Surface mountable transducer system

• US 8,103,025 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epcos Pte Limited (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Mullenborn, Matthias, Kuhmann, Jochen F., Scheel, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): FAULK, DEVONA E
• Application Number:
  US11/320,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20060115102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 381/100, 381/181, 381361-365, 381171-175, 381/191, 257/704, 257/729, 257/416, 257/522, 257/499, 367/174, 367/181
• US Class Current: 381/174
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622

Abstract

The present invention relates to a surface mountable acoustic transducer system, comprising one or more transducers, a processing circuit electrically connected to the one or more transducers, and contact points arranged on an exterior surface part of the transducer system. The contact points are adapted to establish electrical connections between the transducer system and an external substrate, the contact points further being adapted to facilitate mounting of the transducer system on the external substrate by conventional surface mounting techniques.

Claims

1. A silicon condenser microphone, comprising:

a transducer element including a diaphragm;

a substrate including a surface having a recess formed therein, said transducer element overlapping at least a portion of said recess to form a volume adjacent to said transducer element, said transducer element including a cavity through which ambient sound pressure enters before deflecting said diaphragm;

a cover disposed over said cavity of said transducer element, said cover including a conductive portion forming a shield against electromagnetic interference, said cover having a length that is longer than a length of said diaphragm; and

at least one aperture formed in said cover.

2. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein said conductive portion includes a conductive layer formed in said cover.

3. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein said conductive portion includes a conductive polymer layer.

4. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, further comprising solder bumps for electrically coupling to said transducer element.

5. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein said at least one aperture includes an aperture formed in said substrate.

6. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, further comprising an environmental protection structure adjacent said at least one aperture.

7. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 6, further comprising a sealing ring coupled to said substrate for hermetically sealing said volume.

8. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 6, wherein said environmental protection structure includes a film.

9. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 6, said environmental protection structure includes a filter.

10. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 9, wherein said environmental protection structure is disposed over said at least one aperture.

11. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein a portion of said cover includes an environmental protection structure.

12. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 11, wherein said environmental protection structure includes a metal.

13. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein said volume is a back volume for said transducer element.

14. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, further comprising a sealing ring coupled to said substrate for hermetically sealing said volume.

15. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, further comprising a silicon-based integrated circuit on said substrate and electrically coupled to said transducer element, said cover being disposed over said integrated circuit.

16. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1 in combination with a mobile phone.

17. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1 in combination with a PDA.

18. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein said transducer element includes a diaphragm having at least a silicon nitride layer and a polycrystalline silicon layer.

19. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 18, wherein said polycrystalline silicon layer is doped with boron.

20. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 18, wherein said polycrystalline silicon layer is doped with phosphorous.

21. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein said transducer element includes a diaphragm having a silicon nitride layer.

22. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of solder bumps disposed on a surface of said substrate opposite said surface having said recess, said solder bumps for surface mounting to a printed circuit board.

23. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 1, further comprising a housing at least partially enclosing said transducer element and said substrate.

24. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 23, wherein said housing includes a conductive layer protecting said transducer element against electromagnetic interference (EMI).

25. A silicon condenser microphone, comprising:

a transducer element including a diaphragm;

a substrate including a surface having a recess formed therein, said transducer element overlapping at least a portion of said recess to form a volume adjacent to said transducer element, said transducer element including a cavity through which ambient sound pressure enters before deflecting said diaphragm;

a multi-layer structure adjacent at least part of said transducer element, said multi-layer structure including a conductive layer and an insulating layer; and

a cover disposed over said cavity and having a length that is longer than a length of said diaphragm.

26. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 25, wherein said substrate further includes a conductive portion that is electrically coupled to said conductive layer of said multi-layer structure.

27. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 26 in combination with a mobile phone.

28. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 26 in combination with a PDA.

29. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 26, further comprising a housing at least partially enclosing said transducer element and said substrate.

30. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 29, wherein said housing includes a conductive layer protecting said transducer element against electromagnetic interference (EMI).

39. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 25, wherein said volume is a back volume adjacent to a surface of said diaphragm, and wherein said cavity is a front volume, said cover completely covering said front volume.

40. The silicon condenser microphone of claim 25, wherein the transducer element includes a diaphragm and a backplate.

31. A method of fabricating a silicon condenser microphone, comprising:

etching a recess into a substrate;

flip-chip mounting a silicon-based transducer element onto said substrate such that said transducer element overlaps at least a portion of said recess to form a volume adjacent to said transducer element, said transducer element including a diaphragm and a cavity through which ambient sound pressure enters before deflecting said diaphragm;

flip-chip mounting a silicon-based integrated circuit onto said substrate and adjacent to said transducer element;

attaching a cover over said cavity, said cover having a length that is longer than a length of said diaphragm; and

forming at least one aperture in said cover.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said etching is wet etching.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said etching is dry etching.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising etching an aperture into said substrate.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising forming said cover by injection molding.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising hermetically sealing said transducer element.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising surface mounting said substrate onto a printed circuit board.

38. A method of fabricating a silicon condenser microphone, comprising:

etching a recess into a substrate;

flip-chip mounting a silicon-based transducer element onto said substrate such that said transducer element overlaps at least a portion of said recess to form a volume adjacent to said transducer element, said transducer element including a diaphragm and a cavity through which ambient sound pressure enters before deflecting said diaphragm;

attaching a cover over said cavity;

forming said cover by injection molding; and

forming at least one aperture in said cover, said cover having a length that is longer than a length of said diaphragm.

41. A silicon condenser microphone, comprising:

a transducer element having a diaphragm;

a substrate including a surface having a recess formed therein, said transducer element overlapping at least a portion of said recess to form a volume adjacent to said transducer element, said volume being a back volume adjacent to a surface of said diaphragm, said transducer element further defining a front volume adjacent to an opposite surface of said diaphragm through which ambient sound pressure enters before deflecting said diaphragm;

a multi-layer structure adjacent at least part of said transducer element, said multi-layer structure including a conductive layer and an insulating layer; and

a cover completely covering said front volume.

42. The microphone of claim 41, wherein said cover has a length that is longer than a length of said diaphragm.