Skyworks Solutions, Inc.

Skyworks Global Pte. Ltd.

Northeastern University

Guofeng Chen

Rakesh Kumar

You Qian

Michael Jon Wurtz

Humberto Campanella-Pineda

Yu Hui

Myeong Gweon Gu

Jae Hyung Lee

Myung Hyun Park

Kwang Jae Shin

Matteo Rinaldi

Jae Myoung Jhung

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone comprises a support substrate, a diaphragm including a piezoelectric material attached to the support substrate and configured to deform and generate an electrical potential responsive to impingement of sound waves on the diaphragm, and a compliant anchor formed of a material with a greater compliance than a compliance of the piezoelectric material, the compliant anchor defined in the diaphragm in an anchor region between the piezoelectric material of the diaphragm and the support substrate to improve sensitivity and reduce residual stress impact of the piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone.

Piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone with compliant anchors

A method of making an acoustic sensor includes forming or providing a mold having one or more grooves extending in a direction of the length of the mold to a distal end of the mold. The method also includes forming or depositing a structure having one or more piezoelectric layers over the top surface of the mold to define a beam with a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion having a corrugated section including one or more grooves that correspond to the one or more grooves of the mold. The method also includes forming or applying an electrode to the proximal portion of the structure and releasing the structure from the mold to form one or more cantilever beams. The corrugated section inhibits bending of the corrugated section along the length of the distal portion of the structure when the acoustic sensor is subjected to sound pressure.

Method of making acoustic devices with directional reinforcement

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone comprises a support substrate, a piezoelectric element configured to deform and generate an electrical potential responsive to impingement of sound waves on the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element attached to the support substrate about a portion of a perimeter of the piezoelectric element, a sensing electrode disposed on the piezoelectric element and configured to sense the electrical potential, and slits defined in the piezoelectric element about the perimeter of the piezoelectric element, the slits defining a plurality of partial anchors securing the piezoelectric element to the support substrate to improve sensitivity of the piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone.

Piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone sensitivity improvement by anchor engineering

A method for making a piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone is provided, comprising depositing a piezoelectric film layer onto a substrate; selectively etching the piezoelectric film layer to define lines; removing the substrate to define a cavity; and breaking the piezoelectric film layer along the lines, such that the microphone has at least two cantilevered beams. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone is also provided.

Piezoelectric MEMS microphone with cantilevered separation

An acoustic sensor (e.g., for use in a piezoelectric MEMS microphone) includes a substrate and a cantilever beam attached to the substrate. The cantilever beam has a proximal portion attached to the substrate and extending to a distal tip at a free end of the beam. The cantilevered beam has a width in plan view that is greater at a location distal of the proximal portion than at the proximal portion attached to the substrate. One or more electrodes are disposed on or in the proximal portion of the beam.

Acoustic devices with improved sensitivity

A piezoelectric sensor (e.g., for use in a piezoelectric MEMS microphone) includes a substrate and a cantilever beam attached to the substrate. The cantilever beam has a proximal portion attached to the substrate and extending to an unsupported distal end. An electrode is disposed on or in the proximal portion of the beam and has an outer boundary with a shape substantially corresponding to a contour line of a strain distribution plot for the cantilever beam resulting from a force applied to the cantilever beam.

Piezoelectric sensor with increased sensitivity and devices having the same

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone is provided comprising a substrate including walls defining a cavity and at least two of the walls defining a respective anchor region each, a piezoelectric film layer defining at least two beams, each respective beam supported by the substrate at each anchor region, the beams being free along a portion of their respective lengths and also connected at a connecting region away from the respective anchor regions; and an electrode disposed over the piezoelectric film layer. A method of manufacturing such a MEMS microphone is also provided.

Acoustic device with connected cantilever

Electronic acoustic devices and methods of operating the same include a microphone having a frequency response including a resonance frequency, a reference microphone having a frequency response including a resonance frequency, the microphone and the reference microphone configured to substantially simultaneously receive a common acoustic signal to produce a transduced signal of the microphone and a transduced signal of the reference microphone, the resonance frequency of the reference microphone being different than the resonance frequency of the microphone, and an equalization module configured to equalize the frequency response of the microphone based on the transduced signal of the microphone and the transduced signal of the reference microphone.

Electronic acoustic devices, MEMS microphones, and equalization methods

An electronic device package comprises a primary microphone having a frequency response having a first resonance frequency, and a reference microphone having a frequency response including a second resonance frequency, the primary microphone and the reference microphone configured to substantially simultaneously receive a same acoustic signal to produce a transduced signal of the primary microphone and a transduced signal of the reference microphone, the second resonance frequency of the reference microphone being different than the first resonance frequency of the primary microphone, the package having dimensions that cause the primary microphone and reference microphone to be acoustically isolated from one another at the resonance frequency of the primary microphone, there being less than 3 dB of acoustic coupling between the primary microphone and reference microphone at the first resonance frequency.

Co-located microelectromechanical system microphone and sensor with minimal acoustic coupling

A method of making an acoustic sensor (e.g., for use in a piezoelectric MEMS microphone) includes forming or providing a mold having one or more grooves in a top surface of the mold that extend in a direction of the length of the mold to a distal end of the mold. The method also includes forming or depositing a structure having one or more piezoelectric layers over the top surface of the mold to define a beam, the distal portion of the beam having a corrugated section including one or more grooves that correspond to the grooves of the mold. The method also includes forming a gap in the structure to define two beams separated by the gap, and releasing the structure from the mold to form one or more cantilever beams that increases an acoustic resistance of the gap between sensors.

Method of making acoustic devices with edge corrugation

A method of making an acoustic sensor (e.g., a piezoelectric sensor for a piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems microphone) includes forming or depositing one or more piezoelectric layers to define a beam extending between a proximal portion and a distal tip (e.g., unsupported free end), the beam having a width in plan view that is greater at a location distal of the proximal portion than at the proximal portion. The method also comprises attaching the beam to a substrate in cantilever form so that the proximal portion of the beam is anchored to the substrate and the distal tip is a free unsupported end of the beam. One or more electrodes are disposed on or in the proximal portion of the beam.

Method of manufacturing acoustic devices with improved sensitivity

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone comprises a support substrate, a piezoelectric element configured to deform and generate an electrical potential responsive to impingement of sound waves on the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element attached to the support substrate about a perimeter of the piezoelectric element, a sensing electrode disposed on the piezoelectric element and configured to sense the electrical potential, and corrugations defined in the piezoelectric element about the perimeter of the piezoelectric element to release residual stress and improve sensitivity of the piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone.

Piezoelectric microelectromechanical system corrugated microphone

An electronic device package comprises an electronic acoustic device including a primary microphone having a frequency response having a resonance frequency, and a reference microphone having a frequency response including a resonance frequency. The primary microphone and the reference microphone are configured to substantially simultaneously receive a common acoustic signal to produce a transduced signal of the primary microphone and a transduced signal of the reference microphone, the resonance frequency of the reference microphone being different than the resonance frequency of the primary microphone. An equalization module is configured to equalize the frequency response of the microphone based on the transduced signal of the microphone and the transduced signal of the reference microphone. The package defines a first back cavity of the primary microphone and a second back cavity of the reference microphone, the second back cavity being acoustically isolated from the first back cavity.

Multi-cavity packaging for microelectromechanical system microphones

A microelectromechanical system microphone includes a piezoelectric diaphragm, upper inner electrodes and upper outer electrodes disposed on an upper surface of the diaphragm, and lower inner electrodes and lower outer electrodes disposed on a lower surface of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is divided into a plurality of sectors, a first of the sectors including an inner and an outer upper electrode physically disconnected from an inner and an outer upper electrode on a second sector adjacent to the first sector, and an inner and an outer lower electrode physically disconnected from an inner and an outer lower electrode on the second sector. A first via extends between and electrically couples the upper and lower inner electrodes of the first sector and a first bond pad. A second via extends between and electrically couples the upper and lower outer electrodes of the second sector and a second bond pad.

Piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone with optimized output capacitance

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone comprises a frame, a film of piezoelectric material including slits defining a plurality of independently displaceable piezoelectric elements within an area defined by a perimeter of the frame, bases of the plurality of piezoelectric elements mechanically secured to the frame, tips of the plurality of piezoelectric elements being free to be displaced in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the frame responsive to impingement of sound waves on the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and edge extensions extending from edges of the plurality of piezoelectric elements in the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the frame to reduce a 3 dB roll-off frequency of the piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Guofeng Chen