CAPACITIVE MICROMACHINED ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER FABRICATED WITH EPITAXIAL SILICON MEMBRANE

• Main Authors: SMITH LOWELL SCOTT, LOGAN JOHN ROBERT, MILLS DAVID MARTIN, TIAN WEING, FORTIN JEFFREY BERNARD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.07.2006
• Subjects: DEAF-AID SETS; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL; GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL; LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKEACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICALVIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY; MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICALDEVICES; MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTUREOR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS; TRANSPORTING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (cMUT) and method of manufacturing the same. SOLUTION: A capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (cMUT) cell (10) is provided. This cMUT cell (10) includes a lower electrode (18). Furthermore, the cMUT cell (10) includes a diaphragm (22) disposed adjacent to the lower electrode (18) such that a gap having a first gap width is formed between the diaphragm and the lower electrode (18), wherein the diaphragm (22) comprises one of a first epitaxial layer (40) or a first polysilicon layer. In addition, a stress reducing material is disposed in the first epitaxial layer (40). COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI