CAPACITIVE ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCER APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING ITS SENSITIVITY

• US 20120146454A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Kazunari, Akiyama, Takahiro, Kato, Ayako
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,622 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 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine

Abstract

A technology that makes it possible to adjust, through processing, an output signal sent from a capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus such as a CMUT upon reception of an elastic wave is provided.

A capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus 100 includes cells 102 that include a first electrode 104 and second electrodes 106, each of which is disposed so as to be opposite the first electrode 104 with a cavity 105 therebetween. In the capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus 100, at least one of the cells 102 includes a processed unit on which at least either addition of a material or removal of a material is performed as processing.

Claims

1. A capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus comprising:

cells configured to include a first electrode and second electrodes, each of which is disposed so as to be opposite the first electrode with a cavity therebetween,

wherein at least one of the cells includes a processed unit on which at least either addition of a material or removal of a material has been performed as processing.

2. The capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cells form a plurality of elements, each of the elements including more than one of the cells.

3. The capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processed unit realizes adjustment of reception sensitivities of the cells or elements with respect to an elastic wave or reduction of a variation in reception sensitivity among the elements with respect to an elastic wave.

4. The capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processed unit is either a portion where a vibration-restraining film is arranged on the second electrode, a portion where a connection resistance between the cell and a cell that is electrically connected to the cell has been made high, a portion where a hole has been bored in part of the cell and the cavity has been made to have atmospheric pressure, or a portion where part of the cell has been removed.

5. A method for adjusting a sensitivity of a capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus that includes cells configured to include a first electrode and second electrodes, each of which is disposed so as to be opposite the first electrode with a cavity therebetween, the method comprising:

performing, as processing, at least either addition of a material or removal of a material onto or from at least one of the cells to adjust an output signal sent from the at least one of the cells upon reception of an elastic wave.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the number of cells to be processed is determined in accordance with reception sensitivities of a plurality of elements measured in advance with respect to an elastic wave, the elements being formed by the cells and each of the elements including more than one of the cells, and the cells are processed by a same processing method, the capacitive electromechanical transducer apparatus including the elements.