An ultrasonic transducer

Abstract

This utility model relates to an ultrasonic transducer, comprising a substrate, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a channel layer, an insulating layer, a gate electrode layer, a triboelectric transducer layer, a conversion electrode layer, and an ultrasonic coupling layer; the source electrode and the drain electrode are disposed alternately on the upper surface of the substrate, the channel layer covers the source electrode and the drain electrode and partially fills the space between the source electrode and the drain electrode, the insulating layer is disposed above the channel layer, the gate electrode layer is disposed above the insulating layer, the triboelectric transducer layer is disposed above the gate electrode layer, the conversion electrode layer is disposed above the triboelectric transducer layer, and the ultrasonic coupling layer is disposed above the conversion electrode layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ultrasonic transducers, and in particular to an ultrasonic transducer. Background Technology

[0002] An ultrasonic transducer is a component that converts acoustic energy into electrical energy; it can convert ultrasonic waves into electrical signals and vice versa. Ultrasonic transducers are widely used in various fields such as medical diagnostics, underwater communication and detection, non-destructive testing, ranging and positioning, and remote sensing and control. Traditional ultrasonic transducers are based on piezoelectric materials, but the complex fabrication process of piezoelectric materials leads to high costs for ultrasonic transducers. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an ultrasonic transducer that addresses the issue of high cost.

[0004] An ultrasonic transducer includes a substrate, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a channel layer, an insulating layer, a gate electrode layer, a triboelectric transducer layer, a conversion electrode layer, and an ultrasonic coupling layer.

[0005] The source electrode and the drain electrode are disposed at intervals on the upper surface of the substrate. The channel layer covers the source electrode and the drain electrode and partially fills the space between the source electrode and the drain electrode. The insulating layer is disposed above the channel layer. The gate electrode layer is disposed above the insulating layer. The triboelectric transducer layer is disposed above the gate electrode layer. The conversion electrode layer is disposed above the triboelectric transducer layer. The ultrasonic coupling layer is disposed above the conversion electrode layer.

[0006] In one embodiment, the triboelectric transducer layer includes a first friction layer and a second friction layer, the second friction layer being located above the first friction layer, the upper surface of the first friction layer being provided with a first micro-nano protrusion, the lower surface of the second friction layer being provided with a second micro-nano protrusion, and the first micro-nano protrusion and the second micro-nano protrusion being staggered.

[0007] In one embodiment, the first micro-nano protrusion is conical, ellipsoidal, frustum-shaped, or serrated, and / or the second micro-nano protrusion is conical, ellipsoidal, frustum-shaped, or serrated.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first friction layer is made of polystyrene, and / or the second friction layer is made of polycarbonate.

[0009] In one embodiment, the substrate material is polyethylene terephthalate or polyimide.

[0010] In one embodiment, the source electrode is made of gold, silver, or copper, and / or the drain electrode is made of gold, silver, or copper.

[0011] In one embodiment, the channel layer is made of zinc oxide or hafnium oxide.

[0012] In one embodiment, the insulating layer is made of silicon dioxide.

[0013] In one embodiment, the gate electrode layer is made of copper.

[0014] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic coupling layer is made of epoxy resin.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0016] In the ultrasonic transducer of this invention, during the detection of ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic coupling layer receives the ultrasonic waves and generates vibrations. These vibrations are conducted through the conversion electrode layer to the triboelectric transducer layer, causing the separation of positive and negative charges within the triboelectric transducer layer. This changes the voltage of the gate electrode layer, subsequently inducing a change in the electrical signal between the source and drain electrodes. Based on this change in electrical signal, the ultrasonic transducer detects the ultrasonic signal. In this process, the conductive conversion electrode layer and gate electrode layer work together to ensure more thorough separation of positive and negative charges within the triboelectric transducer layer, thereby increasing the potential difference between the conversion electrode layer and the gate electrode layer. This makes the voltage change of the gate electrode layer more pronounced in response to the ultrasonic signal. Therefore, the electrical signal between the source and drain electrodes, affected by the voltage of the gate electrode layer, is more sensitive to the detection of ultrasonic signals, enabling the ultrasonic transducer to detect ultrasonic signals over a wider frequency range. Furthermore, the field-effect transistor formed by the source electrode, drain electrode, channel layer, insulating layer, and gate electrode layer further amplifies the electrical signal, thereby further improving the detection gain and signal-to-noise ratio of the ultrasonic transducer. Furthermore, the triboelectric transducer layer is simpler to prepare and less expensive than the piezoelectric materials used in existing ultrasonic transducers, thereby reducing the production cost of the ultrasonic transducer in this invention.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the ultrasonic transducer of this invention generates ultrasonic waves in more diverse ways. It can change the voltage of the grid electrode layer by changing the electrical signal between the source electrode and the drain electrode. The change in the voltage of the grid electrode layer causes the triboelectric transducer layer to vibrate. This vibration is conducted to the ultrasonic coupling layer through the conversion electrode layer, and then the ultrasonic coupling layer outputs ultrasonic waves. Alternatively, an electrical signal can be directly applied to the conversion electrode layer and the grid electrode layer to cause the triboelectric transducer layer to vibrate. This vibration is conducted to the ultrasonic coupling layer through the conversion electrode layer, and then the ultrasonic coupling layer outputs ultrasonic waves. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the ultrasonic transducer in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure label:

[0020] 1. Substrate; 2. Source electrode; 3. Drain electrode; 4. Channel layer; 5. Insulating layer; 6. Gate electrode layer; 7. Triboelectric transducer layer; 71. First triboelectric layer; 711. First micro / nano protrusion; 72. Second triboelectric layer; 721. Second micro / nano protrusion; 8. Conversion electrode layer; 9. Ultrasonic coupling layer. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this utility model. However, this utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0022] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0023] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0024] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0026] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0027] Example:

[0028] This embodiment provides an ultrasonic transducer, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasonic transducer includes a substrate 1, a source electrode 2, a drain electrode 3, a channel layer 4, an insulating layer 5, a gate electrode layer 6, a triboelectric transducer layer 7, a conversion electrode layer 8, and an ultrasonic coupling layer 9.

[0029] Source electrode 2 and drain electrode 3 are spaced apart on the upper surface of substrate 1. Channel layer 4 covers source electrode 2 and drain electrode 3, and a portion of channel layer 4 also fills the space between source electrode 2 and drain electrode 3. Insulating layer 5, gate electrode layer 6, triboelectric transducer layer 7, conversion electrode layer 8, and ultrasonic coupling layer 9 are arranged in layers from bottom to top. Specifically, the lower surface of insulating layer 5 is attached to the upper surface of channel layer 4, the lower surface of gate electrode layer 6 is attached to the upper surface of insulating layer 5, the lower surface of triboelectric transducer layer 7 is attached to the upper surface of gate electrode layer 6, the lower surface of conversion electrode layer 8 is attached to the upper surface of triboelectric transducer layer 7, and the lower surface of ultrasonic coupling layer 9 is attached to the upper surface of conversion electrode layer 8.

[0030] Specifically, the triboelectric transducer layer 7 includes a first friction layer 71 and a second friction layer 72, with the second friction layer 72 stacked on top of the first friction layer 71. Correspondingly, the lower surface of the first friction layer 71 is bonded to the upper surface of the gate electrode layer 6, and the upper surface of the second friction layer 72 is bonded to the lower surface of the conversion electrode layer 8. The upper surface of the first friction layer 71 has a first micro / nano protrusion 711, and the lower surface of the second friction layer 72 has a second micro / nano protrusion 721. The first micro / nano protrusion 711 and the second micro / nano protrusion 721 are mutually pressed together and staggered.

[0031] For example, the first micro-nano protrusion 711 is conical, ellipsoidal, frustum-shaped, or serrated, or other shapes; the second micro-nano protrusion 721 is conical, ellipsoidal, frustum-shaped, or serrated, or other shapes. The shapes of the first micro-nano protrusion 711 and the second micro-nano protrusion 721 can be the same or different. For example, the first micro-nano protrusion 711 is conical, and the second micro-nano protrusion 721 is frustum-shaped; or the first micro-nano protrusion 711 is ellipsoidal, and the second micro-nano protrusion 721 can be serrated; or both the first micro-nano protrusion 711 and the second micro-nano protrusion 721 are ellipsoidal.

[0032] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer converts ultrasonic signals into electrical signals as follows: The ultrasonic coupling layer 9 receives ultrasonic waves and thus generates vibrations. These vibrations are transmitted to the triboelectric transducer layer 7 through the conversion electrode layer 8, thereby causing friction between the first micro-nano protrusion 711 and the second micro-nano protrusion 721 and resulting in the separation of positive and negative charges within the triboelectric transducer layer 7. This changes the voltage of the gate electrode layer 6, which in turn causes a change in the electrical signal between the source electrode 2 and the drain electrode 3. Based on this change in the electrical signal, the ultrasonic transducer detects the ultrasonic signal.

[0033] Based on the above process, the ultrasonic transducer of this embodiment has at least the following advantages in the ultrasonic detection process:

[0034] The conductive conversion electrode layer 8 and the gate electrode layer 6 work together to make the separation of positive and negative charges in the triboelectric transducer layer 7 more thorough, thereby increasing the potential difference between the conversion electrode layer 8 and the gate electrode layer 6. In other words, the ultrasonic signal can make the voltage change of the gate electrode layer 6 more obvious. Correspondingly, the electrical signal between the source electrode 2 and the drain electrode 3 affected by the voltage of the gate electrode layer 6 is more sensitive to the detection of ultrasonic signals, and the ultrasonic transducer can detect ultrasonic signals in a wider frequency range.

[0035] Secondly, the field-effect transistor composed of source electrode 2, drain electrode 3, channel layer 4, insulating layer 5, and gate electrode layer 6 can further amplify the electrical signal, thereby further improving the detection gain and signal-to-noise ratio of the ultrasonic transducer for ultrasonic signals.

[0036] Moreover, the triboelectric transducer layer 7 is simpler to prepare and less expensive than piezoelectric materials, which can reduce the production cost of ultrasonic transducers.

[0037] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer converts electrical signals into ultrasonic signals in two ways: First, the voltage of the gate electrode layer 6 can be changed by altering the electrical signal between the source electrode 2 and the drain electrode 3. This change in voltage causes the triboelectric transducer layer 7 to vibrate, and this vibration is conducted through the conversion electrode layer 8 to the ultrasonic coupling layer 9, which then outputs ultrasonic waves. Second, electrical signals can be directly applied to the conversion electrode layer 8 and the gate electrode layer 6 to cause the triboelectric transducer layer 7 to vibrate. This vibration is conducted through the conversion electrode layer 8 to the ultrasonic coupling layer 9, which then outputs ultrasonic waves.

[0038] In other words, the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment generates ultrasonic waves in a more diverse manner.

[0039] For example, the substrate 1 is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyimide (PI), the source electrode 2 is made of gold, silver or copper, the drain electrode 3 is made of gold, silver or copper, the channel layer 4 is made of zinc oxide or hafnium oxide, the insulating layer 5 is made of silicon dioxide, the gate electrode layer 6 is made of copper, the first friction layer 71 can be made of polystyrene (PS), the second friction layer 72 is made of polycarbonate (PC), and the ultrasonic coupling layer 9 is made of epoxy resin.

[0040] Furthermore, this embodiment also provides a method for fabricating the aforementioned ultrasonic transducer, including the following steps:

[0041] Step 101: Perform magnetron sputtering on the upper surface of substrate 1 to form source electrode 2 and drain electrode 3;

[0042] Step 102: Deposit a channel layer 4 on the surfaces of the source electrode 2 and the drain electrode 3;

[0043] Step 103: Deposit an insulating layer 5 on the surface of the channel layer 4;

[0044] Step 104: Deposit the gate electrode layer 6 on the surface of the insulating layer 5;

[0045] Step 105: Spin-coat or deposit the first friction layer 71 on the surface of the gate electrode layer 6, and then etch out the first micro / nano protrusion 711;

[0046] Step 106: Spin-coat the ultrasonic coupling layer 9 onto the glass substrate, and peel the ultrasonic coupling layer 9 off the glass substrate after it has cured.

[0047] Step 107: Deposit the conversion electrode layer 8 on the ultrasonic coupling layer 9;

[0048] Step 108: Deposit or spin-coat a second friction layer 72 on the conversion electrode layer 8, and then etch a second micro / nano protrusion 721 on the second friction layer 72;

[0049] Step 109: Place the second friction layer 72 on the first friction layer 71.

[0050] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0051] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer, characterized by, It includes a substrate (1), a source electrode (2), a drain electrode (3), a channel layer (4), an insulating layer (5), a gate electrode layer (6), a triboelectric transducer layer (7), a conversion electrode layer (8), and an ultrasonic coupling layer (9). The source electrode (2) and the drain electrode (3) are spaced apart on the upper surface of the substrate (1). The channel layer (4) covers the source electrode (2) and the drain electrode (3) and partially fills the space between the source electrode (2) and the drain electrode (3). The insulating layer (5) is disposed above the channel layer (4). The gate electrode layer (6) is disposed above the insulating layer (5). The triboelectric transducer layer (7) is disposed above the gate electrode layer (6). The conversion electrode layer (8) is disposed above the triboelectric transducer layer (7). The ultrasonic coupling layer (9) is disposed above the conversion electrode layer (8).

2. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein, The triboelectric transducer layer (7) includes a first friction layer (71) and a second friction layer (72). The second friction layer (72) is located above the first friction layer (71). The upper surface of the first friction layer (71) is provided with a first micro-nano protrusion (711), and the lower surface of the second friction layer (72) is provided with a second micro-nano protrusion (721). The first micro-nano protrusion (711) and the second micro-nano protrusion (721) are staggered.

3. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 2, wherein, The first micro-nano protrusion (711) is conical, ellipsoidal, frustum-shaped or serrated, and / or the second micro-nano protrusion (721) is conical, ellipsoidal, frustum-shaped or serrated.

4. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 2, wherein, The first friction layer (71) is made of polystyrene, and / or the second friction layer (72) is made of polycarbonate.

5. The ultrasound transducer of claim 1, wherein, The substrate (1) is made of polyethylene terephthalate or polyimide.

6. The ultrasound transducer of claim 1, wherein, The source electrode (2) is made of gold, silver or copper, and / or the drain electrode (3) is made of gold, silver or copper.

7. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The channel layer (4) is made of zinc oxide or hafnium oxide.

8. The ultrasound transducer of claim 1, wherein, The insulating layer (5) is made of silicon dioxide.

9. The ultrasound transducer of claim 1, wherein, The gate electrode layer (6) is made of copper.

10. The ultrasound transducer of claim 1, wherein, The ultrasonic coupling layer (9) is made of epoxy resin.

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