Esaote S.p.a.

Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche

Other

Università Degli Studi Roma Tre

Elena Cianci

Massimo Pappalardo

Vittorio Foglietti

Giosuè Caliano

Alessandro Caronti

Danilo Fiasca

Daniele Memmi

Giosué Caliano

Antonio Minotti

Alessandro Nencioni

The invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer comprising a plurality of micro-cells, arranged in an array having M rows and N columns, and driving electronic means apt to connect in parallel to each other said micro-cells so as to form at least two sub-groups of said micro-cells, the micro-cells of each sub-group being connected in parallel to each other, at least one column of said array comprising micro-cells belonging to at least two different adjacent sub-groups, so that a radiation emitted in a direction perpendicular to the array columns by said at least one column has a phase that is intermediate between the phases of said at least two different adjacent sub-groups.

Interdigitated geometry transducer for optimizing the irradiated acoustic beam

The invention concerns a manufacturing process, and the related micromachined capacitive ultra-acoustic transducer, that uses commercial silicon waferalready covered on at least one or, more preferably, on both faces by an upper layerand by a lower layer' of silicon nitride deposited with low pressure chemical vapour deposition technique, or deposition LPCVD deposition. One of the two layersor&#x2032; of silicon nitride, of optimal quality, covering the waferis used as emitting membrane of the transducer. As a consequence, the micro-cell arrayforming the CMUT transducer is grown onto one of the two layers of silicon nitride, i.e. it is grown at the back of the transducer with a sequence of steps that is reversed with respect to the classical technology.

Surface micromechanical process for manufacturing micromachined capacitive ultra-acoustic transducers and relevant micromachined capacitive ultra-acoustic transducer

A surface micromachining process for manufacturing Electro-acoustic transducers, particularly ultrasonic transducers, the transducers comprising a silicon semiconductor substrate (), on an upper surface of which one or more membranes () of resilient materials are supported by a structural layer () of insulating material, rigidly connected to the semiconductor substrate (), the resilient material having a Young's modulus not lower than 50 GPa, the membranes () being metallised, the transducers including one or more lower electrodes (), rigidly connected to the semiconductor substrate. The process is characterised in that the structural layer () includes silicon monoxide. The invention further relates to an Electro-acoustic transducer, particularly an ultrasonic transducer, characterised in that the insulating material of the structural layer () is silicon monoxide. The invention also relates to an intermediate product for utilisation in the process for realising Electro-acoustic transducers, particularly ultrasonic transducers.

Surface micromachining process for manufacturing electro-acoustic transducers, particularly ultrasonic transducers, obtained transducers and intermediate products

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Rome, Italy

Elena Cianci