Mems devices and processes
AssigneeCirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.
InventorsScott Lyall CARGILL, Colin Robert JENKINS, Euan James BOYD, Richard Ian LAMING
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The application describes MEMS transducer having a flexible membrane and which seeks to alleviate and/or redistribute stresses within the membrane layer. A membrane having a first/active region and a second/inactive region is described.
Claims28
A MEMS transducer comprising a membrane and at least one mount structure for supporting the membrane relative to a substrate to provide a flexible membrane, and further comprising one or more stress diffusing structures provided in said membrane so as to diffuse stress in the region of the mount structure.
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A MEMS transducer structure comprising:
- a membrane layer supported relative to a substrate to provide a flexible membrane,
- a first plurality of mount structures for supporting the membrane layer in fixed relation to the substrate, the first plurality of mount structures being configured to define a peripheral edge of the flexible membrane and being spaced apart from one another along the peripheral edge of the membrane;
- and
- a first plurality of stress diffusing slits in said membrane layer;
- wherein each stress diffusing slit is located within the flexible membrane in front of a gap between adjacent mount structures in a direction towards the center of the membrane;
- and
- each stress diffusing slit being elongate and having a curved path such that a first tangent in the plane of the membrane layer to a first part of the path of the slit intersects with one of said adjacent mount structures and a second tangent in the plane of the membrane layer to a second part of the path of the slit intersects with the other of said adjacent mount structures, where the first and second tangents are parallel.
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A MEMS transducer structure comprising:
- a membrane layer supported relative to a substrate to provide a flexible membrane,
- a first plurality of mount structures for supporting the membrane layer in fixed relation to the substrate, the first plurality of mount structures being configured to define a peripheral edge of the flexible membrane and being spaced apart from one another along the peripheral edge of the membrane;
- and
- a first plurality of stress diffusing slits in said membrane layer;
- wherein each stress diffusing slit is located within the flexible membrane with respect to a pair of adjacent mount structure so as to be located in front of a gap between the pair of mount structures in a direction towards the center of the membrane such that any line on the membrane layer originating from the center of the flexible membrane and passing through said gap will intersect said slit;
- and
- wherein said slit describes a curved path that is concave with reference to the center of the flexible membrane and which curves through at least 180°
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.