Directional microphone and associated packing techniques

• US 10,508,024 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2018
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innogrity Pte Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Anu Austin, Ian Rose Bihag, Kathirgamasundaram Sooriakumar
• Inventors: Sooriakumar, Kathirgamasundaram, Austin, Anu, Bihag, Ian Rose
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D
• Application Number:
  US16/109,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20190055119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 381 91, 381355, 381356, 381357, 381358, 381361, 381369, 381174, 381175, 381191, 438 51
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0257 Microphones or microspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0264 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/11 Structural features, others than packages, for protecting a device against environmental influences
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/99 Microstructural systems or auxiliary parts thereof not provided for in B81B2207/01 - B81B2207/115
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0038 using materials for controlling the level of pressure, contaminants or moisture inside of the package, e.g. getters
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0061 suitable for fluid transfer from the MEMS out of the package or vice versa, e.g. transfer of liquid, gas, sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2876 by means of damping material, e.g. as cladding damping material for tuning desired resonances H04R1/2807, e.g. in vents H04R1/2823, H04R1/2846
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/44 Special adaptations for subaqueous use, e.g. for hydrophone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/02 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/003 Mems transducers or their use

Abstract

Aspect of the disclosure provide a packaging technique for making a directional microphone which employs mechanical structures to cancel undesired background noise to realize the directional function instead of an extra sensor required in electronic noise-cancelling techniques, thus reducing footprint and cost of a directional microphone. A directional microphone based on this technique can include an acoustic sensor and a housing enclosing the acoustic sensor. The acoustic sensor can include a sensing diaphragm, a cavity below the sensing diaphragm, and a first substrate. The directional microphone device can further include a channel with an inlet open at an edge of the first substrate and an outlet connected with the cavity. The housing can include a cover attached to a second substrate supporting the first substrate. The cover can include a first opening over the sensing diaphragm and a second opening at a side of the cover.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

an acoustic sensor having

a first substrate, the first substrate including a first surface;

a sensing diaphragm mounted to the first surface and configured to sense sound pressure; and

a cavity below the sensing diaphragm;

a channel with an inlet open at an edge of the first substrate and an outlet connected with the cavity; and

a housing enclosing the acoustic sensor, the housing having a cover attached to a second substrate supporting the first substrate;

wherein the cover includes a first opening at least partially overlapping with the sensing diaphragm in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, and a second opening at a side of the cover, the second opening being disposed adjacent to the inlet of the channel.

2. The device according to claim 1, further including:

an anechoic chip mounted on top of the cover, the anechoic chip including

a first opening at least partially overlapping with the first opening of the cover; and

a plurality of cavities disposed around the first opening of the anechoic chip.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein

the first opening of the anechoic chip has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the plurality of cavities.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising

a barrier wall disposed outside the housing at an edge of the second substrate and adjacent to the second opening, the barrier wall being spaced apart from the housing.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the barrier wall is configured to block sound waves inside the housing from leaving the housing, and to block sound waves outside the housing from entering the housing.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a first distance of a first path from the second opening to the sensing diaphragm via the channel is configured to be equal to a second distance of a second path from the second opening to the sensing diaphragm via a chamber between the cover and the acoustic sensor.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

multiple channels each having an inlet open at the edge of the first substrate and an outlet connected with the cavity.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the multiple channels extend from the cavity to the edge of the first substrate.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the spacing of the multiple channels is evenly distributed.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the cover includes multiple second openings at sides of the cover.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein a first distance of a first path from each one of the second openings to the sensing diaphragm via a corresponding one of the multiple channels is configured to be equal to a second distance of a second path from the same second opening to the sensing diaphragm via a chamber between the cover and the acoustic sensor.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic sensor is fabricated with MEMS technology.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic sensor is a capacitive pressure sensor.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic sensor is a piezoresistive pressure sensor.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate is bonded to the second substrate.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the channel is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are a same substrate made from a silicon wafer.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic sensor includes sidewalls attached to the sensing diaphragm and the first surface of the first substrate to form the cavity.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate includes an opening below the cavity.