Acoustic transducer

• US 9,363,608 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation, STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation, STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Kasai, Takashi, Sato, Shobu, Uchida, Yuki, Padovani, Igino, David, Filippo, Conti, Sebastiano
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAUFMAN, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US13/936,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20130294622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 381/162, 381/369, 381/174, 381/176, 381/191, 381/182, 381/184, 381/186, 181/157, 181/163, 181/164, 181/165, 181/173, 737/18, 737/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0021 Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/016 for microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/003 Mems transducers or their use of the electrostatic type H04R19/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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

Abstract

Provided is an acoustic transducer including: a semiconductor substrate; a vibrating membrane provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a vibrating electrode; and a fixed membrane provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a fixed electrode, the acoustic transducer detecting a sound wave according to changes in capacitances between the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode, converting the sound wave into electrical signals, and outputting the electrical signals. At least one of the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode is divided into a plurality of divided electrodes, and the plurality of divided electrodes outputting the electrical signals.

Claims

1. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a substrate;

a chamber in the substrate;

a first electrode suspended above the chamber, the first electrode including;

a first rectangular portion having a first area and including a plurality of first anchor regions;

a second rectangular portion having a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area, the second rectangular portion extending from a first side of the first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion being separated from the first rectangular portion by a first thin opening, the second area including second anchor regions, each second anchor region being greater in area than one of the first anchor regions, each second region being greater in area than one of the first anchor regions.

2. The acoustic transducer of claim 1 wherein the first rectangular portion includes a first length and a first width and the second rectangular portion includes a second length and a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

3. The acoustic transducer of claim 1 wherein the first rectangular portion configured to move in response to changes in pressure with a first displacement and the second rectangular portion configured to move in response to the changes in pressure with a second displacement, the first displacement being greater than the second displacement.

4. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a substrate;

a chamber in the substrate;

a first electrode suspended above the chamber, the first electrode including;

a first rectangular portion having a first area and including a plurality of first anchor regions;

a second rectangular portion having a second area the second area being smaller than the first area, the second rectangular portion extending from a first side of the first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion being separated from the first rectangular portion by a first thin opening, and including a second anchor region; and

a third shared anchor region is coupled to the first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion.

5. The acoustic transducer of claim 4 wherein the first rectangular portion includes a first length and a first width and the second rectangular portion includes a second length and a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

6. The acoustic transducer of claim 4 wherein the second rectangular portion is completely separated from the first rectangular portion by the first thin opening.

7. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a substrate;

a chamber in the substrate;

a first electrode suspended above the chamber, the first electrode including;

a first rectangular portion having a first area and including a plurality of first anchor regions;

a second rectangular portion having a second area the second area being smaller than the first area, the second rectangular portion extending from a first side of the first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion being separated from the first rectangular portion by a first thin opening, and including a second anchor region; and

a third shared anchor region is coupled to the first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion, the first opening having curved ends, a first curved end being positioned adjacent to the third shared anchor region and a second curved end being positioned adjacent to one of the first anchor regions and the second anchor region.

8. The acoustic transducer of claim 7 wherein the first rectangular portion includes a first length and a first width and the second rectangular portion includes a second length and a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

9. The acoustic transducer of claim 7 wherein the first electrode is a vibrating electrode.

10. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a substrate;

a chamber in the substrate;

a first electrode suspended above the chamber, the first electrode including;

a first rectangular portion having a first area;

a second rectangular portion having a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area, the second rectangular portion extending from a first side of the first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion being separated from the first rectangular portion by a first thin opening;

a third rectangular portion having a third area, the third area being smaller than the first area, the third rectangular portion extending from a second side of the first rectangular portion and the third rectangular portion being completely separated from the first rectangular portion by a second thin opening.

11. The acoustic transducer of claim 10 wherein the first rectangular portion includes a first length and a first width and the third rectangular portion includes a second length and a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

12. The acoustic transducer of claim 10 wherein the second rectangular portion is completely separated from the first rectangular portion by the first thin opening.

13. The acoustic transducer of claim 12 wherein the first electrode is a vibrating electrode, the first rectangular portion having a plurality of first anchors positioned at corner regions, the second rectangular portion having a plurality of second anchors positioned at ends of the second rectangular portion, the third rectangular portion having a plurality of third anchors positioned at ends of the third rectangular portion.

14. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a substrate;

a chamber in the substrate;

a first electrode suspended above the chamber, the first electrode including;

a first rectangular portion having a first area;

a second rectangular portion having a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area, the second rectangular portion extending from a first side of the first rectangular portion; and

a first thin opening separating the first rectangular portion from the second rectangular portion, the first thin opening having curved ends that are closer to the second rectangular portion than a central portion of the first opening.

15. The acoustic transducer of claim 14 wherein the first rectangular portion includes a first length and a first width and the second rectangular portion includes a second length and a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

16. The acoustic transducer of claim 14 the first electrode is a vibrating electrode.

17. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a substrate;

a chamber in the substrate;

a electrode suspended above the chamber, the electrode including;

a first rectangular portion having a first area, the first rectangular portion configured to move in response to changes in pressure with a first displacement; and

a second rectangular portion having a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area, the second rectangular portion extending from a first side of the first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion being separated from the first rectangular portion by a first thin opening, the second rectangular portion configured to move in response to the changes in pressure with a second displacement, the first displacement being greater than the second displacement.

18. The acoustic transducer of claim 17 wherein the first rectangular portion includes a first length and a first width and the second rectangular portion includes a second length and a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

19. The acoustic transducer of claim 17 the first electrode is a vibrating electrode.