CMUT Cell Grouping with Shared Etching Holes for High Density
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) face challenges in high-density cell arrangement due to etching hole requirements, leading to decreased transmission and reception sensitivity, and seal failures can significantly reduce efficiency, especially when used in liquid environments.
Innovation Solution
A transducer design where gaps between cells communicate within cell groups but not between neighboring groups, with a shared etching hole for each group, and a sealing unit to prevent liquid ingress, allowing for high-density cell arrangement without significant efficiency loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a plurality of etching holes are formed for each cell to remove the sacrifice layer, then the sacrifice layer can be completely removed, but the cells cannot be arranged in high density
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cells share a common etching hole instead of each cell having its own separate etching hole. This merging approach reduces the total number of etching holes, enabling higher cell density while still achieving complete sacrifice layer removal through the shared etching channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The etching process is segmented into multiple independent etching channels, each serving a specific group of cells. This segmentation allows liquid to be supplied to each channel separately, ensuring complete sacrifice layer removal in each region while maintaining high overall cell density.
2Productivity
If all cells share a single etching hole to achieve high density, then cell arrangement density improves, but seal failure in one hole significantly decreases transmission efficiency and reception sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides cells into multiple groups, with each group having its own dedicated etching channel. This segmentation isolates potential seal failures to specific channels, preventing them from affecting all cells. Each channel can be sealed independently, maintaining reliability while achieving high density through shared channels within groups.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions (etching channels) have different sealing independence properties. Each etching channel is designed to be independently sealable, creating local quality variations that enhance overall system reliability. This allows high density through sharing while maintaining stability through local isolation.
3Productivity
If all gaps are connected through a single etching channel, then high cell density is achieved, but liquid may enter the gap and decrease transmission efficiency and reception sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The etching channels are segmented and independently sealed, creating isolated liquid barriers for each cell group. This segmentation prevents liquid from propagating across all gaps, reducing the harmful effect of liquid ingress while maintaining high cell density through the shared channel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The etching channel structure acts as an intermediary that can be selectively sealed. This intermediary mechanism controls liquid access to gaps, preventing harmful liquid ingress while still allowing the high-density cell arrangement to be achieved through shared channels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design maintains high conversion efficiency by isolating affected cell groups from others in case of seal failures and reduces the number of etching holes, improving yield and preventing liquid ingress, thus enhancing transmission and reception sensitivity.
Implementation Method 1
A gap of each of the cells can be formed by etching a sacrifice layer through an etching hole
Implementation Method 2
Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (CMUTs)... can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves using the vibration of a vibrating membrane
Data Source
AI summary
A transducer includes at least one element including a plurality of cells. Each of the cells includes a pair of electrodes disposed with a gap therebetween and a vibrating membrane including one of the electrodes, and the vibrating membrane is vibratably supported. First and second cells of the plurality of cells in the element have the gaps that communicate with each other, and the first cell and a third cell in the element have the gaps that do not communicate with each other.