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US 2026/0307105 A1Published application
Cmut drive method
AssigneeXiver Mems Foundry B.V.
InventorsWillem-Jan Arend DE WIJS, Johan Hendrik KLOOTWIJK, Hans-Peter LOEBL
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Abstract
A method for improving receive sensitivity of a cMUT transducer element by dynamically adjusting the bias volage between the transmit and receive phases of the drive cycle while keeping the cMUT in collapsed operation mode at all times.
Claims15
A method for driving a cMUT device with a drive cycle comprising a transmit period and a receive period, the method comprising:
- in the transmit period, driving a cMUT element of the cMUT device with a first bias voltage and an RF voltage;
- in the receive period, driving the cMUT element with a second bias voltage, and without an RF voltage;
- wherein the second bias voltage is higher than the first bias voltage;
- and
- wherein the combined RF voltage and the first bias voltage are such as to cause the cMUT element to operate in a collapsed mode during the transmit period, and wherein the second bias voltage is such as to cause the cMUT element to operate in collapsed mode during the receive period;
- wherein the difference between the second bias voltage and the first bias voltage is equal to a voltage amplitude of the RF voltage;
- and
- wherein a sum of the voltage amplitude of the RF voltage and the first bias voltage is at or close to a maximum operational voltage.
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(canceled)
A cMUT apparatus, comprising:
- a cMUT device comprising at least one cMUT element;
- and
- drive electronics, adapted to drive the cMUT element with a drive cycle comprising a transmit period and a receive period, the drive electronics adapted to:
- in the transmit period, drive the cMUT element with a first bias voltage and an RF voltage;
- in the receive period, drive the cMUT element with a second bias voltage and without an RF voltage;
- wherein the second bias voltage is higher than the first bias voltage;
- and
- wherein the combined RF voltage and first bias voltage cause the cMUT element to operate in a collapsed mode during the transmit period, and wherein the second bias voltage causes the cMUT element to operate in collapsed mode during the receive period;
- wherein the difference between the second bias voltage and the first bias voltage is equal to a voltage amplitude of the RF voltage;
- and
- wherein a sum of the voltage amplitude of the RF voltage and the first bias voltage is at or close to a maximum operational voltage.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.