Ultrasonic characterization of porous silicon using a genetic algorithm to solve the inverse problem

•Water immersed ultrasonic measurements are performed on a porous silicon sample.•An ultrasonic wave propagation through a liquid or solid layer is implemented.•An inverse problem resolution is performed using a genetic algorithm.•A good agreement is shown between porous silicon parameters and literature.

This paper presents a method for ultrasonic characterization of porous silicon in which a genetic algorithm based optimization is used to solve the inverse problem. A one-dimensional model describing wave propagation through a water immersed sample is used in order to compute transmission spectra. Then, a water immersion wide bandwidth measurement is performed using an insertion/substitution method and the spectrum of signals transmitted through the sample is calculated using Fast Fourier Transform. In order to obtain parameters such as thickness, longitudinal wave velocity or density, a genetic algorithm based optimization is used.A validation of the method is performed using aluminium plates with two different thicknesses as references: a good agreement on acoustical parameters can be observed, even in the case where ultrasonic signals overlap.Finally, two samples, i.e. a bulk silicon wafer and a porous silicon layer etched on silicon wafer, are evaluated. A good agreement between retrieved values and theoretical ones is observed. Hypothesis to explain slight discrepancies is proposed.