USH2049H2 - Differential property sensitive acoustic lens - Google Patents

Differential property sensitive acoustic lens Download PDF

Info

Publication number
USH2049H2
USH2049H2 US09/478,562 US47856200A USH2049H2 US H2049 H2 USH2049 H2 US H2049H2 US 47856200 A US47856200 A US 47856200A US H2049 H2 USH2049 H2 US H2049H2
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
lens
acoustic
semicylindrical
semicylindrical portions
portions
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US09/478,562
Inventor
Shamachary Sathish
Mark J. Ruddell
Robert L. Crane
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
US Air Force
Original Assignee
US Air Force
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by US Air Force filed Critical US Air Force
Priority to US09478562A priority Critical patent/USH2049H1/en
Priority claimed from US09478562A external-priority patent/USH2049H1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of USH2049H1 publication Critical patent/USH2049H1/en
Publication of USH2049H2 publication Critical patent/USH2049H2/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to acoustic systems and methods for non-destructive evaluation of materials, and more particularly to scanning acoustic microscopy of materials utilizing a differential property sensitive acoustic lens.
  • the coupling fluid (usually water, oil, gel, alcohol, methanol, mercury, liquid helium or a solid coupler) transmits the acoustic waves from the rod at the lens into the sample.
  • a signal reflected by the surface or an anomaly inside the sample is transmitted back through the coupling fluid and is propagated back to the transducer.
  • a single transducer may be used to transmit and receive signals.
  • the sample is scanned using mechanical scanning means, and the signals are electronically processed and an acoustic image is constructed point by point in a raster pattern which is recorded or displayed on a monitor.
  • Contrasts in the observed acoustic images can be related to local differences in elastic properties of the material. Contrast enhancement is achieved by modifying the acoustic lens to include angles large enough to generate surface acoustic waves (SAW) on the sample.
  • SAWs are scattered by surface inhomogeneities and contribute extra signals to the transducer and thereby enhance image contrast.
  • Large opening angle (30 to 60°) lenses are routinely used in the SAM procedure for surface defect characterization.
  • SAWs enhance the detectability of surface and near surface defects, there is a substantial reduction in the subsurface defect detection capability of the SAM procedure, because the SAWs carry away a large portion of the incident acoustic energy and leave only a small amount of energy to propagate into the sample for internal flaw detection.
  • Lens 10 comprises a substantially cylindrically shaped structure formed by the assembly of two semicylindrical portions 11 , 12 disposed in closely spaced relationship substantially along an axial plane with a paraffin wax coated aluminum film 13 of preselected thickness disposed between and in laminar contact with portions 11 , 12 along the axial plane.
  • Other materials such as copper coated rubber, polymer coated metal, or other polymer coated acoustically attenuative structure or material may also be used, the specific materials not considered limiting of the invention, so long as the purpose thereof hereinbelow stated is served.
  • respective piezoelectric transducers 23 , 24 are attached by any suitable means, such as by vapor deposition or physical contact adhesive or oils, grease or other acoustic couplant for coupling acoustic energy across the interfaces between flats 20 , 21 and transducers 23 , 24 .
  • the total thickness of film 13 is chosen so that no acoustic or electrical cross talk occurs between transducers 23 , 24 and between lens portions 11 , 12 , and so that an appropriate preselected spacing is defined between the respective foci of depressions 16 , 17 .
  • Lens 10 may have any size suitable for incorporation into an acoustic microscope system.
  • lens 10 In a system built and operated in demonstration of the invention, lens 10 had an overall diameter of about 0.8 inch and length of about 1.5 inches. In most systems in which lens 10 may be included, the diameter will typically be about 0.5 to 2.5 inches and length about 0.5 to 5 inches.
  • the radius of curvature of depressions 16 , 17 will ordinarily be in the range of about zero to about 0.5 inch with a total solid angle B defined by each portion 11 , 12 being in the range of about 5 to 60° and defining a focal length of about 30 microns to 4 inches.
  • Operating frequency of a system incorporating lens 10 may range from about 1 to 2000 MHz. The demonstration system operated at 10 MHz.
  • film 13 was about 75 microns thick defining a separation between f 1 and f 2 of about 180 microns.
  • Signals reflected from sample 29 are received by transducers 23 , 24 after reflection through coupling fluid (water) 30 and lens 10 . Because both acoustic beams propagate through the same material and along the same distance and reflect from regions adjacent to each other on or on the surface of sample 29 , one of the beams can be used as a reference beam and the other as a probe beam.
  • the reflected signals are captured, time gated and passed to differential amplifier 32 to obtain differential amplitude or phase signals at the region of sample 29 under inspection.
  • a differential phase signal is acquired by passing the signals through a phase sensitive detector.
  • a differential amplitude or phase acoustic image is obtained by raster scanning lens 10 over sample 29 .
  • the signal returning to the transducer after passing through the sample is utilized.
  • Two time gates (not shown in the drawing), one on each returning signal reaching transducers 23 , 24 , are placed such that they are at the same depth from the top surface of sample 29 . Because the gated signals are from regions adjacent each other in the interior of sample 29 and propagate the same paths, one signal can be used as a reference beam and differential amplitude and differential phase images of the sample 29 interior can be obtained.
  • the invention as just described may be used to examine two closely spaced points in a sample lying in a common plane. It is noted, however, that in order to examine points that lie at different depths in a sample, the two lens portions 11 , 12 will have different focal lengths, which embodiment is contemplated herein. Further, and for specialized applications, the lens portions may be ground to an ellipsoidal shape or ground with a preselected degree of astigmatism. These arrangements are considered to be within the scope of these teachings and of the appended claims.
  • the invention therefore provides a differential property sensitive acoustic lens for nondestructive materials evaluation using acoustic microscopy. It is understood that modifications to the invention may be made as might occur to one skilled in the field of the invention within the scope of the appended claims. All embodiments contemplated hereunder that achieve the objects of the invention have therefore not been shown in complete detail. Other embodiments may be developed without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

Abstract

A differential property sensitive acoustic lens for non-destructive materials evaluation is described which in a preferred embodiment comprises first and second substantially semicylindrical shaped portions of fused silica disposed in closely spaced relationship along an axial plane, a substantially spherical depression defined in one end of each semicylindrical portion and a flat defined on each semicylindrical portion at the other end, a piezoelectric transducer attached to the flat of each semicylindrical portion, and a paraffin coated aluminum film of preselected thickness disposed between and in laminar contact with the semicylindrical portions for preventing acoustic and electrical cross talk between the transducers and between the semicylindrical portions.

Description

This application is a continuation of application No. 09/140,057, filed Aug. 24, 1998 now abandoned.
RIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for all governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to acoustic systems and methods for non-destructive evaluation of materials, and more particularly to scanning acoustic microscopy of materials utilizing a differential property sensitive acoustic lens.
A scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) is used effectively for evaluating elastic properties of materials in the microscopic non-destructive inspection of materials. The conventional SAM includes an acoustic lens consisting essentially of a single spherical concave surface ground at one flat end of a cylindrical rod and a piezoelectric transducer attached to the other flat end of the rod. The concavity of the lens is filled with or immersed in a coupling fluid contacting a sample of the material under evaluation. A radio frequency signal excites the transducer and produces acoustic waves which propagate along the rod and converge to a diffraction limited spot on or just below the surface of the sample. The coupling fluid (usually water, oil, gel, alcohol, methanol, mercury, liquid helium or a solid coupler) transmits the acoustic waves from the rod at the lens into the sample. A signal reflected by the surface or an anomaly inside the sample is transmitted back through the coupling fluid and is propagated back to the transducer. A single transducer may be used to transmit and receive signals. The sample is scanned using mechanical scanning means, and the signals are electronically processed and an acoustic image is constructed point by point in a raster pattern which is recorded or displayed on a monitor.
Contrasts in the observed acoustic images can be related to local differences in elastic properties of the material. Contrast enhancement is achieved by modifying the acoustic lens to include angles large enough to generate surface acoustic waves (SAW) on the sample. The SAWs are scattered by surface inhomogeneities and contribute extra signals to the transducer and thereby enhance image contrast. Large opening angle (30 to 60°) lenses are routinely used in the SAM procedure for surface defect characterization. Although SAWs enhance the detectability of surface and near surface defects, there is a substantial reduction in the subsurface defect detection capability of the SAM procedure, because the SAWs carry away a large portion of the incident acoustic energy and leave only a small amount of energy to propagate into the sample for internal flaw detection. Acoustic transducers with small opening angles (5 to 20°) are therefore typically used in subsurface imaging applications, but surface and subsurface images with large contrast are difficult to obtain using small opening angles. Contrast enhancement may also be achieved by performing differential amplitude and differential phase imaging on the sample. Usually, in conventional acoustic microscopes as well as in C-Scan, only the amplitude of the reflected signal is used, and the phase information is often not detected and is usually discarded. An important difficulty with acoustic differential amplitude or acoustic phase imaging is the inability to extract a reference signal from a spot close to the region of interest on the sample.
The invention solves or substantially reduces in critical importance problems with prior art SAM systems and procedures as just described by providing a differential property sensitive acoustic lens for use in nondestructive materials evaluation. A SAM incorporating the lens of the invention explicitly permits measurement of acoustic signal phase information as well as signal amplitude in an acoustic image, which results in enhanced characterization of the material sample under examination by providing both differential amplitude and differential phase imaging of the sample. No known art exists for differential acoustic property measurements using a simple acoustic lens. The invention allows very sensitive measurement of local variations in acoustic properties and enhanced detectability of physical defects in the sample.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved non-destructive acoustic materials evaluation system.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved SAM system and method.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved acoustic lens for use in a SAM.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a differential property sensitive acoustic lens for non-destructive materials evaluation using a SAM.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as a detailed description of representative embodiments proceeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the foregoing principles and objects of the invention, a differential property sensitive acoustic lens for non-destructive materials evaluation is described which in a preferred embodiment comprises first and second substantially semicylindrical shaped portions of fused silica disposed in closely spaced relationship along an axial plane, a substantially spherical depression defined in one end of each semicylindrical portion and a flat defined on each semicylindrical portion at the other end, a piezoelectric transducer attached to the flat of each semicylindrical portion, and a paraffin coated aluminum film of preselected thickness disposed between and in laminar contact with the semicylindrical portions for preventing acoustic and electrical cross talk between the transducers and between the semicylindrical portions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of representative embodiments thereof read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which includes a diagram in axial section of a split aperture acoustic lens of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawing, shown therein is a diagram in axial section of a representative split aperture acoustic lens 10 according to the invention. Lens 10 comprises a substantially cylindrically shaped structure formed by the assembly of two semicylindrical portions 11,12 disposed in closely spaced relationship substantially along an axial plane with a paraffin wax coated aluminum film 13 of preselected thickness disposed between and in laminar contact with portions 11,12 along the axial plane. Other materials such as copper coated rubber, polymer coated metal, or other polymer coated acoustically attenuative structure or material may also be used, the specific materials not considered limiting of the invention, so long as the purpose thereof hereinbelow stated is served. In a preferred structure for lens 10, portions 11,12 comprise fused silica, although other materials as would occur to the skilled artisan guided by these teachings may be used including quartz, silicon, sapphire or aluminum. At one end 15 of lens 10 each portion 11,12 is ground in the shape of spherical shaped depressions 16,17 for focusing acoustic waves passing through lens 10. At the other end 19 of lens 10, each portion 11,12 is polished flat. To polished flats 20,21, respective piezoelectric transducers 23,24 are attached by any suitable means, such as by vapor deposition or physical contact adhesive or oils, grease or other acoustic couplant for coupling acoustic energy across the interfaces between flats 20,21 and transducers 23,24. The total thickness of film 13 is chosen so that no acoustic or electrical cross talk occurs between transducers 23,24 and between lens portions 11,12, and so that an appropriate preselected spacing is defined between the respective foci of depressions 16,17.
Lens 10 may have any size suitable for incorporation into an acoustic microscope system. In a system built and operated in demonstration of the invention, lens 10 had an overall diameter of about 0.8 inch and length of about 1.5 inches. In most systems in which lens 10 may be included, the diameter will typically be about 0.5 to 2.5 inches and length about 0.5 to 5 inches. The radius of curvature of depressions 16,17 will ordinarily be in the range of about zero to about 0.5 inch with a total solid angle B defined by each portion 11,12 being in the range of about 5 to 60° and defining a focal length of about 30 microns to 4 inches. Operating frequency of a system incorporating lens 10 may range from about 1 to 2000 MHz. The demonstration system operated at 10 MHz.
In the operation of an acoustic microscope into which lens 10 of the invention is included, transducers 23 and 24 are excited by separate electronic pulse generating circuits 26,27 in order to produce two separate acoustic waves propagating along the length of lens 10 and being focused by respective lens portions 11,12 as two semicircular spots on or on the surface of sample 29 near respective foci f1 and f2. Water was used as the coupling fluid 30 in the demonstration system, although other fluids as listed above may be used. Separation of lens portions 11,12 defined by the thickness of wax coated film 13 defines the separation between the respective spots near foci fl and f2 and is related to the corresponding spatial resolution of lens 10. In the demonstration system, film 13 was about 75 microns thick defining a separation between f1 and f2 of about 180 microns. Signals reflected from sample 29 are received by transducers 23,24 after reflection through coupling fluid (water) 30 and lens 10. Because both acoustic beams propagate through the same material and along the same distance and reflect from regions adjacent to each other on or on the surface of sample 29, one of the beams can be used as a reference beam and the other as a probe beam. The reflected signals are captured, time gated and passed to differential amplifier 32 to obtain differential amplitude or phase signals at the region of sample 29 under inspection. A differential phase signal is acquired by passing the signals through a phase sensitive detector. A differential amplitude or phase acoustic image is obtained by raster scanning lens 10 over sample 29.
To obtain differential acoustic images of the interior of sample 29, the signal returning to the transducer after passing through the sample is utilized. Two time gates (not shown in the drawing), one on each returning signal reaching transducers 23,24, are placed such that they are at the same depth from the top surface of sample 29. Because the gated signals are from regions adjacent each other in the interior of sample 29 and propagate the same paths, one signal can be used as a reference beam and differential amplitude and differential phase images of the sample 29 interior can be obtained.
The invention as just described may be used to examine two closely spaced points in a sample lying in a common plane. It is noted, however, that in order to examine points that lie at different depths in a sample, the two lens portions 11,12 will have different focal lengths, which embodiment is contemplated herein. Further, and for specialized applications, the lens portions may be ground to an ellipsoidal shape or ground with a preselected degree of astigmatism. These arrangements are considered to be within the scope of these teachings and of the appended claims.
The invention therefore provides a differential property sensitive acoustic lens for nondestructive materials evaluation using acoustic microscopy. It is understood that modifications to the invention may be made as might occur to one skilled in the field of the invention within the scope of the appended claims. All embodiments contemplated hereunder that achieve the objects of the invention have therefore not been shown in complete detail. Other embodiments may be developed without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (6)

We claim:
1. An acoustic lens for generating acoustic waves and transmitting the waves into a specimen of material and focusing the waves below the surface of the specimen in the nondestructive evaluation of the specimen, comprising:
(a) a substantially cylindrically shaped structure having first and second ends, said structure formed by the assembly of first and second substantially semicylindrical portions disposed in closely spaced relationship along an axial plane of said semicylindrical portions;
(b) a substantially spherical depression defined in each of said semicylindrical portions at said first end of said structure, each said spherical depression defining an acoustic lens of a preselected focal length, and a flat defined on each of said semicylindrical portions at said second end of said structure;
(c) first and second piezoelectric transducers attached to respective said first and second semicylindrical portions at said second end of said structure, said transducers configured for generating acoustic waves along said first and second semicylindrical portions and into a specimen of material, whereby the acoustic waves generated thereby are focused by said spherical depressions in said first and second semicylindrical portions at respective distinctly different and spatially separated focal points below the surface of the specimen; and
(d) a film of preselected thickness disposed between and in laminar contact with said first and second semicylindrical portions along said axial plane for preventing acoustic and electrical cross talk between said transducers and between said semicylindrical portions.
2. The lens of claim 1 wherein said first and second semicylindrical portions comprise a material selected from the group consisting of fused silica, quartz, silicon, sapphire and aluminum.
3. The lens of claim 1 wherein said film is paraffin wax coated aluminum, or copper coated rubber or a polymer coated metal.
4. The lens of claim 1 wherein said semicylindrical portions have an overall diameter of about 0.5 to 2.5 inches and a length about 0.5 to 5 inches.
5. The lens of claim 1 wherein a radius of curvature of each said spherical depression is in the range of about 0 to about 0.5 inch.
6. The lens of claim 5 wherein said the radius of curvature of one said spherical depression is different from that of the other said spherical depression.
US09478562A 1998-08-24 2000-01-06 Differential property sensitive acoustic lens Abandoned USH2049H1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09478562A USH2049H1 (en) 1998-08-24 2000-01-06 Differential property sensitive acoustic lens

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14005798A 1998-08-24 1998-08-24
US09478562A USH2049H1 (en) 1998-08-24 2000-01-06 Differential property sensitive acoustic lens

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US14005798A Continuation 1998-08-24 1998-08-24

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
USH2049H1 USH2049H1 (en) 2002-10-01
USH2049H2 true USH2049H2 (en) 2002-10-01

Family

ID=22489555

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09478562A Abandoned USH2049H1 (en) 1998-08-24 2000-01-06 Differential property sensitive acoustic lens

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) USH2049H1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20080195003A1 (en) * 2007-02-08 2008-08-14 Sliwa John W High intensity focused ultrasound transducer with acoustic lens
US8616329B1 (en) * 2012-10-30 2013-12-31 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Air coupled acoustic aperiodic flat lens

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4881618A (en) * 1986-06-06 1989-11-21 Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. Acoustic lens for use in acoustic microscope
US4852575A (en) * 1988-02-26 1989-08-01 North American Philips Corporation Ultrasound flow measurement apparatus
US4967873A (en) * 1988-07-27 1990-11-06 Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. Acoustic lens apparatus
US5094108A (en) * 1990-09-28 1992-03-10 Korea Standards Research Institute Ultrasonic contact transducer for point-focussing surface waves

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20080195003A1 (en) * 2007-02-08 2008-08-14 Sliwa John W High intensity focused ultrasound transducer with acoustic lens
US8616329B1 (en) * 2012-10-30 2013-12-31 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Air coupled acoustic aperiodic flat lens

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
Kino Acoustic imaging for nondestructive evaluation
JPH0136584B2 (en)
JPH0385442A (en) Ultrasonic method for flaw-detecting inspection
US5406849A (en) Method and apparatus for detecting guided leaky waves in acoustic microscopy
KR101477607B1 (en) Ultrasonic wave linear/non-linear hybrid imaging device using filter and method for the same
JP4196643B2 (en) Method and apparatus for imaging internal defect by ultrasonic wave
CN111665295A (en) Solid material and semiconductor device internal defect detection method
USH2049H2 (en) Differential property sensitive acoustic lens
Korkh et al. Detection of subsurface microflaws using the high-frequency acoustic microscopy method
JP2008261889A (en) Imaging method of internal defect by ultrasonic wave, and its device
Sathish et al. Quantitative imaging of Rayleigh wave velocity with a scanning acoustic microscope
Hesse et al. A single probe spatial averaging technique for guided waves and its application to surface wave rail inspection
JP2002323481A (en) Ultrasonic flaw detection method and device
Upendran et al. The influence of edge waves in local surface skimming longitudinal wave generation using a focused PVDF transducer
Titov et al. Measurements of velocity and attenuation of leaky waves using an ultrasonic array
Martin et al. Focused acoustic beam imaging of grain structure and local Young's modulus with Rayleigh and surface skimming longitudinal waves
JP2524946B2 (en) Ultrasonic microscope equipment
Ranjbar Naserabadi et al. Application of Phased Array Ultrasonic Transducers for Guided Wave Scanning of Plates Using Multi-point Focusing Technique
Fahr et al. Ultrasonic evaluation of thick composites for near surface flaws
Gondard et al. Surface Characterization of Material Using Rayleigh Velocity Measurement in the Broad-Band Mode
Attal et al. Paper XIV (i) A survey of research in acoustic microscopy applied to metallurgy
Biagi et al. Ultrasonic high resolution images for defect detection in ceramic materials
Upendran et al. Identification of guided Lamb wave modes in thin metal plates using water path corrected frequency–wavenumber [fk] analysis
JPS63195563A (en) Acoustic wave conversion element for acoustic microscope
Kessler Acoustic microscopy-an industrial view