Micro-electro-mechanical transducer having a surface plate
AssigneeKolo Technologies, Inc.
InventorYongli Huang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A micro-electro-mechanical transducer (such as a cMUT) is disclosed. The transducer has a base, a spring layer placed over the base, and a mass layer connected to the spring layer through a spring-mass connector. The base includes a first electrode. The spring layer or the mass layer includes a second electrode. The base and the spring layer form a gap therebetween and are connected through a spring anchor. The mass layer provides a substantially independent spring mass contribution to the spring model without affecting the equivalent spring constant. The mass layer also functions as a surface plate interfacing with the medium to improve transducing performance. Fabrication methods to make the same are also disclosed.
Claims56
A micro-electro-mechanical transducer having a movable mechanical part to transform energy, the transducer comprising:
- a base including a first electrode;
- a spring layer connected to the base through a spring anchor to form a cantilever;
- and
- a mass layer connected to the spring layer through a spring-mass connector,
- wherein the spring layer or the mass layer includes a second electrode.
A micro-electro-mechanical transducer having a movable mechanical part to transform energy, the transducer comprising:
- a base including a first electrode;
- a spring layer connected to the base through a first spring anchor and a second spring anchor which separate at least a part of the spring layer from a part of the base to form a gap therebetween;
- and
- a mass layer connected to the spring layer through a spring-mass connector,
- wherein at least one of the spring layer and the mass layer includes a second electrode, and wherein the spring-mass connector is horizontally distanced from both the first and the second spring anchors to enable a vertical displacement of the spring-mass connector to transport the mass layer substantially vertically.
A micro-electro-mechanical transducer having a movable mechanical part to transform energy, the transducer comprising:
- a base including a first electrode;
- a spring layer connected to the base through a spring anchor which separates at least a part of the spring layer from a part of the base to form a gap therebetween;
- and
- a mass layer connected to the spring layer through a first spring-mass connector and a second spring-mass connector, wherein at least one of the spring layer and the mass layer includes a second electrode, and wherein the first and the second spring-mass connectors are each horizontally distanced from the spring anchor to enable a vertical displacement of the first and the second spring-mass connectors to transport the mass layer substantially vertically.
A micro-electro-mechanical transducer having a movable mechanical part to transform energy, the transducer comprising at least one addressable transducer element having a periphery defining a transducer element area, wherein the addressable transducer element comprises:
- a base including a first electrode;
- a spring layer placed over the base, the base and the spring layer being connected through a plurality of spring anchors which separate at least a part of the spring layer from the base to form a gap therebetween;
- and
- a mass layer connected to the spring layer through a plurality of spring-mass connectors, wherein at least one of the spring layer and the mass layer includes a second electrode, and wherein the plurality of spring anchors are each horizontally distanced from the neighboring spring-mass connector to allow the plurality of spring-mass connectors to displace vertically thus transporting the mass layer in the same direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.