Acoustic apparatus with diaphragm supported at a discrete number of locations
AssigneeKnowles Electronics, LLC
InventorsSagnik Pal, Sung Bok Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An acoustic apparatus includes a back plate, a diaphragm, and at least one pillar. The diaphragm and the back plate are disposed in spaced relation to each other. At least one pillar is configured to at least temporarily connect the back plate and the diaphragm across the distance. The diaphragm stiffness is increased as compared to a diaphragm stiffness in absence of the pillar. The at least one pillar provides a clamped boundary condition when the diaphragm is electrically biased and the clamped boundary is provided at locations where the diaphragm is supported by the at least one pillar.
Claims20
A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) acoustic transducer die comprising:
- an electrical capacitor including a back plate and a diaphragm disposed in spaced apart relation to the back plate,
- the diaphragm having a periphery, the periphery of the diaphragm at least partially constrained;
- and
- at least one pillar disposed between the back plate and the diaphragm, the at least one pillar located within the periphery of the diaphragm,
- a portion of the diaphragm between the at least one pillar and the periphery of the diaphragm unconstrained relative to the periphery at least when a bias voltage is applied between the diaphragm and back plate,
- wherein at least the portion of the diaphragm between the at least one pillar and the periphery is movable in the presence of a differential acoustic pressure.
A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) acoustic transducer die comprising:
- a back plate;
- a diaphragm disposed in spaced apart relation to the back plate, the diaphragm having a periphery,
- the periphery of the diaphragm at least partially constrained at least when a bias voltage is applied to the diaphragm and back plate;
- and
- at least one pillar disposed between the back plate and the diaphragm, the at least one pillar located within the periphery of the diaphragm,
- a portion of the diaphragm between the at least one pillar and the periphery of the diaphragm is positioned closer to the back plate than a portion of the diaphragm in contact with the pillar when a bias voltage is applied to the diaphragm and back plate,
- wherein at least the portion of the diaphragm is movable relative to the back plate in the presence of a differential acoustic pressure.
A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) acoustic transducer die comprising:
- a back plate;
- a diaphragm disposed substantially parallel and in spaced apart relation to the back plate,
- the diaphragm relatively unconstrained absent a bias voltage applied across the back plate and the diaphragm;
- and
- at least one pillar disposed between the back plate and the diaphragm, the at least one pillar located within a periphery of the diaphragm,
- wherein a portion of the diaphragm between the at least one pillar and the periphery of the diaphragm is positioned closer to the back plate than a portion of the diaphragm in contact with the pillar when a bias voltage is applied across the diaphragm and back plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.