公开(公告)号：US20200225082A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-16

申请号：US16833333

申请日：2020-03-27

申请人： eXo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Sandeep AKKARAJU ,  Haesung KWON ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW

IPC分类号： G01H11/08 ,  G01S15/02 ,  G01N29/07 ,  H01G5/00 ,  H01L41/113 ,  H01L41/18

摘要： A micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT). The MUT includes: a substrate; a membrane suspending from the substrate; a bottom electrode disposed on the membrane; a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode and an asymmetric top electrode is disposed on the piezoelectric layer. The areal density distribution of the asymmetric electrode along an axis has a plurality of local maxima, wherein locations of the plurality of local maxima coincide with locations where a plurality of anti-nodal points at a vibrational resonance frequency is located.

公开(公告)号：US20240000429A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-04

申请号：US18369832

申请日：2023-09-18

申请人： Exo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Yusuf HAQUE ,  Sandeep AKKARAJU ,  Janusz BRYZEK ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW

IPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  B06B1/06 ,  G01S7/52 ,  H10N30/88 ,  H10N30/00 ,  H10N30/20 ,  A61B8/08 ,  A61B8/14 ,  B06B1/02 ,  G01S7/521 ,  G01S15/89

CPC分类号： A61B8/4494 ,  B06B1/0692 ,  G01S7/52079 ,  H10N30/88 ,  H10N30/1051 ,  H10N30/2047 ,  H10N30/2048 ,  A61B8/0883 ,  A61B8/145 ,  A61B8/4488 ,  A61B8/461 ,  A61B8/5207 ,  B06B1/0238 ,  B06B1/0629 ,  G01S7/52046 ,  A61B8/546 ,  B06B1/0662 ,  G01S7/521 ,  G01S15/8925 ,  A61B8/4483 ,  A61B8/488 ,  B06B1/0215 ,  A61B8/4427 ,  A61B8/4472 ,  B06B2201/76

摘要： An imaging device includes a two dimensional array of piezoelectric elements. Each piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric layer; a bottom electrode disposed on a bottom side of the piezoelectric layer and configured to receive a transmit signal during a transmit mode and develop an electrical charge during a receive mode; and a first top electrode disposed on a top side of the piezoelectric layer; and a first conductor, wherein the first top electrodes of a portion of the piezoelectric elements in a first column of the two dimensional array are electrically coupled to the first conductor.

公开(公告)号：US20230303389A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-28

申请号：US17702599

申请日：2022-03-23

申请人： Exo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Liang WANG ,  David KREVOR ,  Naresh MANTRAVADI ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW ,  Jason TAUSCHER

IPC分类号： B81C1/00 ,  B81B7/00

CPC分类号： B81C1/00825 ,  B81B7/0016 ,  B81B2201/0271 ,  B81B2207/012 ,  B81C2203/0792

摘要： Described herein are methods and systems useful in the fabrication of ultrasound transducer devices. Fabrication of ultrasound transducer devices can comprise manipulation of components having extremely small cross-sectional thicknesses, which can increase the risk of damage to the components. For example, inadvertent application of forces sufficient to damage such components is a significant risk during fabrication steps. As described herein, the risk of damage to an ultrasound transducer device component having a small cross-sectional thickness, such as an ultrasound microelectromechanical system (MEMS) wafer, can be reduced by partially or completely coating or filling all or a portion of the component with a stabilizing material, for example, prior to subjecting the component to forces associated with manipulation of the component during the fabrication process.

公开(公告)号：US20200249079A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-06

申请号：US16837800

申请日：2020-04-01

申请人： eXo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Sandeep AKKARAJU ,  Haesung KWON ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW

IPC分类号： G01H11/08 ,  H01L41/113 ,  G01S15/02 ,  G01N29/07 ,  H01L41/18

摘要： An array of micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs). The array has first and second rows, the MUTs in the first row being equally spaced by a horizontal pitch in a horizontal direction, the MUTs in the second row being equally spaced by the horizontal pitch in the horizontal direction. The MUTs in the second row are shifted along the horizontal direction by a first horizontal distance relative to the MUTs in the first row and shifted along a vertical direction by a first vertical distance relative to the MUTs in the first row. The first horizontal distance is greater than zero and less than the horizontal pitch. The first vertical distance ranges from one tenth of a horizontal width of a MUT to a half of a vertical height of a MUT.

公开(公告)号：US20240075500A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-07

申请号：US17929521

申请日：2022-09-02

申请人： Exo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Haesung KWON ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW ,  Sandeep AKKARAJU

IPC分类号： B06B1/06 ,  A61B8/00 ,  G01S15/89

CPC分类号： B06B1/0666 ,  A61B8/4488 ,  G01S15/8915

摘要： Provided herein are micromachined ultrasonic transducers as well as imaging devices and assemblies comprising micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs). The MUTs described herein have a plurality of membranes so as to improve acoustic power at higher frequencies.

公开(公告)号：US20230129012A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-27

申请号：US17507615

申请日：2021-10-21

申请人： Exo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Killian SULLIVAN ,  Huseyin Kagan OGUZ ,  Anthony BROCK ,  Michael CONROY ,  Thomas TARTER ,  Drake GUENTHER ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW

IPC分类号： G01S15/89 ,  H05K7/20

摘要： Acoustic imaging artifacts produced by imaging systems and devices can be reduced or eliminated by including a multisink medium in the systems or devices. The multisink material can be disposed between an acoustically reflective component of the imaging system or device and an ultrasound transducer of the imaging system or device. Inclusion of a multisink medium that is thermally conductive and acoustically non-conductive can reduce acoustic imaging artifacts while maintaining or improving heat management within imaging systems and devices.

公开(公告)号：US20210086231A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-25

申请号：US17095333

申请日：2020-11-11

申请人： eXo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Brian BIRCUMSHAW ,  Sandeep AKKARAJU

IPC分类号： B06B1/06 ,  H01L41/04 ,  H01L41/047 ,  H01L41/187 ,  H01L41/313 ,  H01L41/338 ,  G01S15/89 ,  G01S7/52

摘要： The present disclosure provides methods to integrate piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) arrays with an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) using thermocompression or eutectic/solder bonding. In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a device comprising a first substrate and a second substrate, the first substrate comprising a pMUT array and the second substrate comprising an electrical circuit, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together using thermocompression, wherein any set of individual PMUTs of PMUT array is addressable. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a device comprising a first substrate and a second substrate, the first substrate comprising a pMUT array and the second substrate comprising an electrical circuit, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together using eutectic or solder bonding, wherein any set of individual PMUTs of the PMUT array is addressable.

公开(公告)号：US20240310209A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-19

申请号：US18679296

申请日：2024-05-30

申请人： Exo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Sandeep AKKARAJU ,  Haesung KWON ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW

IPC分类号： G01H11/08 ,  B81B3/00 ,  G01N29/07 ,  G01S15/02 ,  H10N30/30 ,  H10N30/85

CPC分类号： G01H11/08 ,  G01N29/07 ,  G01S15/02 ,  H10N30/302 ,  H10N30/852 ,  B81B3/0021

摘要： An array of micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs). The array has first and second rows, the MUTs in the first row being equally spaced by a horizontal pitch in a horizontal direction, the MUTs in the second row being equally spaced by the horizontal pitch in the horizontal direction. The MUTs in the second row are shifted along the horizontal direction by a first horizontal distance relative to the MUTs in the first row and shifted along a vertical direction by a first vertical distance relative to the MUTs in the first row. The first horizontal distance is greater than zero and less than the horizontal pitch. The first vertical distance ranges from one tenth of a horizontal width of a MUT to a half of a vertical height of a MUT.

公开(公告)号：US20230002213A1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-05

申请号：US17364381

申请日：2021-06-30

申请人： Exo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Naresh MANTRAVADI ,  Haesung KWON ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW

IPC分类号： B81B3/00 ,  B06B1/02 ,  B06B1/06 ,  B81C1/00

摘要： Disclosed is a multi-silicon on insulator (SOI) micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) device. The device comprises a multi-SOI substrate and a MUT. The MUT is affixed to a surface of the multi-SOI substrate. The multi-SOI substrate has a first SOI layer and at least a second SOI layer disposed above the first SOI layer. The first SOI layer and the second SOI layer each comprise an insulating layer and a semiconducting layer. The first SOI layer further defines a cavity located under a membrane of a MUT and one or more trenches at least partially around a perimeter of the cavity.

公开(公告)号：US20220205836A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-30

申请号：US17697837

申请日：2022-03-17

申请人： Exo Imaging, Inc.

发明人： Sandeep AKKARAJU ,  Haesung KWON ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW

IPC分类号： G01H11/08 ,  G01S15/02 ,  G01N29/07 ,  H01G5/00 ,  H01L41/113 ,  H01L41/18

摘要： A micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT). The MUT includes: a substrate; a membrane suspending from the substrate; a bottom electrode disposed on the membrane; a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode and an asymmetric top electrode is disposed on the piezoelectric layer. The areal density distribution of the asymmetric electrode along an axis has a plurality of local maxima, wherein locations of the plurality of local maxima coincide with locations where a plurality of anti-nodal points at a vibrational resonance frequency is located.