Project Title:

Differential Phase Acoustic Microscopy for Micro-NDE

04.09-6425A
Differential Phase Acoustic Microscopy for Micro-NDE
Bio-Imaging Research, Inc.
425 Barclay Avenue
Lincolnshire
IL
60069
M.
Nikoonahadd
(312-634-6425)
LaRC

Abstract:

The goal of this project is to demonstrate an acoustic differential-phase microscope.
This device, the acoustic counterpart of the Nomarski differential-phase-contrast
optical microscope, would be useful for NDE imaging and for characterizing minute
variations in the elastic properties of specimens with high lateral resolution, for
example, the stress patterns in solids, ion-implanted semiconductors, titanium-titanium
diffusion bonds, grains in solids, and composites. A dual-beam acoustic lens provides
two adjacent acoustic foci; the phase difference between the signals received from
these two foci will result in the image contrast. The Phase I tasks are to identify
the samples of interest to NASA, fabricate two dual-beam lenses for surface and subsurface
imaging, develop the electronics for driving the dual-beam lenses and for phase sensitive
detection, and perform surface and subsurface differential phase imaging at 50 MHz
(resolution of 30 um).
During Phase II the frequency will be extended to 300 MHz for an expected lateral
resolution of 5 um. For Phase III we intend to seek funding from commercial manufacturers
of acoustic microscopes for a 1 GHz system.

Potential Commercial Application:

Potential Commercial Applications:  In terms of commercialization, this microscope
provides a sensitive means for probing the elastic properties of specimens with high
lateral resolution.