| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 367181000 | Capacitive | 21 |
| 20080212409 | Membrane For a Mems Condenser Microphone - A membrane ( | 09-04-2008 |
| 20090080292 | Microfabricated acoustic transducer with a multilayer electrode - In a capacitive membrane ultrasound transducer, one or more electrodes include multiple layers of conductive or semiconductive material. The layers may be positioned adjacent an insulator or cavity in an arrangement to reduce electrical degradation. For example, a conductive layer with less work function and less resistivity is spaced from an insulator by a conductive layer with more work function and more resistivity. The different layers of electrode material may provide for less electrical degradation due to the type of material used and relative location. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090122651 | Direct wafer bonded 2-D CUMT array - A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array connected to a separate electronic unit is provided. The CMUT array includes at least two active elements, a ground element at the array end, and a non-active element having isolation trenches disposed between the active and ground elements. The active element includes a doped first silicon layer, a doped second silicon layer, and a first insulating layer disposed there between. A cavity is in the first silicon layer having a cross section that includes vertical portions disposed at each end of a horizontal portion, and the vertical portion spans from the first insulating layer through the first silicon layer such that a portion of the first silicon layer is isolated by the first insulating layer and the cavity. A membrane layer on the first silicon layer spans the cavity. A bottom electrode is disposed on the bottom of the second silicon layer. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090141592 | Telemetric Sensing Using Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer - Implementations of a cMUT have a telemetric antenna operative to telemetrically transmit an output signal generated by the cMUT in reception mode (RX). The cMUT generates the output signal by converting a received energy applied on the cMUT. The received energy may be an acoustic wave or a low-frequency pressure signal. The acoustic wave may be generated by a separate acoustic energy source. The cMUT may form a modulated signal using a carrier signal modulated with the output signal, and telemetrically transmit the modulated signal carrying the output signal to increase efficiency. The antenna may also receive an input signal from outside to telemetrically power on the cMUT. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090262605 | ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An ultrasound transducer includes a substrate, an ultrasound transducer cell placed on one surface of the substrate and having a lower electrode, a first gap portion placed on the lower electrode and an upper electrode placed on the first gap portion, a first conductive layer placed on the other surface of the substrate and electrically connected to one of the lower electrode and the upper electrode, an electret film placed on the first conductive layer, an insulating layer placed on the electret film, and a second conductive layer placed on the insulating layer and electrically connected to the one of the lower electrode and the upper electrode not electrically connected to the first conductive layer. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20100002543 | Micromechanical Structure for Receiving and/or Generating Acoustic Signals, Method for Producing a Micromechnical Structure, and Use of a Micromechanical Structure - A micromechanical structure and a method for producing a micromechanical structure are provided, the micromechanical structure being configured for receiving and/or generating acoustic signals in a medium at least partially surrounding the structure. The structure includes a first counterelement that has first openings and essentially forms a first side of the structure, a second counterelement that has second openings and essentially forms a second side of the structure, and an essentially closed diaphragm disposed between the first counterelement and the second counterelement. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100135123 | ACOUSTIC SENSOR ELEMENT - A micromechanical acoustic sensor element, which has at least one diaphragm and at least one fixed counter element, the diaphragm being situated in a cavity between a substrate and the counter element and acting as movable electrode of a capacitor system, the counter element acting as first fixed counter electrode of this capacitor system, and at least one through hole being formed in the substrate for the application of sound pressure to the diaphragm. For fixation and strengthening purposes, the counter element is connected to the substrate via at least one support element. The support element is situated in the region of the cavity, and an opening is formed in the diaphragm for the support element. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100246332 | Stacked Transducing Devices - Implementations include a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) having an additional transducing device overlaid in a vertically stacked relationship. In some implementations the additional transducing device is a second CMUT configured to operate at a different frequency from the first CMUT. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100254222 | Dual-Mode Operation Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer - Implementations of a cMUT have dual operation modes. The cMUT has two different switchable operating conditions depending on whether a spring member in the cMUT contacts an opposing surface at a contact point in the cMUT. The two different operating conditions have different frequency responses due to the contact. The cMUT can be configured to operate in transmission mode when the cMUT in the first operating condition and to operate in reception mode when the cMUT is in the second operating condition. The implementations of the dual operation mode cMUT are particularly suitable for ultrasonic harmonic imaging in which the reception mode receives higher harmonic frequencies. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100278015 | Variable Operating Voltage in Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer - A cMUT and a cMUT operation method use an input signal that has two components with different frequency characteristics. The first component has primarily acoustic frequencies within a frequency response band of the cMUT, while the second component has primarily frequencies out of the frequency response band. The bias signal and the second component of the input signal together apply an operation voltage on the cMUT. The operation voltage is variable between operation modes, such as transmission and reception modes. The cMUT allows variable operation voltage by requiring only one AC component. This allows the bias signal to be commonly shared by multiple cMUT elements, and simplifies fabrication. The implementations of the cMUT and the operation method are particularly suitable for ultrasonic harmonic imaging in which the reception mode receives higher harmonic frequencies. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20110170376 | FABRICATION PROCESS AND PACKAGE DESIGN FOR USE IN A MICRO-MACHINED SEISMOMETER OR OTHER DEVICE - An accelerometer or a seismometer using an in-plane suspension geometry having a suspension plate and at least one fixed capacitive plate. The suspension plate is formed from a single piece and includes an external frame, a pair of flexural elements, and an integrated proof mass between the flexures. The flexural elements allow the proof mass to move in the sensitive direction in the plane of suspension while restricting movement in all off-axis directions. Off-axis motion of the proof mass is minimized by the use of intermediate frames disbursed within and between the flexural elements. Intermediate frames can include motion stops to prevent further relative motion during overload conditions. The device can also include a dampening structure, such as a spring or gas structure that includes a trapezoidal piston and corresponding cylinder, to provide damping during non-powered states. The capacitive plate is made of insulating material. A new method of soldering the capacitive plate to the suspension plate is also disclosed. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20120300593 | RECEIVER TRANSDUCER FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER - A signal generator generates an electrical signal that is sent to an amplifier, which increases the power of the signal using power from a power source. The amplified signal is fed to a sender transducer to generate ultrasonic waves that can be focused and sent to a receiver. The receiver transducer converts the ultrasonic waves back into electrical energy and stores it in an energy storage device, such as a battery, or uses the electrical energy to power a device. In this way, a device can be remotely charged or powered without having to be tethered to an electrical outlet. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20120300594 | PRESSURE WAVE GENERATOR AND DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME - A pressure wave generator includes a silicon substrate, a hole formed in the silicon substrate, and a film covering the hole. The film includes a multilayer film of a heat generating member and a heat insulating layer. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20130135971 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CAPACITIVE MICROMACHINED ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER AND APPARATUS CONFIGURED TO OBTAIN SUBJECT INFORMATION USING THE CAPACITIVE MICROMACHINED ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER - There is provided a method for manufacturing a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer. In this method, a first insulating layer and a vibrating membrane are bonded by heat treatment and a second insulating layer is formed by thermal oxidation in a single heating step, with a cavity provided in the transducer communicating with the outside of the transducer through a communication portion. | 05-30-2013 |
| 20130242705 | MULTI-ARRAY ULTRASONIC PROBE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING MULTI-ARRAY PROBE APPARATUS - A multi-array type ultrasonic probe apparatus includes n tiles which transmit and receive an ultrasonic beam; and a substrate having n guide portions on which the n tiles are mounted, respectively, to be aligned in a multi-array. The multi-array ultrasonic probe apparatus may align tiles in identical directions and at identical levels to control a direction and a time for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic beam to be transmitted and received at the tiles, thereby providing a stable ultrasonic beam. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20140010052 | CAPACITIVE TRANSDUCER - Provided is a capacitive transducer having a wide frequency band width and an improved transmitting and receiving sensitivity, the capacitive transducer including an element including a plurality of cells: each of the plurality of cells including: a first electrode; a vibrating film including a second electrode, the second electrode being opposed to the first electrode with a gap; and a supporting portion that supports the vibrating film, in which the element includes a first cell and a second cell as the cell, the first cell including the vibrating film having a first spring constant, the second cell including the vibrating film having a second spring constant smaller than the first spring constant; and a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the first cell is smaller than a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the second cell. | 01-09-2014 |
| 20140022865 | TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION IN A CMUT DEVICE - CMUT devices are used in many applications e.g. for ultrasound imaging and pressure measurement. These devices operate by sensing a change in capacitance caused by deflection of a membrane ( | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140293751 | THROUGH-WAFER VIA DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - The present invention relates to a through-wafer via device ( | 10-02-2014 |
| 20140313861 | TRANSDUCER, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TRANSDUCER, AND OBJECT INFORMATION ACQUIRING APPARATUS - A transducer includes at least one element including a plurality of cells. Each of the cells includes a pair of electrodes disposed with a gap therebetween and a vibrating membrane including one of the electrodes, and the vibrating membrane is vibratably supported. First and second cells of the plurality of cells in the element have the gaps that communicate with each other, and the first cell and a third cell in the element have the gaps that do not communicate with each other. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20150016227 | CAPACITIVE MICRO-MACHINED ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER DEVICE WITH CHARGING VOLTAGE SOURCE - The present invention relates to a capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) device ( | 01-15-2015 |
| 20160016197 | CAPACITIVE MICROMACHINED ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER MODULE USING WIRE-BONDING - Provided are capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) modules. A CMUT module includes a CMUT chip which includes a plurality of first electrode pads on a first surface thereof; a flexible printed circuit (FPC) which is disposed on the first surface of the CMUT chip, the FPC including a plurality of first holes which are configured to expose the plurality of first electrode pads; a plurality of second electrode pads formed on the FPC so as to correspond to the plurality of first electrode pads; and a plurality of wires which connect each respective one of the plurality of first electrode pads to the corresponding one of the plurality of second electrode pads. | 01-21-2016 |
