Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

The Procter Gamble Company

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Stmicroelectronics International N.v.

Polight Asa

Domenico Giusti

Carlo Luigi Prelini

Marco Ferrera

Simon Dodd

Enri Duqi

Fabio Quaglia

Lorenzo Baldo

Roberto Carminati

Dario Paci

Mauro Cattaneo

Irene Martini

Dana Paul Gruenbacher

Stephan Gary Bush

Steven L Webb

David S Hunt

Teck Khim Neo

Daniele Prati

Andrea Nicola Colecchia

Bruno Murari

Joseph Edward Scheffelin

Daniele Caltabiano

Lorenzo Tentori

Oriana Rita Antonia Di Marco

Alberto Pagani

Faiz Feisal Sherman

Sebastiano Conti

Massimiliano Merli

Mauro Pasetti

Carla Maria Lazzari

Nicolo′ Boni

Andrea Nomellini

Claudio Crippa

Gabriele Gattere

Francesco Rizzini

Roberto Brioschi

Sonia Costantini

Luca Guerinoni

Lorenzo Corso

Dave Hunt

Gaetano Santoruvo

Fabrizio Fausto Renzo Toia

Luca Seghizzi

Mohammad Abbasi Gavarti

Igor Varisco

Federica Ronchi

Sonia Constantini

Lorenzo Colombo

Davide Assanelli

Paolo Ferrarini

Donata Asnaghi

Daniele Merlini

Joseph Edward Schefflin

Anna Alessandri

Steven Webb

Nicolò Boni

Disclosed herein is an array of ultrasound devices. Each ultrasound device includes a first piezoelectric stack carried by a membrane and forming, together with the membrane, a first piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT), and a plurality of second piezoelectric stacks carried by the membrane and positioned about a periphery thereof, each second piezoelectric stack forming, together with the membrane, a second PMUT. During operation, the first piezoelectric stack is configured to vibrate the membrane in response to application of an alternating voltage to the first piezoelectric stack to thereby generate at least one outgoing ultrasonic pulse toward a target, and during operation, the plurality of second piezoelectric stacks are configured to generate sense voltages in response to bending thereof induced by vibration of the membrane by incoming ultrasonic reflections off the target.

PMUT array with presence of separate sensing small PZT on membranes edge

A pressure sensor device has: a pressure detection structure provided in a first die of semiconductor material; a package, configured to internally accommodate the pressure detection structure in an impermeable manner, the package having a base structure and a body structure, arranged on the base structure, with an access opening in contact with an external environment and internally defining a housing cavity, in which the first die is arranged covered with a coating material. A piezoelectric transduction structure, of a ultrasonic type, is accommodated in the housing cavity, in order to allow detection of foreign material above the coating material and within the package. In particular, the piezoelectric transduction structure is integrated in the first die, which comprises a first portion, wherein the pressure detection structure is integrated, and a second portion, separate and distinct from the first portion, wherein the piezoelectric transduction structure is integrated.

Packaged pressure sensor device and corresponding method for detecting the presence of foreign material

A microfluidic device provided in a body accommodating a fluid containment chamber. A fluidic access channel and a drop emission channel are formed in the body and are in fluidic connection with the fluid containment chamber to form a fluidic path towards the body outside through a nozzle having an outlet section. An actuator is operatively coupled to the fluid containment chamber and is configured to cause ejection of fluid drops through the drop emission channel in an operating condition of the microfluidic device. The drop emission channel comprises a portion of reduced section having a smaller area than the outlet section of the nozzle.

Microfluidic device for spraying small drops of liquids

The present disclosure is directed to transducer assemblies or device in which one or more buried cavities are present within a substrate and define or form one or more membranes along a surface of the substrate. One or more piezoelectric actuators are formed on the one or more membranes and the one or more piezoelectric actuators drive the membranes at an operating frequency with an operating bandwidth of the transducer assemblies. Each of the one or more membranes is anchored at respective portions to a main body portion of the substrate to provide robust and strong anchoring of each of the one or more membranes to push unwanted flexure modes outside the operating bandwidth of the transducer assemblies.

Transducer assembly with buried cavities and method of manufacturing the same

A microfluidic dispenser device of inhalable substances includes a casing, housed in which are a driving circuit and a microfluidic cartridge having a tank that contains a liquid to be delivered. The microfluidic cartridge is provided with at least one nebulizer controlled by the driving device. The nebulizer includes: a substrate; a plurality of chambers formed on the substrate and fluidically coupled to the tank for receiving the liquid to be delivered; and a plurality of heaters, which are formed on the substrate in positions corresponding to respective chambers, are thermally coupled to the respective chambers and are separated from the respective chambers by an insulating layer, and are controlled by the driving device. Each chamber is fluidically connected with the outside by at least one respective nozzle.

Microfluidic dispenser device for delivering inhalable substances

A PMUT device includes a membrane element extending perpendicularly to a first direction and configured to generate and receive ultrasonic waves by oscillating about an equilibrium position. At least two piezoelectric elements are included, with each one located over the membrane element along the first direction and configured to cause the membrane element to oscillate when electric signals are applied to the piezoelectric element, and generate electric signals in response to oscillations of the membrane element. The membrane element has a lobed shape along a plane perpendicular to the first direction, with the lobed shape including at least two lobes. The membrane element includes for each piezoelectric member a corresponding membrane portion including a corresponding lobe, with each piezoelectric member being located over its corresponding membrane portion.

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer comprising a lobed membrane element and methods of manufacturing thereof

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical structure is provided with a piezoelectric stack having a main extension in a horizontal plane and a variable section in a plane transverse to the horizontal plane. The stack is formed by a bottom-electrode region, a piezoelectric material region arranged on the bottom-electrode region, and a top-electrode region arranged on the piezoelectric material region. The piezoelectric material region has, as a result of the variable section, a first thickness along a vertical axis transverse to the horizontal plane at a first area, and a second thickness along the same vertical axis at a second area. The second thickness is smaller than the first thickness. The structure at the first and second areas can form piezoelectric detector and a piezoelectric actuator, respectively.

Process for manufacturing a thin-film piezoelectric microelectromechanical structure having improved electrical characteristics

A PMUT device includes a membrane element adapted to generate and receive ultrasonic waves by oscillating, about an equilibrium position, at a corresponding resonance frequency. A piezoelectric element is located over the membrane element along a first direction and configured to cause the membrane element to oscillate when electric signals are applied to the piezoelectric element, and generate electric signals in response to oscillations of the membrane element. A damper is configured to reduce free oscillations of the membrane element, and the damper includes a damper cavity surrounding the membrane element, and a polymeric member having at least a portion over the damper cavity along the first direction.

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer having a polymeric member over a damper cavity

A MEMS actuator includes a semiconductor body with a first surface defining a housing cavity facing the first surface and having a bottom surface, the semiconductor body further defining a fluidic channel in the semiconductor body with a first end across the bottom surface. A strainable structure extends into the housing cavity, is coupled to the semiconductor body at the bottom surface, and defines an internal space facing the first end of the fluidic channel and includes at least a first and a second internal subspace connected to each other and to the fluidic channel. When a fluid is pumped through the fluidic channel into the internal space, the first and second internal subspaces expand, thereby straining the strainable structure along the first axis and generating an actuation force exerted by the strainable structure along the first axis, in an opposite direction with respect to the housing cavity.

Mems actuator and manufacturing process thereof

A MEMS device having a body with a first and a second surface, a first portion and a second portion. The MEMS device further has a cavity extending in the body from the second surface; a deformable portion between the first surface and the cavity; and a piezoelectric actuator arranged on the first surface, on the deformable portion. The deformable portion has a first region with a first thickness and a second region with a second thickness greater than the first thickness. The second region is adjacent to the first region and to the first portion of the body.

Piezoelectric mems device with a suspended membrane having high mechanical shock resistance and manufacturing process thereof

A MEMS optical device including: a semiconductor body; a main cavity, which extends within the semiconductor body; a membrane suspended over the main cavity; a piezoelectric actuator, which is mechanically coupled to the membrane and can be electronically controlled so as to deform the membrane; a micro-lens, mechanically coupled to the membrane so as to undergo deformation following the deformation of the membrane; and a rigid optical element, which contacts the micro-lens and is arranged so that the micro-lens is interposed between the rigid optical element and the membrane. The micro-lens and the main cavity are arranged on opposite sides of the membrane.

MEMS optical device comprising a lens and an actuator for controlling the curvature of the lens, and related manufacturing process

A microfluidic dispensing device has a plurality of chambers arranged in sequence, each having an inlet receiving a liquid to be dispensed and a nozzle for emitting a drop of liquid. An actuator in each chamber receives an actuation quantity and causes a drop of liquid to be emitted by the nozzle of the respective chamber. A drop emission detection element in each chamber generates an actuation command upon detecting the emission of a drop of liquid. A sequential activation electric circuit includes a plurality of sequential activation elements, one for each chamber, each coupled to the drop emission detection element of the respective chamber and to an actuator associated with a subsequent chamber in the sequence of chambers. Each sequential activation element receives the actuation command from the drop emission detection element associated with the respective chamber and activates the actuator associated with the subsequent chamber in the sequence of chambers.

Microfluidic dispensing device having a plurality of ejection chambers

A MEMS actuator includes a main body having a central portion, couplable to a substrate, and a peripheral portion suspended over the substrate when the central portion is coupled to the substrate. The peripheral portion has a deformable structure extending around the central portion, and forming successively arranged membranes. The MEMS actuator includes bearing structures and corresponding piezoelectric actuators. The bearing structures are fixed at their top to the deformable structure and laterally delimit corresponding cavities, each having a lateral opening facing the central portion of the main body and closed at the top by a membrane. A fixed part of the membrane is fixed to the underlying bearing structure and a suspended part is laterally offset with respect to the underlying bearing structure. The piezoelectric actuators are controllable to cause deformation of the corresponding membrane and rotation of the bearing structures around the central portion of the main body.

Angular piezoelectric actuator for a MEMS shutter and manufacturing method thereof

A microfluidic device for continuous ejection of fluids includes: a semiconductor body that laterally delimits chambers; an intermediate structure which forms membranes each delimiting a top of a corresponding chamber; and a nozzle body which overlies the intermediate structure. The device includes, for each chamber: a corresponding piezoelectric actuator; a supply channel which traverses the intermediate structure and communicates with the chamber; and a nozzle which traverses the nozzle body and communicates with the supply channel. Each actuator is configured to operate i) in a resting condition such that the pressure of a fluid within the corresponding chamber causes the fluid to pass through the supply channel and become ejected from the nozzle as a continuous stream, and ii) in an active condition, where it causes a deformation of the corresponding membrane and a consequent variation of the pressure of the fluid, causing a temporary interruption of the continuous stream.

Microfluidic device for continuous ejection of fluids, in particular for ink printing, and related manufacturing process

An integrated device includes: a first die; a second die coupled in a stacked way on the first die along a vertical axis; a coupling region arranged between facing surfaces of the first die and of the second die, which face one another along the vertical axis and lie in a horizontal plane orthogonal to the vertical axis, for mechanical coupling of the first and second dies; electrical-contact elements carried by the facing surfaces of the first and second dies, aligned in pairs along the vertical axis; and conductive regions arranged between the pairs of electrical-contact elements carried by the facing surfaces of the first and second dies, for their electrical coupling. Supporting elements are arranged at the facing surface of at least one of the first and second dies and elastically support respective electrical-contact elements.

Semiconductor integrated device with electrical contacts between stacked dies and corresponding manufacturing process

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Monza, Italy

Domenico Giusti