Generic Substrate Design for Micro-Machined Acoustic Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
The design and fabrication of acoustic devices with micro-machined ultrasonic transducers require specific substrate topologies, which are often sensitive and confidential, making it difficult for substrate manufacturers to develop generic substrates that can be used for a wide range of devices without ad hoc processes, hindering rapid and economical development.
Innovation Solution
A design process and fabrication method that defines a generic substrate with pre-established cavity characteristics, allowing micro-machined elements to be arranged in a compatible topology, enabling the use of a generic substrate for various acoustic devices without specific substrate fabrication processes for each device, and includes steps for processing and configuring only certain cavity-membrane pairs to form functional transducers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If specific substrate topologies are designed for each acoustic device, then device performance and functionality are optimized, but substrate development time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a generic substrate with standardized cavity characteristics that can accommodate multiple different acoustic device topologies. The substrate manufacturer creates a universal substrate platform with pre-established cavity arrays that can be used across various device types, eliminating the need to develop custom substrates for each device while still allowing device-specific optimization through the selection and configuration of appropriate cavity subsets.
2Manufacturing precision
If custom substrate fabrication processes are developed for each device, then substrate-device compatibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a universal substrate fabrication process that produces substrates with standardized cavity characteristics suitable for multiple device types. This single generic substrate can be used across various acoustic devices, eliminating the need for multiple custom fabrication processes while maintaining compatibility through proper topology design.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate manufacturer performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing cavity characteristics and creating a generic substrate platform in advance. This preliminary substrate preparation includes defining standardized cavity dimensions, positions, and patterns that can later accommodate different device topologies without requiring additional substrate fabrication steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If device-specific substrate information is disclosed to manufacturers, then substrate fabrication accuracy improves, but confidentiality of sensitive design information is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential substrate fabrication requirements from device-specific designs and consolidates them into generic substrate characteristics. The substrate manufacturer only needs to know the standardized cavity parameters, not the specific device topology details. This separation allows accurate substrate fabrication while keeping sensitive device design information confidential.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a generic substrate model that replicates the essential cavity characteristics needed for multiple devices. Instead of manufacturing custom substrates for each device, the same generic substrate can be copied and used across different applications, reducing the need to disclose specific design information while maintaining fabrication accuracy.
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 approach allows for the cost-effective production of acoustic devices by enabling the use of generic substrates, reducing the need for custom substrate development and facilitating the rapid fabrication of acoustic devices with compatible topologies, while maintaining confidentiality of device-specific information.
Implementation Method 1
Piezoelectric MUTs, a cross section of one of which has been schematically shown in FIG. 1B, also have two electrodes 1a, 1b, which are arranged on the membrane 2, on either side of a layer 5 of piezoelectric materials
Implementation Method 2
Capacitive MUTs, a cross section of one of which has been schematically shown in FIG. 1a, have two electrodes 1a, 1b, one arranged on the membrane 2, the other generally being formed by the bottom of the cavity 3 that the membrane overhangs. This second electrode may therefore consist in a single contact 1b made on the carrier 4 on which the cavity 3 rests. These two electrodes form a capacitor, the capacitance of which depends on the degree of flexion of the membrane.
Implementation Method 3
In receiver mode, the bowing of the membrane under the effect of the acoustic wave is converted into an electrical signal
Data Source
AI summary
A design process is used for designing a device comprising a plurality of micro-machined elements, each comprising a flexible membrane, the elements being arranged in a plane in a determined topology. The design process comprises a step of defining the determined topology so that it has a character compatible with a generic substrate having cavities, the characteristics of which are pre-established. Each flexible membrane of the micro-machined elements is associated with one cavity of the generic substrate. The present disclosure also relates to a fabrication process for fabricating a device comprising a plurality of micro-machined elements, and to this device itself, wherein only some of the pairs of cavities and flexible membranes are configured to form a set of functional micro-machined elements.