Integrated microphone device and manufacturing method thereof

• US 10,609,463 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Cheng, Chun-Wen, Kuo, Wen-Cheng, Chu, Chia-Hua, Tsai, Chun-Yin, Wu, Tzu-Heng
• Primary Examiner(s): Ojo, Oyesola C
• Application Number:
  US15/797,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20190132662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• 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 of the electrostatic type H04R19/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182

Abstract

An integrated microphone device is provided. The integrated microphone device includes a substrate, a plate, and a membrane. The substrate includes an aperture allowing acoustic pressure to pass through. The plate is disposed on a side of the substrate. The membrane is disposed between the substrate and the plate and movable relative to the plate as acoustic pressure strikes the membrane. The membrane includes a vent valve having an open area that is variable in response to a change in acoustic pressure.

Claims

1. An integrated microphone device, comprising:

a substrate including an aperture allowing acoustic pressure to pass through;

a plate disposed on a side of the substrate; and

a membrane disposed between the substrate and the plate, and movable relative to the plate as acoustic pressure strikes the membrane, wherein the membrane includes a vent valve having an open area that is variable in response to a change in acoustic pressure;

wherein the vent valve has an opening and a plurality of deflection parts connected to a main body of the membrane, and each of the deflection parts is deflectable relative to the main body to change the open area of the opening, wherein the opening includes a circular center portion and a plurality of channel portions extending radially from the circular center portion, wherein the deflection parts are disposed around the circular center portion and each of the channel portions is dispose between the two adjacent deflection parts, and one side of each of the deflection parts adjacent to the center portion is curved.

2. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vent valve has a first open area in response to a first acoustic pressure and a second open area in response to a second acoustic pressure, wherein the second acoustic pressure is greater than the first acoustic pressure and the second open area is greater than the first open area.

3. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an initial open area of the vent valve is less than 20 percent of an area of the membrane.

4. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening defines a first open area in response to a first deflection of the deflection parts and a second open area in response to a second deflection of the deflection parts, wherein the second deflection is greater than the first deflection and the second open area is greater than the first open area.

5. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the deflection parts is a beam element with one end connected to the main body of the membrane.

6. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a free end portion of the beam element has a smaller width than other portions of the beam element.

7. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of the opening conforms to the shape of the deflection parts.

8. An integrated microphone device, comprising:

a plate;

a membrane disposed opposite to the plate and movable relative to the plate as acoustic pressure strikes the membrane, wherein the membrane has a vent hole configured to relieve stress on the membrane caused by acoustic pressure; and

a vent valve formed in the membrane, having an open area that is variable in response to a change in acoustic pressure, wherein the vent valve has an opening and a plurality of deflection parts connected to a main body of the membrane, and each of the deflection parts is deflectable relative to the main body to change the open area of the opening, wherein the deflection parts comprise a first deflection part and a second deflection part with different sizes, and the first deflection part and the second deflection part each have a sharp-cone shape with a sharp end toward a center of the opening and an extending portion extending from the main body of the membrane to the sharp end, wherein the extending portion of the first deflection part has two parallel opposite edges, and the extending portion of the second deflection part has two non-parallel opposite edges.

9. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the shape of the vent valve is different from that of the vent hole.

10. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vent valve is closer to a center of the membrane than the vent hole.

11. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sum of an initial open area of the vent valve and an open area of the vent hole is less than 20 percent of an area of the membrane.

13. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first deflection part is deflectable relative to the main body in response to a first acoustic pressure, and the second deflection part is deflectable relative to the main body in response to a second acoustic pressure different from the first acoustic pressure.

14. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a substrate including an aperture allowing acoustic pressure to pass through, wherein the plate and the membrane are disposed on a side of the substrate; and

a dielectric layer disposed on the side of the substrate and around the plate and the membrane.

15. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a conductive layer disposed on the plate and contacting a top surface of the dielectric layer.

16. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the deflection parts further comprise a plurality of first deflection parts and a plurality of second deflection parts, and the first deflection parts and the second deflection parts are arranged alternately around the center of the opening.

17. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the extending portion of the first deflection part has a constant width, and the extending portion of the second deflection part has a varied width.

18. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plate has a vent hole that is aligned with the vent valve.

19. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plate has a vent hole that is aligned with the vent hole of the membrane.

20. The integrated microphone device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the shape of the opening conforms to the shape of the deflection parts.

12. An integrated microphone device, comprising:

a plate;

a membrane disposed opposite to the plate and movable relative to the plate as acoustic pressure strikes the membrane; and

a vent valve formed in the membrane, having an open area that is variable in response to a change in acoustic pressure, wherein the vent valve has an opening and a plurality of deflection parts connected to a main body of the membrane, and each of the deflection parts is deflectable relative to the main body to change the open area of the opening, wherein the opening includes a circular center portion and a plurality of channel portions extending radially from the center portion, and a width of the center portion is greater than that of each of the channel portions, wherein the deflection parts are disposed around the circular center portion and each of the channel portions is dispose between the two adjacent deflection parts, and one side of each of the deflection parts adjacent to the center portion is curved.