Ultrasonic transduction device and ultrasonic probe using same

Abstract

The invention provides an ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic probe using the same. The ultrasonic transducer comprises a substrate and an ultrasonic oscillation unit. The ultrasonic oscillation unit is arranged on the substrate and comprises a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer, a second electrode layer, a second insulating layer, a plurality of capacitance protruding parts and a cavity located between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer. The plurality of capacitor protrusions are arranged in the cavity based on at least one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are spaced by a distance, and the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are located between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. The height of the plurality of capacitor protruding parts is smaller than the distance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of ultrasound, and in particular to an ultrasound transducer device and an ultrasound probe using the same. Background Art

[0002] As medical technology advances with each passing day, ultrasound detection technology is becoming more and more mature. Generally speaking, ultrasound detection uses a probe that emits ultrasound signals to emit ultrasound signals below the skin. In addition, the probe uses the reflected ultrasound signals to determine the shape and position of objects that are invisible to the naked eye below the skin for various medical purposes.

[0003] In order to improve the quality of ultrasonic signals and images, it is necessary to improve the sensitivity and efficiency of the components of the ultrasonic transducer device to effectively transmit and receive ultrasonic signals. Therefore, it is necessary to design a new type of ultrasonic transducer device and an ultrasonic probe using the same. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic transducer device and an ultrasonic probe using the same, so as to increase the capacitance of an oscillating element to improve the sensitivity and performance of an ultrasonic oscillating unit. The ultrasonic oscillating element is also called an ultrasonic oscillator.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides an ultrasonic transducer device and an ultrasonic probe using the same. The ultrasonic transducer device comprises:

[0006] substrate; and

[0007] An ultrasonic oscillation unit is disposed on the substrate, and includes a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer, a second electrode layer, a second insulating layer, a plurality of capacitor protrusions, and a cavity between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer;

[0008] Wherein, the multiple capacitor protrusions are arranged in the cavity based on at least one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are separated by a distance, and the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are located between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and the height of the multiple capacitor protrusions is less than the distance.

[0009] Preferably, the plurality of capacitor protrusions are arranged in a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array, and a distance between two adjacent capacitor protrusions is greater than or equal to a preset value.

[0010] Preferably, the multiple capacitor protrusions include multiple first capacitor protrusions and multiple second capacitor protrusions, the multiple first capacitor protrusions are located on the first surface of the first insulating layer, the multiple second capacitor protrusions are located on the second surface of the second insulating layer, and the first surface is opposite to the second surface.

[0011] Preferably, the plurality of capacitor protrusions are located on a first surface of the first insulating layer, the second surface of the first insulating layer is connected to the first electrode layer, and the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first insulating layer.

[0012] Preferably, the first electrode layer includes a plurality of electrode protrusions, and the plurality of electrode protrusions are arranged corresponding to the plurality of capacitor protrusions and protrude or are recessed in the second surface of the first electrode layer.

[0013] Preferably, the device further comprises a third insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the first electrode layer, wherein the third insulating layer comprises a plurality of insulating protrusions, and the plurality of insulating protrusions are disposed corresponding to the plurality of electrode protrusions.

[0014] Preferably, the plurality of capacitor protrusions are located on a first surface of the second insulating layer, the second surface of the second insulating layer is connected to the second electrode layer, and the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on two opposite sides of the second insulating layer;

[0015] The second electrode layer includes a plurality of electrode protrusions, which are arranged corresponding to the plurality of capacitor protrusions and protrude or recessed from the surface of the second electrode layer.

[0016] Preferably, at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer includes a plurality of electrode protrusions, and the plurality of electrode protrusions are arranged corresponding to the plurality of capacitor protrusions.

[0017] Preferably, it further comprises an upper insulating layer disposed on the second electrode layer.

[0018] Preferably, the cavity has a first area and a second area, the second area surrounds the first area, and the plurality of protrusions are located in the second area.

[0019] Preferably, the second electrode layer is driven by a direct current voltage to be recessed toward the first region relative to the first electrode layer, so that the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are relatively close to each other.

[0020] Preferably, the second electrode layer is driven by a DC voltage relative to the first electrode layer to be recessed toward the first area, so that the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are relatively close to each other; the second electrode layer is driven by an AC voltage or external sound pressure relative to the first electrode layer to generate vibration in the second area.

[0021] Preferably, the second electrode layer is driven by an alternating voltage or an external sound pressure relative to the first electrode layer to generate vibration in the second area.

[0022] Preferably, an ultrasonic probe comprises:

[0023] A handheld housing having a first end and a second end;

[0024] an acoustic lens, disposed at the first end or the second end; and

[0025] The ultrasonic transducer is disposed in the handheld housing and arranged on a side of the handheld housing close to the acoustic lens, comprising:

[0026] substrate; and

[0027] An ultrasonic oscillation unit is arranged on the substrate, and the ultrasonic oscillation unit includes a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer, a second electrode layer, a second insulating layer, a plurality of capacitor protrusions, and a cavity located between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer. The first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are located between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. The plurality of capacitor protrusions are arranged in the cavity based on at least one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, and the height of the plurality of capacitor protrusions is less than the height of the cavity.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the ultrasonic transducer device and the ultrasonic probe using the same provided by the present invention increase the capacitance surface area and capacitance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit by forming a plurality of capacitance protrusions above and / or below the cavity, thereby improving the sensitivity of the ultrasonic oscillation unit. Since the capacitance surface area and capacitance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit are positively correlated with its sensitivity, and the increased sensitivity helps improve the signal and image quality, thereby improving the performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0033] Figure 5 A schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0035] Figure 7A schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0036] Figure 8 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0037] Fig. 9 A schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0038] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to provide a further understanding of the purpose, structure, features, and functions of the present invention, the following detailed description is given in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0040] Certain words are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components. Those with ordinary knowledge in the field should understand that manufacturers may use different terms to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not use differences in names as a way to distinguish components, but rather use differences in components' functions as the criteria for distinction. The term "including" mentioned throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to".

[0041] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The ultrasonic transducer device 100 of the present embodiment is, for example, a capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT), which includes a substrate 110 and an ultrasonic oscillating unit 109. The ultrasonic oscillating unit 109 is disposed on the substrate 110, and includes a first electrode layer 112, a first insulating layer 114, a second electrode layer 118, a second insulating layer 116, a plurality of capacitor protrusions 115, and a cavity 122 located between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116.

[0042] Although in Figure 1Only a single ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 is shown, but it is conceivable that the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 may be an element arranged in a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array. For example, a plurality of ultrasonic oscillation units 109 may extend along a first direction X and be electrically connected to each other to form a one-dimensional array of ultrasonic oscillation sheets, or a plurality of ultrasonic oscillation units 109 may extend along a perpendicular first direction X and a second direction Y and be electrically connected to each other to form a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic oscillation sheets. Generally speaking, a plurality of ultrasonic oscillation sheets may be arranged in a long axis direction to form a group of ultrasonic oscillation sheets in a long strip shape, and each ultrasonic oscillation sheet may receive an alternating current voltage AC and / or a direct current voltage DC signal and vibrate. In addition, each ultrasonic oscillation sheet may also receive an external sound pressure signal (such as an ultrasonic signal) and vibrate.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 1 The substrate 110 may be a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate, and the first electrode layer 112, the first insulating layer 114, the second electrode layer 118, the second insulating layer 116 and the plurality of capacitor protrusions 115 are formed on the substrate 110, for example, by micro-electromechanical or semiconductor processes. The semiconductor process includes a thin film deposition process, a lithography process, an etching process and a cleaning process, wherein the thin film deposition process includes sequentially depositing a plurality of film layers on the substrate 110, the lithography process includes defining the pattern and shape of each film layer by a photoresist layer, so that each film layer is stacked at a predetermined position, the etching process includes removing excess film layers to form a cavity 122 in the film layer or forming a groove, and the cleaning process includes removing the photoresist layer, etching solution and other solvents, etc.

[0044] In one embodiment, the first electrode layer 112, the first insulating layer 114, the second insulating layer 116 and the second electrode layer 118 are stacked in sequence from bottom to top. The first electrode layer 112 is formed on the substrate 110, the first insulating layer 114 covers the first electrode layer 112, the second insulating layer 116 covers the first insulating layer 114, and there is a cavity 122 between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116, so that the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 are separated by a distance D. The cavity 122 is, for example, a sacrificial layer pre-formed between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116. After the structure is stacked, the sacrificial layer is etched with an etching solution to form a cavity 122 between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116. Subsequently, the second electrode layer 118 is formed on the second insulating layer 116. In addition, in one embodiment, an upper insulating layer 120 may be formed on the second electrode layer 118 to protect the second electrode layer 118. The upper insulating layer 120 , the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 may be made of the same or different materials. The insulating layers may be formed of silicon oxide (eg SiO 2 ), nitride, oxynitride or any other appropriate dielectric insulating material.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 1 In order to increase the sensitivity and performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109, a plurality of capacitor protrusions 115 are formed in the cavity 122, and the height H of these capacitor protrusions 115 is less than the distance D between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116. These capacitor protrusions 115 are formed on the first insulating layer 114, for example, by removing a portion of the film layer through lithography and etching processes, and their cross-sectional shapes are not limited to squares, and may also be triangles, circles, or other suitable shapes. The capacitor protrusions 115 are arranged in a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array, for example, and the distance between two adjacent capacitor protrusions 115 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. For example, based on an exposure resolution of 1.5 microns, the distance between two adjacent capacitor protrusions 115 is, for example, approximately 1.5 microns or greater. Although in Figure 1 Only the capacitor protrusions 115 arranged in a one-dimensional array are shown, but it is conceivable that a plurality of capacitor protrusions 115 can be arranged along the perpendicular first direction X and second direction Y to form a two-dimensional array of capacitor protrusions 115. In addition, the capacitor protrusions 115 can be formed of silicon oxide (such as SiO2), nitride, oxynitride or any other suitable dielectric insulating material. The capacitor protrusions 115 can be integrally formed with the first insulating layer 114.

[0046] In one embodiment, the height H of the capacitor protrusion 115 is, for example, less than 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 of the spacing D. For example, the spacing D between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 may be 0.2 microns, the height H of the capacitor protrusion 115 is approximately 1 / 3 of the spacing D, the width of the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 may be approximately 40 microns, and the capacitor surface area between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 is increased due to the capacitor protrusion 115, for example, the sum of the lateral lengths of these capacitor protrusions 115 is 1.716 microns, so that the capacitor surface area between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 increases from the original 40 microns multiplied by 40 microns to 41.716 microns multiplied by 41.716 microns, which is approximately 8.8% increased. In addition, benefiting from the reduction of the spacing D by 1 / 3, the capacitance of approximately half of the first electrode layer 112 increases relatively with the reduction of the spacing D, for example, the capacitance increases by 16.6%. Therefore, the capacitance of a single ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 increases by about 25% due to the capacitor protrusion 115 , thereby improving the sensitivity and performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 .

[0047] Please refer to Figure 1, the first electrode layer 112 is, for example, a ground layer, and the second electrode layer 118 is, for example, a signal layer for receiving an alternating voltage AC and / or a direct voltage DC signal. For example, the second electrode layer 118 can be driven by a direct voltage DC relative to the first electrode layer 112 and recessed toward the first electrode layer 112, so that the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 are relatively close. Alternatively, the second electrode layer 118 can be driven by an alternating voltage AC or an external sound pressure relative to the first electrode layer 112 to vibrate, thereby generating an ultrasonic signal. The pulse period of the alternating voltage AC can determine the vibration frequency of the output ultrasonic signal to generate ultrasonic signals of different frequencies.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 2 , which illustrates a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer device 101 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic transducer device 101 includes a substrate 110 and an ultrasonic oscillation unit 109. The ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 is disposed on the substrate 110, and the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 includes a first electrode layer 112, a first insulating layer 114, a second electrode layer 118, a second insulating layer 116, a plurality of capacitor protrusions 117, and a cavity 122 located between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116. The same elements are represented by the same symbols and are not repeated here. The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiment is that: Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , these capacitor protrusions 115 are located on the first surface (upper surface S1) of the first insulating layer 114, the second surface (lower surface S2) of the first insulating layer 114 is connected to the first electrode layer 112, and the first surface and the second surface are located on opposite sides of the first insulating layer 114. In FIG. 2 , these capacitor protrusions 117 are located on the first surface (lower surface S3) of the second insulating layer 116, the second surface (upper surface S4) of the second insulating layer 116 is connected to the second electrode layer 118, and the first surface and the second surface are located on opposite sides of the second insulating layer 116. In other words, these capacitor protrusions 117 can be located above the inside of the cavity 122, so that the single ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 increases the capacitance in response to the capacitor protrusions 117, thereby improving the sensitivity and performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109. The capacitor protrusions 117 can be integrally formed with the second insulating layer 116.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 3, which illustrates a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer device 102 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and the same elements are represented by the same or similar symbols, which will not be repeated here. The ultrasonic transducer device 102 of this embodiment is combined with the above two embodiments, wherein these capacitor protrusions include a plurality of first capacitor protrusions 115 and a plurality of second capacitor protrusions 117, these first capacitor protrusions 115 are located on one surface (upper surface S1) of the first insulating layer 114, and these second capacitor protrusions 115 are located on the other surface (lower surface S3) of the second insulating layer 116, and these first capacitor protrusions 115 and these second capacitor protrusions 117 are arranged alternately with each other. That is to say, these first capacitor protrusions 115 and these second capacitor protrusions 117 can correspond to the top and bottom of the cavity 122, so that the capacitance of a single ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 increases by 50% in response to the first and second capacitor protrusions 115 and 117 (that is, the capacitance of the first electrode layer 112 increases by 25%, and the capacitance of the second electrode layer 118 increases by 25%), thereby improving the sensitivity and performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 4 , which illustrates a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer device 103 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic transducer device 103 of this embodiment includes the above-mentioned first electrode layer 112, first insulating layer 114, second electrode layer 118, second insulating layer 116, multiple capacitor protrusions 115 and cavity 122, wherein the first electrode layer 112 further includes multiple electrode protrusions 113, which are arranged corresponding to these capacitor protrusions 115 and protrude or recessed on a surface (upper surface S5) of the first electrode layer 112. The electrode protrusions 113 can be integrally formed with the first electrode layer 112.

[0051] In one embodiment, these electrode protrusions 113 are formed on the first electrode layer 112 by removing a portion of the film layer through a lithography and etching process, and their cross-sectional shape is not limited to a square, and may also be a triangle, a circle, or other suitable shapes. The electrode protrusions 113 are arranged in a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array, and the distance between two adjacent electrode protrusions 113 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. For example, based on an exposure resolution of 1.5 microns, the distance between two adjacent electrode protrusions 113 is, for example, about 1.5 microns or greater. Although in Figure 4 Only the electrode protrusions 113 arranged in a one-dimensional array are shown, but it is conceivable that a plurality of electrode protrusions 113 may be arranged along the perpendicular first direction X and second direction Y to form a two-dimensional array of electrode protrusions 113 .

[0052] In one embodiment, the height H1 of the electrode protrusion 113 is, for example, less than 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 of the spacing D. In addition, the first insulating layer 114 covers the first electrode layer 112 having the electrode protrusion 113, so that the first insulating layer 114 forms a plurality of capacitor protrusions 115. For example, the spacing D between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 can be 0.2 microns, the height H2 of the capacitor protrusion 115 and the height H1 of the electrode protrusion 113 are approximately 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 of the spacing D, and the capacitor surface area between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 is increased due to the capacitor protrusion 115, thereby improving the sensitivity and performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109.

[0053] In addition, please refer to Figure 4 The ultrasonic transducer device 103 of this embodiment may further include a third insulating layer 110a, which is disposed between the substrate 110 and the first electrode layer 112, wherein the third insulating layer 110a includes a plurality of insulating protrusions 111, and these insulating protrusions 111 are disposed corresponding to these electrode protrusions 113 and protrude from a surface (upper surface S6) of the substrate 110.

[0054] In one embodiment, the insulating protrusion 111 is formed on the substrate 110 by removing a portion of the film layer through a photolithography and etching process, and its cross-sectional shape is not limited to a square, and may also be a triangle, a circle, or other suitable shapes. The insulating protrusions 111 are arranged in a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array, and the distance between two adjacent insulating protrusions 111 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. For example, if the exposure resolution is 1.5 microns, the distance between two adjacent insulating protrusions 111 is, for example, about 1.5 microns or greater. Although in Figure 4 Only the insulating protrusions 111 arranged in a one-dimensional array are shown, but it is conceivable that a plurality of insulating protrusions 111 may be arranged along the perpendicular first direction X and second direction Y to form a two-dimensional array of electrode protrusions 111 .

[0055] In one embodiment, the height H3 of the insulating protrusion 111 is, for example, less than 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 of the spacing D. In addition, the first electrode layer 112 covers the third insulating layer 110a having the insulating protrusion 111, so that the first electrode layer 112 forms a plurality of electrode protrusions 113. In addition, the first insulating layer 114 covers the first electrode layer 112 having the electrode protrusion 113, so that the first insulating layer 114 forms a plurality of capacitor protrusions 115. For example, the spacing D between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 can be 0.2 microns, and the heights H1 to H3 of the capacitor protrusions 115, the electrode protrusions 113, and the insulating protrusions 111 are approximately 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 of the spacing D, and the capacitor surface area between the first insulating layer 114 and the second insulating layer 116 is increased due to the capacitor protrusion 115, thereby improving the sensitivity and performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 5 , which shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer device 104 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiment is that: Figure 4 In the embodiment, the electrode protrusions 113 are arranged corresponding to the capacitor protrusions 115 and protrude or recess on a surface (upper surface S5) of the first electrode layer 112. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the electrode protrusion 119 is arranged corresponding to these capacitor protrusions 117 and protrudes or is recessed on a surface (lower surface S7) of the second electrode layer 118. In other words, these capacitor protrusions 117 and the electrode protrusion 119 can be located above the inside of the cavity 122, so that the single ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 increases the capacitance in response to the capacitor protrusion 117, thereby improving the sensitivity and performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109. The electrode protrusion 119 can be integrally formed with the second electrode layer 118.

[0057] In addition, in one embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 104 may also be combined with the above Figure 4In the embodiment shown, these capacitor protrusions include a plurality of first capacitor protrusions 115 and a plurality of second capacitor protrusions 117, these first capacitor protrusions 115 are located on a surface (upper surface S1) of the first insulating layer 114, these second capacitor protrusions 115 are located on another surface (lower surface S3) of the second insulating layer 116, and these first capacitor protrusions 115 and these second capacitor protrusions 115 are arranged alternately with each other. In addition, the first electrode layer 112 may include a plurality of first electrode protrusions 113, and these electrode protrusions 113 may be arranged corresponding to these first capacitor protrusions 115. In addition, the second electrode layer 118 may include a plurality of second electrode protrusions 119, and these electrode protrusions 119 may be arranged corresponding to these second capacitor protrusions 117. That is, at least one of the first electrode layer 112 and the second electrode layer 118 includes a plurality of electrode protrusions, and these electrode protrusions protrude or are recessed on a surface of the first electrode layer 112 and / or the second electrode layer 118. Through the above configuration, the capacitance of a single ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 can be increased by 50% in response to the first and second capacitor protrusions 115 and 117 (i.e., the capacitance of the first electrode layer 112 increases by 25%, and the capacitance of the second electrode layer 118 increases by 25%), thereby improving the sensitivity and performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109.

[0058] In addition, please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7, which respectively illustrate cross-sectional schematic diagrams of ultrasonic transducer devices 105 and 106 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The embodiment of the present invention is different in that the cavity 122 has a first area 122a and a second area 122b, the first area 122a is located in the center of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109, and the second area 122b surrounds the first area 122a and is located around the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109. The capacitor protrusion 115 can be disposed in the second area 122b based on at least one first insulating layer 114 and a second insulating layer 116. For the configuration of the first electrode layer 112, the second electrode layer 118, the first insulating layer 114, the second insulating layer 116 and the plurality of capacitor protrusions 115 and 117, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The configuration of the capacitor protrusions 115 and 117 of this embodiment can also be applied to the embodiment of FIG. 3 , and will not be described in detail here.

[0059] For example, the first region 122a is a space with a circular or polygonal cross section, and the first region 122a has a transverse cross-sectional area, which is greater than a predetermined value. The predetermined value is determined by the spacing D of the cavities 122 and the degree to which the second electrode layer 118 is driven by the direct current voltage DC and is recessed toward the first region 122a. For example, the transverse cross-sectional area of ​​the first region 122a may be greater than or equal to 10 percent of the transverse cross-sectional area of ​​the cavities 122. When the spacing D of the cavities 122 changes, the transverse cross-sectional area of ​​the first region 122a may be correspondingly enlarged or reduced.

[0060] In addition, when the second electrode layer 118 is driven by the direct current voltage DC and is recessed toward the first area 122a, the second insulating layer 116 may also be recessed toward the first area 122a and correspondingly contact the first insulating layer 114. In this recessed mode, when the second electrode layer 118 is driven by the alternating current voltage AC or external sound pressure relative to the first electrode layer 112, the second electrode layer 118 and the second insulating layer 116 vibrate in the second area 122b, and may not vibrate in the first area 122a. In other words, the vibration mode of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 is changed from the original full vibration mode to the two-side vibration mode, thereby changing the vibration frequency of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , which respectively illustrate cross-sectional schematic diagrams of ultrasonic transducer devices 107 and 108 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The embodiment of the present invention is different in that the cavity 122 has a first area 122a and a second area 122b, the first area 122a is located in the center of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109, and the second area 122b surrounds the first area 122a and is located around the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109. The capacitor protrusions 115 and 117 can be arranged in the second area 122b based on at least one first insulating layer 114 and a second insulating layer 116. For the configuration of the first electrode layer 112, the second electrode layer 118, the first insulating layer 114, the second insulating layer 116, the plurality of capacitor protrusions 115 and 117, and the plurality of electrode protrusions 113 and 119, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The change of the vibration mode of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109 from the original full vibration mode to the two-side vibration mode, thereby changing the vibration frequency of the ultrasonic oscillation unit 109, has been described above and will not be repeated here.

[0062] Please refer to Fig.10, which illustrates a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic probe 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic probe 200 includes a handheld housing 202, an acoustic lens 204, and an ultrasonic transducer 206. The handheld housing 202 has a first end (front end 201) and a second end (rear end 203). The acoustic lens 204 is disposed at the first end or the second end. The ultrasonic transducer 206 is disposed in the handheld housing 202 and is configured on a side of the handheld housing 202 close to the acoustic lens 204. In this embodiment, when a user uses the ultrasonic probe 200 to contact the user's skin, the ultrasonic probe 200 can focus the beam through the acoustic lens 204 at the front end 201 of the handheld housing 202 to transmit or receive ultrasonic signals, and the ultrasonic transducer 206 can transmit the acoustic signal back to the ultrasonic device via the signal transmission line 208 to process the beam of ultrasonic imaging. For detailed description of the ultrasonic transducer 206 , please refer to the ultrasonic transducer 100 - 108 of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0063] The ultrasonic transducer device and the ultrasonic probe using the same of the above embodiment of the present invention form a plurality of capacitor protrusions above and / or below the cavity to increase the capacitor surface area and capacitance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit, thereby improving the sensitivity of the ultrasonic oscillation unit. Since the capacitor surface area and capacitance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit are positively correlated with its sensitivity, and the increased sensitivity helps to improve the signal and image quality, thereby improving the performance of the ultrasonic oscillation unit.

[0064] The present invention has been described by the above-mentioned relevant embodiments, however, the above-mentioned embodiments are only examples for implementing the present invention. It must be pointed out that the disclosed embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. On the contrary, changes and modifications made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention are all within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer device, characterized in that: include: substrate; as well as An ultrasonic oscillation unit is disposed on the substrate, and includes a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer, a second electrode layer, a second insulating layer, a plurality of capacitor protrusions, and a cavity between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer; Wherein, the multiple capacitor protrusions are arranged in the cavity based on at least one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are separated by a distance, and the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are located between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and the height of the multiple capacitor protrusions is less than the distance.

2. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of capacitor protrusions are arranged in a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array, and a distance between two adjacent capacitor protrusions is greater than or equal to a preset value.

3. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of capacitor protrusions include a plurality of first capacitor protrusions and a plurality of second capacitor protrusions, the plurality of first capacitor protrusions are located on the first surface of the first insulating layer, the plurality of second capacitor protrusions are located on the second surface of the second insulating layer, and the first surface is opposite to the second surface.

4. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of capacitor protrusions are located on a first surface of the first insulating layer, a second surface of the first insulating layer is connected to the first electrode layer, and the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first insulating layer.

5. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first electrode layer includes a plurality of electrode protrusions, which are arranged corresponding to the plurality of capacitor protrusions and protrude or recessed from the second surface of the first electrode layer.

6. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a third insulating layer, which is arranged between the substrate and the first electrode layer, wherein the third insulating layer includes a plurality of insulating protrusions, and the plurality of insulating protrusions are arranged corresponding to the plurality of electrode protrusions.

7. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of capacitor protrusions are located on a first surface of the second insulating layer, the second surface of the second insulating layer is connected to the second electrode layer, and the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on two opposite sides of the second insulating layer; The second electrode layer includes a plurality of electrode protrusions, which are arranged corresponding to the plurality of capacitor protrusions and protrude or recessed from the surface of the second electrode layer.

8. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer includes a plurality of electrode protrusions, and the plurality of electrode protrusions are arranged corresponding to the plurality of capacitor protrusions.

9. The ultrasonic transducer device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: It also includes an upper insulating layer, which is arranged on the second electrode layer.

10. The ultrasonic transducer device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The cavity has a first area and a second area, the second area surrounds the first area, and the plurality of protrusions are located in the second area.

11. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The second electrode layer is driven by a direct current voltage to be recessed toward the first region relative to the first electrode layer, so that the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are relatively close to each other.

12. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The second electrode layer is driven by an alternating voltage or an external sound pressure relative to the first electrode layer to generate vibration in the second area.

13. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second electrode layer is driven by an alternating voltage or an external sound pressure to generate vibration relative to the first electrode layer.

14. An ultrasonic probe, characterized in that: include: A handheld housing having a first end and a second end; an acoustic lens, disposed at the first end or the second end; as well as The ultrasonic transducer is disposed in the handheld housing and arranged on a side of the handheld housing close to the acoustic lens, comprising: substrate; as well as An ultrasonic oscillation unit is arranged on the substrate, and the ultrasonic oscillation unit includes a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer, a second electrode layer, a second insulating layer, a plurality of capacitor protrusions, and a cavity located between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer. The first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are located between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. The plurality of capacitor protrusions are arranged in the cavity based on at least one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, and the height of the plurality of capacitor protrusions is less than the height of the cavity.

Images