A 200 MHz surface acoustic wave resonator mass microbalance

The development of a 200 MHz SAW instrument based on an SAW resonator instead of a conventional delay line is reported. The instrument is small, compact, and uses two separate 200 MHz resonataor crystals which operate in the dual difference mode. The difference frequency stability is better than 5 x 10 to the -9th (+ or - 1 Hz) which is comparable to a 10 MHz bulk crystal and at least an order of magnitude better than other commercially available SAW delay lines that operate at comparable frequencies. The mass sensitivity is about 9 x 10 to the 10th Hz sq cm/g. Response to temperature change is found to be about 20 Hz/C from -30 C to 30 C. Response to pressure is found to be linear from 760 to 415 Torr at 3 Hz/Torr. Detection limits for HCl vapors were determined to be in the low ppb range using an SAW resonator coated with triethanolamine.