Buried trenches for intraluminal ultrasound imaging transducers and related devices, systems and methods

Abstract

An intraluminal ultrasound imaging device includes a flexible elongate member configured to be positioned within a body lumen of a patient. The flexible elongated element includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The apparatus also includes an ultrasound imaging assembly disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The ultrasound imaging assembly is configured to obtain imaging data of the body lumen. The ultrasound imaging assembly includes a transducer array including a substrate, a silicon oxide layer disposed over the substrate, and rows of micromachined ultrasonic transducers disposed on the silicon oxide layer element. Two of the rows of micromachined ultrasonic transducer elements are separated by trenches formed by etching a shield formed in the silicon oxide layer. Associated apparatus, systems and methods are also provided.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Provisional Application US 62 / 527143, filed June 30, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Application US 62 / 679134, filed June 1, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. technical field [0003] The present disclosure relates generally to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and more particularly to ultrasound transducer arrays and methods of manufacturing the same. For example, in some embodiments, a method of manufacturing an array of ultrasound transducers may include forming buried trenches without filling the trenches with a temporary fill material. Background technique [0004] Flexible-to-rigid (F2R) technology is a fabrication platform that enables the mass fabrication of miniature complex electromechanical components, such as sensors and imaging transducers, on the tips of minimally invasive catheters and guidewires. MEMS devices su...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The sacrificial material temporarily filled in the trenches tends to shrink during curing or hardening and may induce stress in the semiconductor substrate leading to undesired bending or warping of the semiconductor substrate

Additionally, filling smaller and smaller trenches with sacrificial materials is increasingly difficult due to the desire to minimize the width of the trenches to maximize the scanner area for micromachined ultrasound transducers

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