# US 2014/0191343 A1 · Sound transducer and microphone using same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191343 A1 - Document ID: US20140191343A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/978,531 - Filed: 2011-12-22 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-01-07 - Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.; OMRON Corporation - Inventors: Takashi Kasai; Shobu Sato; Yuki Uchida; Igino Padovani; Filippo David; Sebastiano Conti - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191343A1 ## CPC - H04R 19/04: Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) - B81B 3/0021: {Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa (dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00)} - H04R 1/023: {Screens for loudspeakers} - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 19/005: {using semiconductor materials} - H04R 19/016: {for microphones} - H04R 31/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor {(manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182)} - H04R 1/086: {Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens} - H04R 2201/003: Mems transducers or their use - H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00) ## Abstract Provided is an acoustic transducer including: a semiconductor substrate; a vibrating membrane, provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a vibrating electrode; and a fixed membrane, provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a fixed electrode, the acoustic transducer detecting a sound wave according to changes in capacitances between the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode, converting the sound wave into electrical signals, and outputting the electrical signals. At least one of the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode is divided into a plurality of divided electrodes, and the plurality of divided electrodes outputting the electrical signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acoustic transducer, comprising: a substrate having an opening that is configured to receive a sound wave; a vibrating electrode provided adjacent to the opening in the substrate, the vibrating electrode having a main vibrating portion and a side vibrating portion that is smaller than the main vibrating portion, the side vibrating portion extending from one side of the main vibrating portion; and a fixed membrane having a fixed electrode, at least one of the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode being divided into a plurality of divided electrodes, the plurality of divided electrodes being configured to output electrical signals based on changes in capacitances between the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode in response to the sound wave. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the plurality of divided electrodes have different detection sensitivities. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the plurality of divided electrodes have different areas. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The acoustic transducer according to claim 3 wherein the main vibrating portion of the vibrating electrode corresponds to a larger one of said at least two of the plurality of divided electrodes and is configured to vibrate, in response to the sound wave, with a greater average amplitude than the side vibrating portion of the vibrating electrode that corresponds to a smaller one of said at least two of the plurality of divided electrodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein the main vibrating portion and the side vibrating portion are part of the plurality of divided electrodes and are completely separated by a slit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode are separated from each other by a distance during a resting state, the distance being configured to change during an operational state in response to the sound wave. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein the main vibrating portion and the side vibrating portion are part of the plurality of divided electrodes and are partially separated by a slit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein: the vibrating electrode is divided into a first group of the divided electrodes; and the fixed electrode is divided into a second group of the divided electrodes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein each of the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode has a uniform thickness. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein the main vibrating portion is a rectangle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The acoustic transducer according to claim 10 wherein the side vibrating portion is a rectangle that has a smaller width than a width of the main vibrating portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The acoustic transducer according to claim 10 wherein: the vibrating electrode has extensions that extends away from the main portion and from the side portion; and the vibrating electrode is fixed to the substrate or the fixed membrane with the extensions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein: the plurality of divided electrodes includes the main vibrating portion and the side vibrating portion, which are separated by a slit in a boundary between the plurality of divided electrodes; and. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The acoustic transducer according to claim 13 wherein the slit has a width of 10 um or less. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein the vibrating electrode and the substrate are separated by a gap. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein: the main vibrating portion and the side vibrating portion correspond to the plurality of divided electrodes, the main vibrating portion and the side vibrating portion have fixed portions at which the vibrating electrode is fixed to the substrate or the fixed membrane; and a ratio of an area of the main vibrating portion with respect to an area of the respective fixed portion is different from a ratio of an area of the side vibrating portion with respect to an area of the respective fixed portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer according to claim 1 wherein: the opening faces a center of the main vibrating electrode. ### Claim 18 A microphone, comprising: an acoustic transducer that includes: a substrate having an opening that is configured to receive a sound wave; a vibrating electrode, provided adjacent to the opening in the substrate, the vibrating electrode having a main vibrating portion and a side vibrating portion that is smaller than the main vibrating portion, the side vibrating portion extending from one side of the main vibrating portion; and a fixed membrane, provided adjacent to the opening in the substrate, the fixed membrane including a fixed electrode, at least one of the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode being divided into a plurality of divided electrodes, the plurality of divided electrodes being configured to output electrical signals based on changes in capacitances between the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode in response to the sound wave; and an integrated circuit configured to supply electric power to the acoustic transducer, to receive the electrical signals from the plurality of divided electrodes, to amplify the electrical signals from the acoustic transducer, and to externally output the electrical signals. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The microphone of claim 18 wherein the fixed membrane includes a main fixed portion and a side fixed portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The microphone of claim 19 wherein the main fixed portion is larger than the side fixed portion. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The microphone of claim 20 wherein the main vibrating portion and the main fixed portion have a rectangular shape and the side vibrating portion and the side fixed portion have a rectangular shape that has a width that is smaller than a width of the main vibrating portion and the main fixed portion. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The microphone of claim 19 wherein the main vibrating portion is a first one of the plurality of divided electrodes and the side vibrating portion is a second one of the vibrating electrodes, the main vibrating portion being partially separated from the side vibrating portion by a slit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The microphone of claim 19 wherein the main vibrating portion is a first one of the plurality of divided electrodes and the side vibrating portion is a second one of the vibrating electrodes, the main vibrating portion being completely separated from the side vibrating portion by a slit. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer of claim 1 wherein the plurality of divided electrodes are part of the fixed membrane and the plurality of divided electrodes are separated by a dielectric portion in the fixed membrane. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer of claim 1 wherein the fixed electrode is divided into a plurality of divided electrodes, the vibrating electrode has a slit that faces a boundary between the plurality of divided electrodes. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The acoustic transducer of claim 1 wherein the vibrating electrode is positioned between the substrate and the fixed membrane. ### Claim 27 A device, comprising: a substrate having an opening; and a vibrating electrode coupled to the substrate, the vibrating electrode having a main vibrating portion and a side vibrating portion that extends from one side of the main vibration portion, the main vibrating portion and the side vibrating portion being suspended adjacent to the opening, the main vibrating portion being partially separated from the side vibrating portion by a gap, and the main vibrating portion being larger than the side vibrating portion. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The device of claim 27 wherein the main vibrating portion is rectangular and has a first width, and the side vibrating portion is rectangular and has a second width that is smaller than the first width. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The device of claim 27 wherein the vibrating electrode includes a plurality of anchoring portions that extend from the main vibrating portion and the side vibrating portion, the anchoring portions configured to attached the vibrating electrode to the substrate.