Fabrication of Flexible Transducer Arrays With Through-Wafer Electrical Interconnects Based on Trench Refilling With PDMS

• Published in: Journal of microelectromechanical systems Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 446 - 452
• Main Authors: Xuefeng Zhuang, Der-Song Lin, Oralkan, O., Khuri-Yakub, B.T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.04.2008; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Arrays; Biomembranes; Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT); Catheters; Electrodes; Electronics; Etching; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; flexible arrays; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; intravascular ultrasound (IVUS); Mechanical instruments, equipment and techniques; Membranes; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Micromechanical devices and systems; Physics; polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); Polymers; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Silicon; Silicon wafers; through-wafer interconnects; Transducers; trench isolation; Trenches; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonic transducer arrays; Ultrasonic transducers; Wafers; flexible arrays; intravascular ultrasound (IVUS); trench isolation; polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); fabrication; Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT); through-wafer interconnects; Human; Dimethylsiloxane polymer; Great depth; Filled polymers; Capacitive transducer; Intravascular space; Catheter; Electrical connection; Silicon on insulator technology; Reactive ion etching; Silicon; Circulatory system; Ultrasonic transducer; Ultrasound; Microelectromechanical device
• ISSN: 1057-7157; 1941-0158
• DOI: 10.1109/JMEMS.2008.918381

Flexible transducer arrays are desired to wrap around catheter tips for side-looking intravascular ultrasound imaging. We present a technique for constructing flexible capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) arrays by forming polymer-filled deep trenches in a silicon substrate. First, we etch deep trenches between the bottom electrodes of CMUT elements on a prime silicon wafer using deep reactive ion etching. Second, we fusion-bond a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer to the prime silicon wafer. Once the silicon handle and buried oxide layers are removed from the back side of the SOI wafer, the remaining thin silicon device layer acts as a movable membrane and top electrode. Third, we fill the deep trenches with polydimethylsiloxane, and thin the wafer down from the back side. The 16 by 16 flexible 2-D arrays presented in this paper have a trench width that varies between 6 and 20 ; the trench depth is 150 ; the membrane thickness is 1.83 ; and the final substrate thickness is 150 . We demonstrate the flexibility of the substrate by wrapping it around a needle tip with a radius of 450 (less than catheter size of 3 French). Measurements in air validate the functionality of the arrays. The 250- by 250- transducer elements have a capacitance of 2.29 to 2.67 pF, and a resonant frequency of 5.0 to 4.3 MHz, for dc bias voltages ranging from 70 to 100 V.