Ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer and on-chip ultrasonic integrated module

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of ultrasonic transmitting circuit for transducer and on-chip ultrasonic integrated module, comprising: transducer;First pulse generator is connected to the first electrode of the transducer, for emitting first pulse electric signal to transducer to drive the transducer emit ultrasonic wave;Second pulse generator is connected to the second electrode of the transducer, for emitting second pulse electric signal to transducer to drive the transducer emit ultrasonic wave.The utility model is single-end excitation multiple times to the energy of transducer excitation, significantly improves the vibration amplitude of transducer and the emission intensity of ultrasonic signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to ultrasonic chips, specifically to an ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer and an on-chip ultrasonic integrated module. Background Technology

[0002] A piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) is a core device based on MEMS technology. Its working principle is based on the direct and inverse piezoelectric effects of piezoelectric materials. It achieves efficient transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals through the periodic vibration of a piezoelectric thin film. When the PMUT acts as a transmitter, it essentially converts electrical signals into mechanical vibration energy. Under the action of a driving voltage, the piezoelectric thin film deforms due to the inverse piezoelectric effect, causing the multilayer film structure to bend and vibrate, radiating ultrasonic waves into the medium. When acting as a receiver, it becomes a sensor that captures mechanical vibration energy. External ultrasonic waves cause the thin film to vibrate, resulting in strain in the piezoelectric thin film. Through the direct piezoelectric effect, the acoustic signal is converted into an electrical signal for subsequent processing.

[0003] Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology, as a core technology in the semiconductor field, is widely used in integrated circuit manufacturing and many other fields. It can integrate a large number of transistors onto a small chip, continuously developing in accordance with Moore's Law, and driving the evolution of semiconductors towards miniaturization and high performance.

[0004] The combination of PMUT and CMOS technology represents a revolutionary breakthrough in the field of ultrasound. Integrated design overcomes the limitations of traditional probes in terms of size, cost, and performance, and holds great promise in the medical, industrial, and consumer electronics sectors. With the synergistic advancements in MEMS and semiconductor technologies, PMUT-on-CMOS integrated chips are expected to become the core engine of next-generation ultrasound systems, driving the widespread adoption of "chip-level ultrasound." Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer and an on-chip ultrasonic integrated module.

[0006] The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer provided by this utility model includes:

[0007] Transducer;

[0008] A first pulse generator is connected to the first electrode of the transducer and is used to transmit a first pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves.

[0009] A second pulse generator, connected to the second electrode of the transducer, is used to transmit a second pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves.

[0010] Preferably, the pulse generator includes:

[0011] A first switch, one end of which is connected to a high-voltage source, and the other end of which is connected to the first electrode of the transducer;

[0012] A second switch, one end of which is connected to a low-voltage source, and the other end of which is connected to the first electrode of the transducer;

[0013] The third switch has one end grounded and the other end connected to the first electrode of the transducer.

[0014] Preferably, the pulse generator includes:

[0015] Transistor MN1, wherein the drain (D) of transistor MN1 is connected to a high-voltage source through resistor R1, and the source (S) is grounded;

[0016] Transistor MN2, wherein the source (S) terminal of transistor MN2 is connected to a high-voltage source, the drain (D) terminal is connected to the electrode of the transducer, and the gate (G) terminal is connected to the drain (D) terminal of transistor MN1;

[0017] Transistor MN3, wherein the drain of transistor MN3 is connected to the drain of transistor MN2, and the source is grounded;

[0018] The level shifter is connected to the gate (G) of transistor MN1 on one hand and to the gate (G) of transistor MN3 on the other hand through buffer BF1.

[0019] Preferably, the pulse generator further includes a non-overlapping generator;

[0020] The level converter is connected to the gate of transistor MN1 on one hand through the non-overlapping generator, and to the gate of transistor MN3 on the other hand through the buffer BF1;

[0021] The non-overlapping generator is used to generate two non-overlapping control pulses based on the control pulse signal generated by the level converter.

[0022] Preferably, the pulse generator further includes a TR transistor MP1;

[0023] The source (S) of the TR transistor MP1 is grounded, the drain (D) is connected to the source (S) of the transistor MN3, and the gate (G) is used to receive the TR signal to control the switching between the drain (D) and source (S) of the TR transistor MP1.

[0024] An echo signal receiving port is provided between the source (S) terminal of transistor MN3 and the drain (D) terminal of TR transistor MP1.

[0025] Preferably,

[0026] The non-overlapping clock generator includes:

[0027] An inverter, the input of which is connected to the level converter, is used to receive the control pulse signal and generate an inverted pulse signal of the control pulse signal;

[0028] The logic processing unit is used to receive the control pulse signal and the inverted pulse signal and output two non-overlapping control pulses.

[0029] Preferably, the transducer includes:

[0030] Cavities formed on the substrate;

[0031] A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0032] Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; the first pulse generator is connected to the top electrode and the second pulse generator is connected to the bottom electrode.

[0033] Preferably, the top electrode, the piezoelectric thin film layer, the bottom electrode, and the elastic layer together constitute a vibrating diaphragm.

[0034] Preferably, the first electrode is the top electrode of the transducer, and the second electrode is the bottom electrode of the transducer;

[0035] Alternatively, the first electrode may be the middle electrode of the top or bottom electrode of the transducer, and the second electrode may be the outer electrode of the top or bottom electrode of the transducer.

[0036] The on-chip ultrasonic integrated module provided by this utility model includes the ultrasonic transmitting circuit described above.

[0037] The ultrasonic transmitting circuit is used to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves;

[0038] The echo receiving circuit is used to receive and process the echo electrical signal generated by the transducer;

[0039] A switching switch is used to switch the connection or disconnection of the transducer with the ultrasonic transmitting circuit or the echo receiving circuit.

[0040] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0041] In this invention, a first pulse generator is connected to the first electrode of the transducer to transmit a first pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves; a second pulse generator is connected to the second electrode of the transducer to transmit a second pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves. The energy of the transducer excitation in this invention is many times that of single-ended excitation (such as 4 times or 16 times), which significantly improves the vibration amplitude of the transducer and the emission intensity of the ultrasonic signal. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort. Other features, objects, and advantages of this utility model will become more apparent by reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an interventional ultrasound application scenario for the on-chip ultrasound integrated module in this embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a wearable ultrasound application scenario for the on-chip ultrasound integrated module in this utility model embodiment;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the on-chip ultrasonic integrated module in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of applying a unipolar pulse electrical signal to one end of the transducer in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of applying pulse electrical signals with opposite phase polarities and a phase difference of 180° to both ends of the transducer in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0048] Figure 6 This is a circuit diagram of the pulse generation unit in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 7 This is a circuit diagram of the ultrasonic transmitting circuit used in the transducer in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0050] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first circuit connection between the transducer and the pulse generating unit in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0051] Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of a second circuit connection between the transducer and the pulse generating unit in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0052] Figure 10 This is a circuit diagram of the non-overlapping generator in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0053] Figure 11 This is a timing diagram of the two pulse electrical signals in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0054] Figure 12 This is a comparison diagram of the center displacement of the PMUT thin film under single-end excitation and double-end excitation in the embodiments of this utility model;

[0055] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a third circuit connection between the transducer and the pulse generating unit in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0056] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth circuit connection between the transducer and the pulse generating unit in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0057] Figure 15 This is a circuit diagram of the on-chip ultrasonic integrated module in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0058] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the first circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0059] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of a second circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0060] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of a third circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0061] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in this embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the fifth circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in this embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] In the figure: 100 is the probe; 200 is the interventional catheter; 300 is the body surface patch; 101 is the substrate; 102 is the transducer array; 1020 is the substrate; 1021 is the cavity; 1022 is the bottom electrode; 1023 is the top electrode; 1024 is the elastic layer; 1025 is the piezoelectric layer. Detailed Implementation

[0064] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the present invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0065] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this utility model are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the utility model described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0066] The technical solution of this utility model will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0067] The technical solutions of this utility model and this application solve the above-mentioned technical problems in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this utility model will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0068] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of the on-chip ultrasonic integrated module in this embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 1As shown, during intracardiac ultrasound, a transceiver probe 100 is placed inside the heart via a blood vessel to perform real-time, high-quality imaging or hemodynamic measurements of the heart and adjacent tissues. It is primarily used in interventional cardiac procedures such as atrial fibrillation radiofrequency ablation, mitral valve repair, left atrial appendage closure, and closure of atrial septal defects and patent foramen ovale. It enables real-time monitoring of catheter position and surgical outcomes, assessment of cardiac structure and function, guidance of surgical procedures, and reduction of surgical risks. The probe 100 has a diameter of approximately 3-10F (1-3.3 mm) and is integrated into the tip of the interventional catheter 200, inserted into the heart chamber via a vascular pathway (such as the femoral vein). The probe 100 typically operates at a frequency of 5-20 MHz, offering extremely high resolution, but with limited penetration depth, covering only local structures within the heart chambers. Given that the heart rate is approximately 60-100 beats per minute and the valve opening and closing cycle is only a few hundred milliseconds, a high imaging frame rate, such as a 4D imaging rate of 50 volumes / s, is required.

[0069] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a wearable ultrasound application scenario for the on-chip ultrasound integrated module in this embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 2 As shown, when the on-chip ultrasound integrated module in this embodiment is applied to wearable scenarios, the battery-powered ultrasound imaging patch enables long-term, non-invasive, and real-time health monitoring. For example, by attaching the ultrasound imaging patch 300 to the chest, the transducer array continuously monitors the structure and function of the heart. Combined with long-term battery power, this provides continuous home monitoring for patients with hypertension and heart failure, replacing the traditional "regular ultrasound visits to the hospital" model and assisting doctors in adjusting treatment plans promptly. When applied to the abdomen, it monitors liver fatty infiltration (judged by ultrasound echo characteristics) and acoustic changes in the pancreas, helping patients with diabetes and fatty liver track disease progression. Combined with the signal processing capabilities of the ASIC chip, it analyzes data in real time and provides risk feedback. Data is automatically collected and wirelessly transmitted to a mobile phone, replacing the traditional "queueing at the hospital for ultrasound" model.

[0070] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the on-chip ultrasonic integrated module in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, a transducer array 102 is integrated on the substrate 101. The transducer array 102 is used to convert received pulse electrical signals into ultrasonic waves and transmit them, or to convert received ultrasonic echoes into echo electrical signals. An ultrasonic control integrated circuit 1017 is formed on the substrate 101. The ultrasonic control integrated circuit 1017 includes an ultrasonic transmitting circuit and an echo receiving circuit. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit includes a transmitting beamformer and a pulse generator for generating pulse electrical signals to drive the transducer array 102 to transmit ultrasonic waves. The echo receiving circuit includes a signal amplifier and a receiving beamformer for receiving and processing the echo electrical signals.

[0071] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of a unipolar pulsed electrical signal to one end of the transducer in an embodiment of this utility model. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of pulse electrical signals with opposite phase polarities and a phase difference of 180° to both ends of the transducer in an embodiment of this utility model. Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the present invention provides an ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer, comprising:

[0072] Transducer;

[0073] A first pulse generator is connected to the first electrode of the transducer and is used to transmit a first pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves.

[0074] A second pulse generator, connected to the second electrode of the transducer, is used to transmit a second pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves.

[0075] In this embodiment of the invention, the transducer is a PMUT transducer, a PZT transducer, or a CMUT transducer.

[0076] like Figure 4 As shown, a unipolar pulse electrical signal is applied to one end of the transducer at this time. Figure 5 In the diagram, (a) represents the application of pulse electrical signals with opposite phase polarities to the transducer, thus achieving bipolar differential voltage with positive and negative voltage. Figure 5 In the diagram, (b) represents the application of a pulsed electrical signal with a phase difference of 180° to the transducer, thus achieving phase-shifted unipolar differential.

[0077] Figure 6 This is a circuit diagram of the pulse generation unit in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the pulse generator includes:

[0078] A first switch, one end of which is connected to a high-voltage source, and the other end of which is connected to the first electrode of the transducer;

[0079] A second switch, one end of which is connected to a low-voltage source, and the other end of which is connected to the first electrode of the transducer;

[0080] The third switch has one end grounded and the other end connected to the first electrode of the transducer.

[0081] like Figure 6As shown, the first pulse generator and the second pulse generator have the same structure, only their operating timing is different. When the first switch is closed, the pulse electrical signal rises from 0 to VDD. When the third switch is closed, the pulse electrical signal falls from VDD to 0. When the second switch is closed, the pulse electrical signal falls from 0 to VSS, and then the second switch is controlled to rise from VSS to 0 when the pulse electrical signal rises from VSS to 0.

[0082] Figure 7 This is a circuit diagram of the ultrasonic transmitting circuit used in the transducer in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 7 As shown, the first pulse generator includes:

[0083] Transistor MN1, wherein the drain (D) of transistor MN1 is connected to a high-voltage source through resistor R1, and the source (S) is grounded;

[0084] Transistor MN2, wherein the source (S) terminal of transistor MN2 is connected to a high-voltage source, the drain (D) terminal is connected to the first electrode of the transducer, and the gate (G) terminal is connected to the drain (D) terminal of transistor MN1;

[0085] Transistor MN3, wherein the drain of transistor MN3 is connected to the drain of transistor MN2, and the source is grounded;

[0086] The first level converter is connected to the gate of transistor MN1 on one hand through the first non-overlapping generator, and to the gate of transistor MN3 on the other hand through the buffer BF1.

[0087] The first non-overlapping generator is used to generate two non-overlapping control pulses based on the two control pulse signals generated by the level converter.

[0088] TR transistor MP1, wherein the source (S) of TR transistor MP1 is grounded, the drain (D) is connected to the source (S) of transistor MN3, and the gate (G) is used to receive TR signals to control the switching between the drain (D) and source (S) of TR transistor MP1.

[0089] An echo signal receiving port is provided between the source (S) terminal of transistor MN3 and the drain (D) terminal of TR transistor MP1.

[0090] The second pulse generator includes:

[0091] Transistor MN4, wherein the drain (D) of transistor MN4 is connected to a high-voltage source through resistor R2, and the source (S) is grounded;

[0092] Transistor MN5, wherein the source (S) terminal of transistor MN5 is connected to a high-voltage source, the drain (D) terminal is connected to the second electrode of the transducer, and the gate (G) terminal is connected to the drain (D) terminal of transistor MN4;

[0093] Transistor MN6, wherein the drain of transistor MN6 is connected to the drain of transistor MN5;

[0094] The second level converter is connected to the gate of transistor MN4 on one hand through the second non-overlapping generator, and to the gate of transistor MN6 on the other hand through buffer BF2;

[0095] The second non-overlapping generator is used to generate two non-overlapping control pulses based on the control pulse signal generated by the level converter.

[0096] TR transistor MP2, the source (S) of TR transistor MP2 is grounded, the drain (D) is connected to the source (S) of transistor MN3, and the gate (G) is used to receive TR signals to control the switching between the drain (D) and source (S) of TR transistor MP2.

[0097] An echo signal receiving port is provided between the source (S) terminal of transistor MN3 and the drain (D) terminal of TR transistor MP2.

[0098] In this embodiment of the invention, transistors MN1, MN2, MN3, MN4, MN5, and MN6 are N-type MOS transistors, and transistor MP1 is a P-type MOS transistor.

[0099] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first circuit connection between the transducer and the pulse generating unit in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 8 As shown, the transducer includes:

[0100] A cavity formed in the substrate;

[0101] A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0102] Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; the first pulse generator is connected to the top electrode and the second pulse generator is connected to the bottom electrode.

[0103] In this embodiment of the invention, the substrate serves as the mechanical support layer of the device and can be made of silicon or other semiconductor substrates. A cavity is formed on the substrate to provide space for the diaphragm to vibrate freely. The cavity is formed by etching a groove structure on the substrate, which releases the constraint below the diaphragm, allowing the vibrating diaphragm to flex freely under drive. A lower electrode is deposited above the substrate or sacrificial layer, located above the cavity; it serves as one pole of the differential excitation and is connected to the external circuit. A piezoelectric layer is deposited on the lower electrode, with its polarization direction perpendicular to the plane of the diaphragm; it generates strain under the action of an electric field, driving the vibrating diaphragm to produce displacement.

[0104] The upper electrode covers the upper surface of the piezoelectric layer and serves as the other electrode for differential excitation; it is led out independently from the bottom electrode and used to apply an inverted signal. An elastic layer, which can be made of materials such as SiO2 or SiN, covers the upper electrode and provides additional mechanical support and stress adjustment, improving the resonant frequency and reliability of the diaphragm.

[0105] The vibrating membrane is a composite suspension structure consisting of a top electrode, a piezoelectric thin film layer, a bottom electrode, and an elastic layer. Under the drive of an external differential electric field, the membrane flexes and vibrates, thereby exciting ultrasonic waves. Unlike traditional monopolar PMUTs, bipolar PMUTs have both the upper and lower plates brought out as independent pins, allowing for differential drive.

[0106] like Figure 8 As shown, the first electrode is the top electrode of the transducer, and the second electrode is the bottom electrode of the transducer;

[0107] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to emit energy relative to... Figure 4 It is four times more powerful than the single-ended transmission mode and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0108] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a second circuit connection between the transducer and the pulse generating unit in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 9 As shown, the transducer includes:

[0109] Cavities formed on the substrate;

[0110] A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0111] Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; the top electrode includes an outer electrode disposed on the outer ring and a middle electrode disposed on the inner ring.

[0112] The first electrode is the middle electrode of the top electrode, and the second electrode is the outer electrode of the top electrode;

[0113] The bottom electrode is grounded.

[0114] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to emit energy relative to... Figure 4 It is four times more powerful than the single-ended transmission mode and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0115] In a variation of this invention, the first electrode can be the middle electrode of the bottom electrode of the transducer, and the second electrode is the outer electrode of the bottom electrode. In this case, the top electrode is grounded.

[0116] Figure 10 This is a circuit diagram of the non-overlapping generator in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 10 As shown, the non-overlapping generator includes:

[0117] The non-overlapping clock generator includes:

[0118] An inverter, the input of which is connected to the level converter, is used to receive the control pulse signal and generate an inverted pulse signal of the control pulse signal;

[0119] The logic processing unit is used to receive the control pulse signal and the inverted pulse signal and output two non-overlapping control pulses.

[0120] The logic processing unit includes:

[0121] A first NAND gate, the first input of which is connected to the level converter, and the second input which receives a feedback signal from the second buffer chain;

[0122] The second NAND gate has its first input connected to the output of the inverter, and its second input receives a feedback signal from the first buffer chain.

[0123] The first buffer chain is connected to the output of the first NAND gate, and is used to buffer the output of the first NAND gate to generate a first non-overlapping control pulse, and to provide a feedback signal to the second NAND gate;

[0124] The second buffer chain is connected to the output of the second NAND gate, and is used to buffer the output of the second NAND gate to generate a second non-overlapping control pulse, and to provide a feedback signal to the first NAND gate;

[0125] Through the cross-feedback logic of the first NAND gate and the second NAND gate, and the delay adjustment of the first buffer chain and the second buffer chain, the first non-overlapping control pulse and the second non-overlapping control pulse are made to not overlap in time.

[0126] Figure 11 This is a timing diagram of the two pulse electrical signals in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 11 As shown, the digital control module receives waveform configuration parameters configured by the user, including the transmit clock frequency TX_CLK, pulse level duration parameters T_V0 (high level) and T_V1 (low level), and the number of pulse repetitions N_REP.

[0127] Figure 12 This is a comparison diagram of the center displacement of the PMUT thin film under single-end excitation and double-end excitation in the embodiments of this utility model, as shown in the figure. Figure 12 As shown, through finite element simulation and testing, the displacement amplitude of single-end drive is: maximum deflection W1 in the central region; the displacement amplitude of differential drive is: maximum deflection W2, where W2≈2W1.

[0128] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a third circuit connection between the transducer and the pulse generating unit in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 13 As shown, the transducer includes:

[0129] Cavities formed on the substrate;

[0130] A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0131] Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; each bottom and top electrode includes an outer electrode disposed on the outer ring and a middle electrode disposed on the inner ring.

[0132] The first electrode includes the middle electrode of the top electrode and the outer electrode of the bottom electrode;

[0133] The second electrode includes the outer electrode of the top electrode and the middle electrode of the bottom electrode.

[0134] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to emit energy relative to... Figure 4 It is 16 times faster than the single-ended transmission mode in traditional ultrasound, and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0135] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth circuit connection between the transducer and the pulse generating unit in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 14 As shown, the transducer includes:

[0136] Cavities formed on the substrate;

[0137] A first piezoelectric layer, a second piezoelectric layer, and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0138] The first piezoelectric layer has a bottom electrode and a middle electrode formed on both sides for receiving electrical signals; the second piezoelectric layer has a middle electrode and a top electrode formed on both sides for receiving electrical signals.

[0139] The first electrode is the middle electrode of the central electrode, and the second electrode includes the outer electrode of the central electrode;

[0140] The bottom electrode and the top electrode are grounded.

[0141] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to emit energy relative to... Figure 4 It is 16 times faster than the single-ended transmission mode in traditional ultrasound, and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0142] Figure 15 This is a circuit diagram of the on-chip ultrasonic integrated module in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 15 As shown in the embodiment of this utility model, the on-chip ultrasonic integrated module provided by this utility model includes the ultrasonic transmitting circuit described above.

[0143] The ultrasonic transmitting circuit is used to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves;

[0144] The echo receiving circuit is used to receive and process the echo electrical signal generated by the transducer;

[0145] A switching switch is used to switch the connection or disconnection of the transducer with the ultrasonic transmitting circuit or the echo receiving circuit.

[0146] In this embodiment of the invention, the echo receiving circuit includes a signal amplifier, which is a low-noise amplifier or a transimpedance amplifier.

[0147] The positive terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the first electrode of the transducer, and the negative terminal is connected to the second electrode of the transducer.

[0148] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the first circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 16 As shown, the transducer includes:

[0149] Cavities formed on the substrate;

[0150] A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0151] Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer;

[0152] The first electrode is the bottom electrode and is grounded, and the second electrode is the top electrode.

[0153] The positive terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the bottom electrode of the transducer, and the negative terminal is connected to the top electrode of the transducer.

[0154] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to receive a signal amplitude relative to... Figure 4 It is twice the size of the single-end transmission mode and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0155] In a variation of this utility model, the first electrode is the top electrode and is grounded, and the second electrode is the bottom electrode.

[0156] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of a second circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 17 As shown, the transducer includes:

[0157] Cavities formed on the substrate;

[0158] A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0159] Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; the top electrode includes an outer electrode disposed on the outer ring and a middle electrode disposed on the inner ring.

[0160] The first electrode is the middle electrode of the top electrode, and the second electrode is the outer electrode of the top electrode;

[0161] The bottom electrode is grounded.

[0162] In this embodiment of the invention, the positive terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the external electrode of the top electrode, and the negative terminal is connected to the middle electrode of the top electrode.

[0163] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to receive a signal amplitude relative to... Figure 4 It is 1.5 to 2 times more powerful than the single-ended transmission mode and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0164] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of a third circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 18 As shown, the transducer includes:

[0165] Cavities formed on the substrate;

[0166] A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0167] Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; each bottom and top electrode includes an outer electrode disposed on the outer ring and a middle electrode disposed on the inner ring.

[0168] The first electrode includes the middle electrode of the top electrode and the outer electrode of the bottom electrode;

[0169] The second electrode includes the outer electrode of the top electrode and the middle electrode of the bottom electrode.

[0170] In this embodiment of the invention, the positive terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the outer electrode of the top electrode and the middle electrode of the bottom electrode, and the negative terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the middle electrode of the top electrode and the outer electrode of the bottom electrode.

[0171] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to receive a signal amplitude relative to... Figure 4 It is 3 to 4 times more powerful than the single-ended transmission mode and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0172] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 19 As shown, the transducer includes:

[0173] Cavities formed on the substrate;

[0174] A first piezoelectric layer, a second piezoelectric layer, and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity;

[0175] The first piezoelectric layer has a bottom electrode and a middle electrode formed on both sides for receiving electrical signals; the second piezoelectric layer has a middle electrode and a top electrode formed on both sides for receiving electrical signals.

[0176] The first electrode is the middle electrode of the central electrode, and the second electrode includes the outer electrode of the central electrode;

[0177] The bottom electrode and the top electrode are grounded.

[0178] In this embodiment of the invention, the positive terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the outer electrode of the middle electrode, and the negative terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the middle electrode of the middle electrode.

[0179] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to receive a signal amplitude relative to... Figure 4 It is 3 to 4 times more powerful than the single-ended transmission mode and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0180] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the fifth circuit connection between the transducer and the signal amplification unit in an embodiment of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 20 As shown in this embodiment of the invention, the positive terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the outer electrode and the middle electrode of the middle electrode, and the negative terminal of the signal amplifier is connected to the top electrode and the bottom electrode.

[0181] This embodiment of the invention enables the transducer to receive a signal amplitude relative to... Figure 4 It has twice the single-end transmission mode and can be applied to both 4D and 2D ultrasound modes.

[0182] In this embodiment of the invention, a transducer is directly integrated onto the CMOS chip. The transducer is used to convert received pulse electrical signals into ultrasonic waves and transmit them, or to convert received ultrasonic echoes into echo electrical signals. An ultrasonic control integrated circuit is formed on the CMOS chip. The ultrasonic control integrated circuit includes an ultrasonic transmitting circuit and an echo receiving circuit. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit is used to generate pulse electrical signals to drive the transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves. The echo receiving circuit is used to receive and process the echo electrical signals. This integrated design solves the bottlenecks in size, cost, and performance of traditional medical ultrasound probes.

[0183] In this embodiment of the invention, a first pulse generator is connected to the first electrode of the transducer to transmit a first pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves; a second pulse generator is connected to the second electrode of the transducer to transmit a second pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves. The energy of the transducer excitation in this invention is many times that of single-ended excitation (such as 4 times or 16 times), which significantly improves the vibration amplitude of the transducer and the emission intensity of the ultrasonic signal.

[0184] The various embodiments described in this specification are presented in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use this invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0185] The specific embodiments of this utility model have been described above. It should be understood that this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the substantive content of this utility model.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer, characterized in that, include: Transducer; A first pulse generator is connected to the first electrode of the transducer and is used to transmit a first pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves. A second pulse generator, connected to the second electrode of the transducer, is used to transmit a second pulse electrical signal to the transducer to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves.

2. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pulse generator includes: A first switch, one end of which is connected to a high-voltage source, and the other end of which is connected to the first electrode of the transducer; A second switch, one end of which is connected to a low-voltage source, and the other end of which is connected to the first electrode of the transducer; The third switch has one end grounded and the other end connected to the first electrode of the transducer.

3. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pulse generator includes: Transistor MN1, wherein the drain (D) of transistor MN1 is connected to a high-voltage source through resistor R1, and the source (S) is grounded; Transistor MN2, wherein the source (S) terminal of transistor MN2 is connected to a high-voltage source, the drain (D) terminal is connected to the electrode of the transducer, and the gate (G) terminal is connected to the drain (D) terminal of transistor MN1; Transistor MN3, wherein the drain of transistor MN3 is connected to the drain of transistor MN2, and the source is grounded; The level shifter is connected to the gate (G) of transistor MN1 on one hand and to the gate (G) of transistor MN3 on the other hand through buffer BF1.

4. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pulse generator also includes a TR transistor MP1; The source (S) of the TR transistor MP1 is grounded, the drain (D) is connected to the source (S) of the transistor MN3, and the gate (G) is used to receive the TR signal to control the switching between the drain (D) and source (S) of the TR transistor MP1. An echo signal receiving port is provided between the source (S) terminal of transistor MN3 and the drain (D) terminal of TR transistor MP1.

5. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transducer includes: Cavities formed on the substrate; A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity; The piezoelectric layer has a bottom electrode and a top electrode formed on both sides for receiving electrical signals; the first electrode is the top electrode and the second electrode is the bottom electrode.

6. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transducer includes: Cavities formed on the substrate; A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity; Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; the top electrode includes an outer electrode disposed on the outer ring and a middle electrode disposed on the inner ring. The first electrode is the middle electrode of the top electrode, and the second electrode is the outer electrode of the top electrode; The bottom electrode is grounded.

7. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transducer includes: Cavities formed on the substrate; A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity; Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; The first electrode is the middle electrode of the bottom electrode, and the second electrode is the outer electrode of the bottom electrode; The top electrode is grounded.

8. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transducer includes: Cavities formed on the substrate; A piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity; Bottom and top electrodes for receiving electrical signals are formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer; each bottom and top electrode includes an outer electrode disposed on the outer ring and a middle electrode disposed on the inner ring. The first electrode includes the middle electrode of the top electrode and the outer electrode of the bottom electrode; The second electrode includes the outer electrode of the top electrode and the middle electrode of the bottom electrode.

9. The ultrasonic transmitting circuit for a transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transducer includes: Cavities formed on the substrate; A first piezoelectric layer, a second piezoelectric layer, and an elastic layer are formed on the upper side of the cavity; The first piezoelectric layer has a bottom electrode and a middle electrode formed on both sides for receiving electrical signals; the second piezoelectric layer has a middle electrode and a top electrode formed on both sides for receiving electrical signals. The first electrode is the middle electrode of the central electrode, and the second electrode includes the outer electrode of the central electrode; The bottom electrode and the top electrode are grounded.

10. An on-chip ultrasonic integrated module, characterized in that, Includes the ultrasonic transmitting circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; An ultrasonic transmitting circuit is used to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic waves; An echo receiving circuit is used to receive and process the echo electrical signal generated by the transducer; A switching switch is used to switch the connection or disconnection of the transducer with the ultrasonic transmitting circuit or the echo receiving circuit.

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