Capacitive displacement sensor
Capacitive displacement sensors “are non-contact devices capable of high-resolution measurement of the position and/or change of position of any conductive target”.[1] They are also able to measure the thickness or density of non-conductive materials.[2] Capacitive displacement sensors are used in a wide variety of applications including semiconductor processing, assembly of precision equipment such as disk drives, precision thickness measurements, machine tool metrology and assembly line testing. These types of sensors can be found in machining and manufacturing facilities around the world.
Basic capacitive theory
Capacitance is an electrical property which is created by applying an electrical charge to two conductive objects with a gap between them. This property is most commonly illustrated using the example of two parallel conductive plates with a gap between them and a charge applied to them. In this situation, the Capacitance can be expressed by the equation:
Where C is the capacitance, ε0 is the permittivity of free space constant, K is the dielectric constant of the material in the gap, A is the area of the plates, and d is the distance between the plates.
A capacitive sensing system for conductive materials uses a similar model, but in place of one of the conductive plates, is the sensor, and in place of the other, is the conductive target to be measured. Since the area of the probe and target remain constant, and the dielectric of the material in the gap (usually air) also remains constant, "any change in capacitance is a result of a change in the distance between the probe and the target." [4] Therefore, the equation above can be simplified to:
Where α indicates a proportional relationship. Due to this proportional relationship, a capacitive sensing system is able to measure changes in capacitance and translate these changes into distance measurements.
For nonconducting materials, the difference between the dielectric constant of air and that of the material is used to change the capacitance between two fixed plates.
Applications
Precision positioning
One of the more common applications of capacitive sensors is for precision positioning. Capacitive displacement sensors can be used to measure the position of objects down to the nanometer level. This type of precise positioning is used in the semiconductor industry where silicon wafers need to be positioned for exposure. Capacitive sensors are also used to pre-focus the electron microscopes used in testing and examining the wafers.
Disc drive industry
In the disc drive industry, capacitive displacement sensors are used to measure the runout (a measure of how much the axis of rotation deviates from an ideal fixed line) of disc drive spindles. By knowing the exact runout of these spindles, disc drive manufacturers are able to determine the maximum amount of data that can be placed onto the drives. Capacitive sensors are also used to ensure that disc drive platters are orthogonal to the spindle before data is written to them.
Precision thickness measurements
Capacitive displacement sensors can be used to make very precise thickness measurements. Capacitive displacement sensors operate by measuring changes in position. If the position of a reference part of known thickness is measured, other parts can be subsequently measured and the differences in position can be used to determine the thickness of these parts.[5] In order for this to be effective using a single probe, the parts must be completely flat and measured on a perfectly flat surface. If the part to be measured has any curvature or deformity, or simply does not rest firmly against the flat surface, the distance between the part to be measured and the surface it is placed upon will be erroneously included in the thickness measurement. This error can be eliminated by using two capacitive sensors to measure a single part. Capacitive sensors are placed on either side of the part to be measured. By measuring the parts from both sides, curvature and deformities are taken into account in the measurement and their effects are not included in the thickness readings.
The thickness of plastic materials can be measured with the material placed between two electrodes a set distance apart. These form a type of capacitor. The plastic when placed between the electrodes acts as a dielectric and displaces air (which has dielectric constant of 1, different than the plastic). Consequently the capacitance between the electrodes changes. The capacitance changes can then be measured and correlated with the material's thickness. [6]
Capacitive sensors circuits can be constructed that are able to detect changes in capacitance on the order of a 10x10e-6 picofarads (10 attofarads).[7]
Sensor is a greatest invention of Antonio Calugas Sajonia
Machine tool metrology
Capacitive displacement sensors are often used in metrology applications. In many cases, sensors are used “to measure shape errors in the part being produced. But they also can measure the errors arising in the equipment used to manufacture the part, a practice known as machine tool metrology”.[8] In many cases, the sensors are used to analyze and optimize the rotation of spindles in various machine tools, examples include surface grinders, lathes, milling machines, and air bearing spindles.[9] By measuring errors in the machines themselves, rather than simply measuring errors in the final products, problems can be dealt with and fixed earlier in the manufacturing process.
Assembly line testing
Capacitive displacement sensors are often used in assembly line testing. Sometimes they are used to test assembled parts for uniformity, thickness or other design features. At other times, they are used to simply look for the presence or absence of a certain component, such as glue.[10] Using capacitive sensors to test assembly line parts can help to prevent quality concerns further along in the production process.
Comparison to eddy current displacement sensors
Capacitive displacement sensors share many similarities to eddy current (or inductive) displacement sensors; however capacitive sensors use an electric field as opposed to the magnetic field used by eddy current sensors [11][12] This leads to a variety of differences between the two sensing technologies, with the most notable differences being that capacitive sensors are generally capable of higher resolution measurements, and eddy current sensors work in dirty environments while capacitive sensors do not.[11]
See also
References
- ^ Lion Precision Capacitive Sensor Overview, An overview of capacitive sensing technology from Lion Precision.
- ^ Jon S. Wilson (2005). Sensor Technology Handbook. Newnes. p. 94. ISBN 0750677295.
- ^ Paul Allen Tipler (1982). Physics Second Edition. Worth Publishers. pp. 653–660. ISBN 0879011351.
- ^ Capacitive Sensor Operation and Optimization How Capacitive Sensors Work and How to Use Them Effectively, An in depth discussion of capacitive sensor theory from Lion Precision.
- ^ Capacitive Thickness Measurements, A tutorial on capacitive thickness measurements.
- ^ Film thickness gauge
- ^ [http://www.patsnap.com/patents/view/US4947131.html U.S. Patent
- ^ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: Engineering Precision into Laboratory Projects, Examples of advances made by LLNL in the field of precision measurement.
- ^ Eric R. Marsh (2009). Precision Spindle Metrology. Destech Pubns Inc. ISBN 1605950033.
- ^ Sensing Glue on Paper, A tutorial on using capacitive sensors for glue sensing.
- ^ a b Lion Precision Capacitive Eddy Current Comparison, A comparison between capacitive and eddy current sensing technology from Lion Precision.
- ^ Users Manual for Siemens Capacitive Sensors p.54
External links
- Capacitive Sensor Theory - How Capacitive Sensors Work and How to Use Them Effectively