ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20110115333A1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ezaki, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,378,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/300
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0292 Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electromechanical transducer, including: a plurality of devices each including at least one cell including a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other across a gap; and an outer frame extending along an outer periphery of the plurality of devices, wherein the first electrode of each of the devices each includes a plurality of portions formed by electrically separating a device substrate with grooves, wherein the outer frame includes a part of the device substrate surrounding the plurality of portions and electrically separated from the plurality of portions by the grooves, wherein the first electrodes each including the plurality of portions are respectively bonded to a plurality of conductive portions of another substrate via a plurality of electrode connection portions, and wherein the outer frame is bonded to a corresponding portion of the another substrate via a circular outer frame connection portion which surrounds the electrode connection portions.

Claims

1. An electromechanical transducer, comprising:

a plurality of devices each comprising at least one cell comprising a first electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face each other across a gap; and

an outer frame extending along an outer periphery of the plurality of devices,

wherein the first electrode of each of the plurality of devices each comprises a plurality of portions formed by electrically separating a device substrate with grooves,

wherein the outer frame comprises a part of the device substrate that surrounds the plurality of portions and that is electrically separated from the plurality of portions by the grooves,

wherein the first electrodes each comprising the plurality of portions are respectively bonded to a plurality of conductive portions of another substrate via a plurality of electrode connection portions, and

wherein the outer frame is bonded to a corresponding portion of the another substrate via a circular outer frame connection portion which surrounds the plurality of electrode connection portions.

2. The electromechanical transducer according to claim 1, wherein the another substrate comprises a wafer embedded with electrical through-wafer interconnects having a plurality of electrical through-wafer interconnects, which serve as the plurality of conductive portions.

3. The electromechanical transducer according to claim 1, wherein the another substrate is a circuit board for controlling the electromechanical transducer.

4. The electromechanical transducer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrode connection portions and the circular outer frame connection portion are formed of a same conductive material.

5. The electromechanical transducer according to claim 1, wherein the outer frame and the second electrode are electrically connected to each other, and the outer frame is bonded to the plurality of conductive portions of the corresponding portion of the another substrate via a conductive portion of the circular outer frame connection portion.

6. The electromechanical transducer according to claim 1, wherein the grooves are in vacuum or filled with a gas.

7. A method of manufacturing an electromechanical transducer in which a device substrate comprises a plurality of devices and an outer frame, and is bonded to another substrate, the plurality of devices each comprising at least one cell comprising a first electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face each other across a gap, the outer frame extending along an outer periphery of the plurality of devices arranged,

the method comprising:

forming grooves in the device substrate and forming the outer frame and a plurality of the first electrodes;

forming a plurality of electrode connection portions, which are respectively connected to the plurality of the first electrodes, and forming an outer frame connection portion, which extends along a periphery of the plurality of electrode connection portions to form a circular shape and which is connected to the outer frame; and

bonding the device substrate and the another substrate via the outer frame connection portion and the plurality of electrode connection portions.