Membrane hydrophone for high frequency ultrasound and method of manufacture
First Claim
1. A membrane hydrophone for measuring acoustic energy from a high frequency ultrasound transducer, comprising:
- a frame;
a piezoelectric membrane having a first side and a second side that is supported by the frame and including a conductive material on both sides of the piezoelectric membrane; and
a first electrode pattern comprising a first electrode and a second electrode pattern comprising a second electrode formed within the conductive material, wherein the first electrode pattern and second electrode pattern overlap each other on opposite sides of the piezoelectric membrane to define an active area of the hydrophone;
wherein the first electrode pattern comprising the first electrode is created on both the first and second sides of the piezoelectric membrane and overlap each other except in the active area, andwherein the second electrode pattern comprising the second electrode is created on both the first and second sides of the piezoelectric membrane and overlap each other except in the active area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A membrane hydrophone for analyzing high frequency ultrasound transducers has a piezoelectric membrane with electrode patterns created on the surface of the membrane. In one embodiment, the electrode patterns are doubled on each side of the membrane except for an active area of the hydrophone. In one embodiment, the electrodes are formed by removing a conductive coating on the membrane with laser pulses. The laser is set to remove the conductive coating from the piezoelectric membrane from the same side of the membrane in order to accurately align the electrodes in the active area. In one embodiment, the active area of the hydrophone has an area in a range of 900-10,000 square microns.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A membrane hydrophone for measuring acoustic energy from a high frequency ultrasound transducer, comprising:
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a frame; a piezoelectric membrane having a first side and a second side that is supported by the frame and including a conductive material on both sides of the piezoelectric membrane; and a first electrode pattern comprising a first electrode and a second electrode pattern comprising a second electrode formed within the conductive material, wherein the first electrode pattern and second electrode pattern overlap each other on opposite sides of the piezoelectric membrane to define an active area of the hydrophone; wherein the first electrode pattern comprising the first electrode is created on both the first and second sides of the piezoelectric membrane and overlap each other except in the active area, and wherein the second electrode pattern comprising the second electrode is created on both the first and second sides of the piezoelectric membrane and overlap each other except in the active area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of making a membrane hydrophone for measuring acoustic energy from a high frequency ultrasound transducer, comprising:
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stretching a piezoelectric membrane across a frame; applying a conductive layer to a first side and a second side of the piezoelectric membrane; and selectively removing a portion of the conductive layer on the piezoelectric membrane to create a first electrode pattern comprising a first electrode and a second electrode pattern comprising a second electrode that overlap in an active area of the hydrophone, wherein the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern are created on both the first and the second side of the piezoelectric membrane; wherein the conductive layer is removed by applying laser energy to the conductive layer to remove a portion of the conductive layer and leaving the piezoelectric membrane intact. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A membrane hydrophone for measuring acoustic energy from a high frequency ultrasound transducer, comprising:
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a piezoelectric membrane having a first side and a second side; a first electrode on the first side and the second side of the piezoelectric membrane; a second electrode on the first side and the second side of the piezoelectric membrane, whereby the first and second electrodes overlap in an area between 10-30 microns in diameter; and at least one registration feature that is cut though the piezoelectric membrane that allows the piezoelectric membrane to be aligned with an electrode patterning tool.
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17. A membrane hydrophone for measuring acoustic energy from a high
frequency ultrasound transducer, comprising: -
a piezoelectric membrane having a first side and a second side; a first plurality of electrodes on the first side of the piezoelectric membrane; and a second plurality of electrodes on the second side of the piezoelectric membrane, whereby the first plurality and the second plurality of electrodes on the surfaces overlap in a grid-pattern of active areas.
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Specification