CAPACITIVE MICROMACHINED ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER AND MANUFACTURING METHOD
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An integrated circuit/transducer device, comprising:
- a substrate;
a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit fabricated on the substrate; and
a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) element fabricated on the substrate and connected to the CMOS circuit, wherein the CMOS circuit and the cMUT element are fabricated during the same foundry process, and wherein the cMUT element includes;
a lower electrode adapted to maintain a first electrical potential,an upper electrode adapted to maintain a second electrical potential,a membrane structure that structurally supports the upper electrode over the lower electrode, wherein an outer region of the membrane structure is thinner than a central region of the membrane, anda cavity between the lower electrode and the upper electrode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The integrated circuit/transducer device of the preferred embodiment includes a substrate, a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit that is fabricated on the substrate, and a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) element that is also fabricated on the substrate. The CMOS circuit and cMUT element are fabricated during the same foundry process and are connected. The cMUT includes a lower electrode, an upper electrode, a membrane structure that support the upper electrode, and a cavity between the upper electrode and lower electrode.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An integrated circuit/transducer device, comprising:
-
a substrate; a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit fabricated on the substrate; and a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) element fabricated on the substrate and connected to the CMOS circuit, wherein the CMOS circuit and the cMUT element are fabricated during the same foundry process, and wherein the cMUT element includes; a lower electrode adapted to maintain a first electrical potential, an upper electrode adapted to maintain a second electrical potential, a membrane structure that structurally supports the upper electrode over the lower electrode, wherein an outer region of the membrane structure is thinner than a central region of the membrane, and a cavity between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of producing an integrated circuit/transducer device, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a substrate; fabricating a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit on the substrate; fabricating a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) element on the substrate and connecting the cMUT element to the CMOS circuit, wherein the cMUT element includes the following components that consist of layers corresponding to layers within the CMOS circuit;
a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and a sacrificial layer located between the lower electrode and the upper electrode;leaving a passivation opening that substantially encircles the upper electrode; removing the sacrificial layer, thereby defining a cavity between the lower electrode and the upper electrode and creating a membrane structure above the cavity; and depositing a sealant layer thereby sealing the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification