MICRO ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS

• US 20080086056A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: CHIU, Chia-Lin, CHANG, Ming-Wei, LEE, Gwo-Shiang, LAI, Chih-Min, FAN, Tien-Chu, DENG, Hsu-Cheng
• Application Number:
  US11/870,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20080086056A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 11/06 by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8925 the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer comprising a flexible membrane, a first electrode in the flexible membrane, a second electrode in the flexible membrane, and a chamber in the flexible membrane between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer comprising:

a flexible membrane;

a first electrode in the flexible membrane;

a second electrode in the flexible membrane; and

a chamber in the flexible membrane between the first electrode and the second electrode.

2. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane includes a polymeric material selected from one of polyimide, parylene and photoresist.

3. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane is conformable to a surface topology of an object.

4. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode includes a conductive material selected from one of aluminum (Al), aurum (Au), platinum (Pt) and copper (Cu).

5. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane includes multiple flexible layers and the chamber is surrounded by the multiple flexible layers of the flexible membrane.

6. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is exposed to the chamber.

7. An ultrasonic transducer comprising:

a first flexible layer;

a first conductive layer over the first flexible layer;

a second flexible layer over the first conductive layer;

a chamber in the second flexible layer;

a third flexible layer over the chamber; and

a second conductive layer in the third flexible layer,

wherein a portion of the third flexible layer between the second conductive layer and the chamber is capable of generating acoustic waves in response to a voltage applied across the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

8. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 7, wherein each of the first, second and third flexible layers includes a polymeric material selected from one of polyimide, parylene and photoresist.

9. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer includes a material selected from one of aluminum (Al), aurum (Au), platinum (Pt) and copper (Cu).

10. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 7, wherein the first conductive layer is exposed to the chamber.

11. An ultrasonic transducer array comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a first conductive layer on the flexible substrate; and

a number of ultrasonic transducers on the first conductive layer, each of the number of ultrasonic transducers comprising;

a flexible membrane over the first conductive layer;

a second conductive layer in the flexible membrane; and

a chamber in the membrane between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

12. The ultrasonic transducer array of claim 11, wherein at least one of the flexible substrate or the flexible membrane includes a polymeric material selected from one of polyimide, parylene and photoresist.

13. The ultrasonic transducer array of claim 11, wherein the flexible substrate is conformable to a surface topology of an object.

14. The ultrasonic transducer array of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer includes a conductive material selected from one of aluminum (Al), aurum (Au), platinum (Pt) and copper (Cu).

15. The ultrasonic transducer array of claim 11, wherein the first conductive layer is exposed to the chamber of each of the number of ultrasonic transducers.

16. The ultrasonic transducer array of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of conductive wires electrically coupling the second conductive layer of each of the number of ultrasonic transducers.

17. An ultrasonic transducer array comprising:

a first flexible layer;

a first conductive layer on the first flexible layer; and

a number of ultrasonic transducers on the first conductive layer, each of the number of ultrasonic transducers comprising;

a second flexible layer over the first conductive layer;

a chamber in the second flexible layer;

a third flexible layer over the chamber; and

a second conductive layer in the third flexible layer,

wherein a portion of the third flexible layer between the second conductive layer and the chamber is capable of generating acoustic waves in response to a voltage applied across the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

18. The ultrasonic transducer array of claim 17, wherein each of the first, second and third flexible layers includes a polymeric material selected from one of polyimide, parylene and photoresist.

19. The ultrasonic transducer array of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer includes a conductive material selected from one of aluminum (Al), aurum (Au), platinum (Pt) and copper (Cu).

20. The ultrasonic transducer array of claim 17, wherein the first conductive layer is exposed to the chamber.