Piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer and process

US10478858B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• QUALCOMM Incorporated · US

Inventors

• Jon Bradley Lasiter · Stockton, US
• Ravindra V. Shenoy · San Jose, US
• Evgeni Gousev · Saratoga, US
• Hrishikesh Vijaykumar Panchawagh · Rochester, US
• David William Burns · Minneapolis, US
• Nai-Kuei Kuo · San Jose, US
• Jonathan Charles Griffiths · Fremont, US
• Suryaprakash Ganti · Los Altos, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 12, 2014
• Grant date: Nov 19, 2019
• Expiry date: Apr 23, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/42
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A piezoelectric micromechanical ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) includes a multilayer stack disposed on a substrate. The multilayer stack may include an anchor structure disposed over the substrate, a piezoelectric layer stack disposed over the anchor structure, and a mechanical layer disposed proximate to the piezoelectric layer stack. The piezoelectric layer stack may be disposed over a cavity. The mechanical layer may seal the cavity and, together with the piezoelectric layer stack, is supported by the anchor structure and forms a membrane over the cavity, the membrane being configured to undergo one or both of flexural motion and vibration when the PMUT receives or transmits ultrasonic signals.