Multiple element electrode cMUT devices and fabrication methods
First Claim
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1. A cMUT comprising:
- a multi-element electrode having at least a first electrode element and a second electrode element, the first and second electrode elements being spaced apart from each, forming part of different circuits, and operatively configured to transmit or receive an ultrasonic wave separately from each other such that the first electrode element can transmit or receive an ultrasonic wave separately from the second electrode element receiving or transmitting an ultrasonic wave; and
a membrane, the second electrode element being disposed proximate a central region of the membrane such that the second electrode element is positioned to actuate the central region of the membrane, the first electrode element being disposed generally between an edge region of the membrane and the central region to actuate a region intermediate the edge region and the central region, and the first electrode element and the second electrode element having cross-sectional widths less than the cross-sectional width of the membrane.
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Abstract
Multiple electrode element capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (“cMUT”) devices and fabrication methods are provided. A cMUT device generally comprises a top electrode disposed within a membrane, a bottom electrode disposed on a substrate, and a cavity between the membrane and the bottom electrode. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a plurality of electrode elements. The electrode elements can be positioned and energized to shape the membrane and efficiently transmit and receive ultrasonic energy, such as ultrasonic waves. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A cMUT comprising:
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a multi-element electrode having at least a first electrode element and a second electrode element, the first and second electrode elements being spaced apart from each, forming part of different circuits, and operatively configured to transmit or receive an ultrasonic wave separately from each other such that the first electrode element can transmit or receive an ultrasonic wave separately from the second electrode element receiving or transmitting an ultrasonic wave; and a membrane, the second electrode element being disposed proximate a central region of the membrane such that the second electrode element is positioned to actuate the central region of the membrane, the first electrode element being disposed generally between an edge region of the membrane and the central region to actuate a region intermediate the edge region and the central region, and the first electrode element and the second electrode element having cross-sectional widths less than the cross-sectional width of the membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of transceiving ultrasonic waves comprising:
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providing a cMUT having a membrane and a multi-element first electrode comprising a first electrode element and a second electrode element, both having cross-sectional widths less than the cross-sectional width of the membrane; providing the first electrode element proximate a first portion of the cMUT membrane such that the first electrode element can actuate the first portion of the cMUT membrane; providing the second element electrode proximate a second portion of the cMUT membrane such that the second electrode element can actuate the second portion of the cMUT membrane; and adapting the cMUT to receive applying a first voltage at the first electrode element and a second voltage at the second electrode element such that the first electrode element and the second electrode element transmit an ultrasonic wave separate from each other. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of fabricating a cMUT array comprising one or more cMUTs, the method comprising:
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providing a top conductor; providing a bottom conductor separated by a gap distance from the top conductor; configuring at least one of the top and bottom conductors into a plurality of electrode elements such that a number of the electrode elements can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves separate from another number of the electrode elements receiving or transmitting ultrasonic waves; configuring at least one of the plurality of electrode elements into at least a set of three conductors for each cMUT, the set of three conductors comprising a first electrode element, a second electrode element, and a third electrode element each having a cross-sectional width less than the cross-sectional width of the cMUT; providing the first and the third electrode elements proximate opposing cross-sectional width portions of the cMUT such that the first and third electrode elements can actuate opposing cross-sectional width portions of the cMUT; and providing the second electrode element intermediate the first and second electrode elements such that ends of the second electrode element are spaced apart from opposing ends of the first and third electrode elements. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A cMUT for use with ultrasonic imaging, the cMUT comprising:
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a multi-element electrode comprising a first electrode element, a second electrode element, and a third electrode element, the first electrode element being proximate a first side region of the cMUT, the second electrode element being proximate a second side region of the cMUT, and the third electrode element being proximate a middle region of the cMUT; the first electrode element and the second electrode element forming a side electrode element pair and being electrically coupled to one another to cooperatively shape a membrane of the cMUT during transmission or reception of an ultrasonic signal; and the side electrode element pair being transmit elements, the third electrode element being a receive element, and the first and second electrode elements of the electrode element pair each being so located at side regions of the cMUT to make use of leveraged bending. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification