Sensing Magnetic Fields With Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Sensors

Magnetic sensors are essential sensing elements in various industrial applications, but the design and technology used in the development of these sensors vary from application to application. Recently Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensors have gained considerable attention due to their advantages over conventional sensors. SAW sensors are a class of Microelectromechanical (MEMS) system that use SAW technology and can be easily configured to sense physical parameters including magnetic fields. This paper presents an overview of recent research in the domain of magnetic field sensing based on such SAW devices. The paper describes the most common design approaches in practice and also discusses the key properties of fabrication materials for optimum design and performance. A short review of the processes involved in the development of SAW magnetic sensors is also covered in this paper.