTs based on a unique two-step matched filter with a template signal that was extracted independently from the measured data. This work reports, for the first time, the application of the proposed algorithm for environmental temperature sensing using a pair of pMUTs. Preliminary results reported a mean accuracy of 98.5% for a sensing temperature range of 30 to 126° C, thus, paving the way towards the algorithm's use for temperature sensing using pMUTs. The proposed temperature sensing setup could be extended to measure temperatures as high as 250° C (given the device heat tolerance) and modified for non-contact surface temperature sensing for biomedical applications (i.e. tissue temperature sensing for therapy monitoring).