Diane Chinn

High-spatial-resolution sub-surface imaging using a laser-based acoustic microscopy technique

Scanning acoustic microscopy techniques operating at frequencies in the gigahertz range are suitable for the elastic characterization and interior imaging of solid media with micrometer-scale spatial resolution. Acoustic wave propagation at these frequencies is strongly limited by energy losses, particularly from attenuation in the coupling media used to transmit ultrasound to a specimen, leading to a decrease in the depth in a specimen that can be interrogated. In this work, a laser-based acoustic microscopy technique is presented that uses a pulsed laser source for the generation of broadband acoustic waves and an optical interferometer for detection. The use of a 900-ps microchip pulsed laser facilitates the generation of acoustic waves with frequencies extending up to 1 GHz which allows for the resolution of micrometer-scale features in a specimen. Furthermore, the combination of optical generation and detection approaches eliminates the use of an ultrasonic coupling medium, and allows for elastic characterization and interior imaging at penetration depths on the order of several hundred micrometers. Experimental results illustrating the use of the laser-based acoustic microscopy technique for imaging micrometer-scale subsurface geometrical features in a 70-μm-thick single-crystal silicon wafer with a (100) orientation are presented.

Flexural mode tuning in pipe inspection

The ability to carry out a complete pipe inspection with limited access to say 180 degree or less of the circumference is often necessary. Techniques are introduced to make this possible by flexural mode and focusing control via a four dimensional tuning process of adjusting circumferential loading length, position, phase and frequency. Theoretical experiments demonstrate the tuning process.

Photothermal multi-pixel imaging microscope

Photothermal microscopy is a useful nondestructive tool for the identification of fluence-limiting defects in optical coatings. Traditional photothermal microscopes are single-pixel detection devices. Samples are scanned under the microscope to generate a defect map. For high-resolution images, scan times can be quite long (1 mm2 per hour). Single-pixel detection has geen used traditionally because of the ease in separating the laser-induced topographical change due to defect absorption from the defect surface topography. This is accomplished by using standard chopper and lock-in amplifier techniques to remove the DC signal. Multi-pixel photothermal microscopy is now possible by utilizing an optical lock-in technique. This eliminates the lock-in amplifier and enables the use of a CCD camera with an optical lock in for each pixel. With this technique, the data acquisition speed can be increased by orders of magnitude depending on laser power, beam size, and pixel density.

Laser ultrasonic inspection of the microstructural state of thin metal foils

A laser-based ultrasonic technique suitable for characterization of the microstructural state of metal foils is presented. The technique relies on the measurement of the intrinsic attenuation of laser-generated longitudinal waves at frequencies reaching 1 GHz resulting from ultrasonic interaction with the sample microstructure. In order to facilitate accurate measurement of the attenuation, a theoretical model-based signal analysis approach is used. The signal analysis approach isolates aspects of the measured attenuation that depend strictly on the microstructure from geometrical effects. Experimental results obtained in commercially cold worked tungsten foils show excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. Furthermore, the experimental results show that the longitudinal wave attenuation at gigahertz frequencies is strongly influenced by the dislocation content of the foils and may find potential application in the characterization of the microstructure of micron thick metal foils.

High frequency laser-based ultrasound

To obtain micrometer resolution of materials using acoustics requires frequencies around 1 GHz. Attenuation of such frequencies is high, limiting the thickness of the parts that can be characterized. Although acoustic microscopes can operate up to several GHz in frequency, they are used primarily as a surface characterization tool. The use of a pulsed laser for acoustic generation allows generation directly in the part, eliminating the loss of energy associated with coupling the energy from a piezoelectric transducer to the part of interest. The use of pulsed laser acoustic generation in combination with optical detection is investigated for the non‐contact characterization of materials with features that must be characterized to micrometer resolution.

Laser ultrasonic signal processing: A model‐reference approach

A model‐reference approach is developed to solve the signal enhancement problem of a laser ultrasonics application for nondestructive evaluation. In this problem a sophisticated laser thermoelastic propagation model is used to synthesize the surface displacement of the specimen under test. Once synthesized, this model response is used as the reference signal in an optimal (minimum error variance) signal enhancement scheme. Both fixed and adaptive processors are considered in this application where it is shown that a significant improvement in signal levels can be achieved over the usual methods to enhance noisy data acquired from a Michelson interferometric measurement system and increase its overall sensitivity.

Signal analysis approach to ultrasonic evaluation of diffusion bond quality

Solid state bonds like the diffusion bond are attractive techniques for joining dissimilar materials since they are not prone to the defects that occur with fusion welding. Ultrasonic methods can detect the presence of totally unbonded regions but have difficulty sensing poor bonded areas where the substrates are in intimate contact. Standard ultrasonic imaging is based on amplitude changes in the signal reflected from the bond interface. Unfortunately, amplitude alone is not sensitive to bond quality. We demonstrated that there is additional information in the ultrasonic signal that correlates with bond quality. In our approach, we interrogated a set of dissimilar diffusion bonded samples with broad band ultrasonic signals. The signals were digitally processed and the characteristics of the signals that corresponded to bond quality were determined. These characteristics or features were processed with pattern recognition algorithms to produce predictions of bond quality. The predicted bond quality was then compared with the destructive measurement to assess the classification capability of the ultrasonic technique.

Optical mapping of the acoustic output of a focused transducer

A Michelson interferometer is used to map the ultrasonic displacement of the lens at the end of a delay rod of a 50‐MHz immersion transducer. The purpose of mapping the displacement is to provide a source function to a model that predicts the ultrasonic propagation in, and interaction with, various materials. The output of the Michelson interferometer can be calibrated, and then used to determine the displacement of the transducer lens surface moving at ultrasonic frequencies. Using the interferometer, the displacement of the transducer lens is measured at discrete points along its surface. This displacement map then provides the ultrasound propagation model with the actual source function. Direct comparison between a model with a simulated source function and experimentally obtained data is presented. [Work performed under auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. W‐7405‐ENG‐48.]

A spatio‐temporal approach to acoustical imaging of laser‐generated ultrasound

In this paper an application of spatio‐temporal array signal‐processing techniques applied to broadband ultrasonic data gathered from a pulsed laser system is discussed. Using a laser source to heat a material specimen under test for flaws, a spatio‐temporal processor capable of estimating the displacement field of the specimen is applied. The peak surface displacement is displayed as an image showing the initial source (displacement field) propagating throughout the material as well as any flaws (scatterers) that may be present within the specimen. Clearly, this method of imaging enables a unique methodology for nondestructive evaluation (NDE). Here, a pulsed laser generates an acoustic (ultrasonic) wave by heating the material and causing thermoelastic expansion. The resulting ultrasonic wave propagates throughout the material and is receied by an array of interferometers created synthetically. Assuming a spherically propagating wave field, the processor creates an image of the field by estimating the p...

An application of laser‐based ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation using a fiber‐optics‐based Fabry–Perot interferometer

Fiber optics lend increased flexibility to laser‐based ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE). In this work, fiber‐optic cables are used to transmit light from a laser to the detection site, and then from the detection site to a Fabry–Perot interferometer. The use of fibers allows both the detection laser and interferometer to be placed at a considerable distance from the object under test. A direct line‐of‐sight of the object from the main equipment is not required, since the fibers may be fed through walls and around obstacles. In addition, by containing the laser light in the fibers, the chance of accidental exposure to powerful laser beams that may otherwise be transmitted through air is decreased. Laser‐based ultrasonics is generally less sensitive to traditional contact ultrasonics, and in addition, some light is lost in the coupling of laser light energy into optical fibers, further decreasing the sensitivity; thus the need for signal processing of the received signals is of great importance. In this work, the waveforms obtained using the Fabry–Perot interferometer and the corresponding signal processing performed on the data to enhance the resulting image for NDE are discussed.