Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer arrays with reduced cross-coupling
First Claim
1. A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of spaced transducer elements, each including at least one membrane formed on a substrate,said substrate having a thickness such that the critical angle of plate waves exceeds the desired acceptance angle of the ultrasonic transducer array elements to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements with each other through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and said membrane and its attachment to the substrate configured to minimize the excitation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is described a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array which is configured to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves traveling in the substrate and ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the array surface and the immersion fluid.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of spaced transducer elements, each including at least one membrane formed on a substrate,
said substrate having a thickness such that the critical angle of plate waves exceeds the desired acceptance angle of the ultrasonic transducer array elements to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements with each other through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and said membrane and its attachment to the substrate configured to minimize the excitation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid.
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10. A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of spaced transducer elements, each including at least one membrane formed on a substrate,
said substrate includes a slot in the substrate surrounding each transducer element to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements with each other through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and said membrane and its attachment to the substrate configured to minimize the excitation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid.
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11. A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of spaced transducer elements, each including at least one membrane formed on a substrate,
said substrate includes a porous region in the substrate surrounding each transducer element to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements with each other through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and said membrane and its attachment to the substrate configured to minimize the excitation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid.
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12. A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of spaced transducer elements, each including at least one membrane formed on a substrate,
said substrate configured to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements with each other through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and said membrane having the ratio of the length of membrane-supporting edge to the membrane area minimized to minimize the transfer of ultrasonic energy from the membrane into the substrate to minimize the excitation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid.
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13. A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of spaced transducer elements, each including at least one membrane formed on a substrate,
said substrate configured to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements with each other through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and said membranes having a reduced size at the edge of the transducer array to minimize the slope of the membrane displacement along their edges to minimize the excitation and detection of ultrasonic waves propagating along the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid and its attachment to the substrate configured to minimize the excitation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid.
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14. A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of spaced transducer elements, each including at least one membrane formed on a substrate,
said substrate configured to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements with each other through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and said membranes having a shape to minimize the slope of the membrane displacement along its edges to minimize the excitation and detection of ultrasonic waves propagating along the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and their attachment to the substrate configured to minimize the excitation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements through the plate waves.
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15. A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of spaced transducer elements, each including at least one membrane formed on a substrate,
said substrate configured to minimize the excitation and propagation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements with each other through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, said membrane and its attachment to the substrate configured to minimize the excitation of plate waves and to minimize the interaction of transducer elements through the plate waves or ultrasonic waves propagating at the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid, and electrodes on the membranes shaped to minimize the slope of the membranes'"'"' displacement along their edges to minimize the excitation and detection of ultrasonic waves propagating along the interface between the transducer array surface and the immersion fluid.
Specification