CMUT Packaging for Ultrasound System

• US 20100280388A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kolo Medical, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kolo Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Yongli
• Granted Patent: US 9,408,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0292 Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0651 of circular shape
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 3/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

Ultrasonic scanners and methods of manufacturing ultra-sonic scanners. One embodiment of a method includes integrating a flexible electronic device (e.g. an IC) and a flexible ultrasonic transducer (e.g. a portion of a circular CMUT array) with a flexible member. The IC, the transducer, and the flexible member can form a flexible subassembly which is rolled up to form an ultrasonic scanner. The integration of the IC and the transducer can occur at the same time. In the alternative, the integration of the electronic device can occur before the integration of the transducer. Moreover, the integration of the transducer can include using a semiconductor technique. Furthermore, the rolled up subassembly can form a lumen or can be attached to a lumen. The method can include folding a portion of the flexible subassembly to form a forward looking transducer. The flexible member of some subassemblies can include a pair of arms.

Claims

1. A method of packaging an ultrasonic system, comprising:

integrating an ultrasonic transducer with a flexible member;

integrating an electrical circuit with the flexible member, the integrated electrical circuit, the ultrasonic transducer, and the flexible member being a flexible subassembly; and

shaping the flexible subassembly to have at least one curved part and to be the ultrasonic system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic transducer is flexible.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is flexible.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising integrating the electronic device and the ultrasonic transducer on a device layer of a substrate before integrating the electronic device and the ultrasonic transducer with the flexible member.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising forming a least a trench through a device layer of a substrate.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising forming the device layer with at least one embedded cavity.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising forming the device layer on a SOI wafer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising integrating the electronic device and the ultrasonic transducer with the flexible member at the same time.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the integrating the ultrasonic transducer includes using a semiconductor technique.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the shaped flexible member defines a lumen or a partial lumen.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a through wafer interconnect in the ultrasonic transducer and wherein the integrating of the flexible transducer is from the side of the ultrasonic transducer which does not include an active surface of the flexible ultrasonic transducer.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising attaching the shaped flexible member to a lumen.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer includes at least one capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT).

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising folding a portion of the flexible member which hosts the flexible ultrasonic transducer wherein the folded portion of the flexible member and the flexible ultrasonic transducer form a forward looking ultrasonic transducer.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer includes at least a portion of a circular CMUT array.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible member includes a pair of arms.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the integrating of the ultrasonic transducer and the integrating of the electronic circuit are from opposite sides of the flexible member.

18. An ultrasonic system comprising:

an electronic circuit;

an ultrasonic transducer; and

a flexible member with the electronic circuit and the ultrasonic transducer integrated there with, the integrated electronic circuit, the ultrasonic transducer, and the flexible member being a flexible subassembly, the flexible subassembly being shaped to have at least one curved part and being the ultrasonic system.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the ultrasound transducer is a flexible ultrasound transducer.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the shaped flexible subassembly is a lumen.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer includes a through wafer interconnect.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the ultrasonic transducer includes at least one CMUT element.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the ultrasonic transducer is a CMUT array including at least two CMUT elements.

24. The system of claim 18 further comprising one of a temperature sensor or pressure sensor integrated with the flexible member.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein the ultrasonic transducer includes at least a portion of a circular CMUT array.

26. The system of claim 18 wherein the ultrasonic transducer is a forward looking ultrasonic transducer.

27. The system of claim 18 wherein the ultrasonic transducer and the electronic circuit are on opposite sides of the flexible member.

28. An ultrasonic system comprising:

an integrated circuit;

a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT);

a flexible member with the integrated circuit and the CMUT integrated there with, the integrated circuit, the CMUT, and the flexible member being a flexible subassembly, the flexible subassembly being shaped to have at least one curved part and to be at least a portion of a lumen, the CMUT being positioned on the distal end of the ultrasonic scanner and being a forward looking ring shaped ultrasonic transducer;

29. A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer, the method comprising:

integrating a plurality of ultrasonic transducers and a plurality of electrical circuits with a flexible substrate having interconnections built therein to form a flexible subassembly; and

shaping the flexible subassembly into a compact shape, the shaped flexible subassembly being an ultrasonic transducer.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the integrating of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers with the flexible substrate comprises:

forming the flexible substrate including the interconnections;

forming a plurality of bonding pads on the flexible substrate, the bonding pads conductively connecting to the interconnections; and

connecting each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to a respective one of the plurality of bonding pads.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the integrating of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers with the flexible substrate comprises:

providing a support substrate;

placing the plurality of ultrasonic transducers onto the support substrate; and

forming the flexible substrate with the interconnections over the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

removing at least a part of the support substrate.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the shaping of the flexible subassembly comprises rolling up the flexible subassembly.