Skyworks Solutions, Inc.

Globalfoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Vanguard International Semiconductor Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Humberto Campanella-Pineda

Rakesh Kumar

You Qian

Michael Jon Wurtz

Guofeng Chen

Vibhor Jain

Anthony K Stamper

Qizhi Liu

Joan Josep Giner De Haro

Nagarajan Ranganathan

Wai Laing Lee

Ramachandramurthy Pradeep Yelehanka

Zouhair Sbiaa

Joseph Garrett Hamilton

Barkat A Wani

Timir Nandi

Min Gyu Kim

Praveen Kumar Venkatachala

In some embodiments, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) architecture can be implemented to process a signal from a charge output sensor. The ADC architecture can include a summing node for receiving a sensor signal from the charge output sensor, and an output node implemented to provide a digital signal representative of the sensor signal. The ADC architecture can further include a charge amplifier implemented to receive an analog signal from the summing node as an input analog signal and generate an output analog signal with a gain, and an ADC circuit implemented to generate the digital signal based on the output analog signal from the charge amplifier. The ADC architecture can further include a feedback circuit implemented between the output node and the summing node.

ADC for charge output sensors

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

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., 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

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 method of forming a monolithic integrated PMUT and CMOS with a coplanar elastic, sealing, and passivation layer in a single step without bonding and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include providing a CMOS wafer with a metal layer; forming a dielectric over the CMOS; forming a sacrificial structure in a portion of the dielectric; forming a bottom electrode; forming a piezoelectric layer over the CMOS; forming a top electrode over portions of the bottom electrode and piezoelectric layer; forming a via through the top electrode down to the bottom electrode and a second via down to the metal layer through the top electrode; forming a second metal layer over and along sidewalls of the first and second via; removing the sacrificial structure, an open cavity formed; and forming a dielectric layer over a portion of the CMOS, the open cavity sealed and an elastic layer and passivation formed.

Method for producing monolithic integration of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers and CMOS

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone comprises a piezoelectric element configured to deform and generate an electrical potential responsive to impingement of sound waves on the piezoelectric element, a sensing electrode disposed on the piezoelectric element and configured to sense the electrical potential, and a dummy electrode electrically unconnected to the sensing electrode and disposed on a portion of the piezoelectric element that is free of the sensing electrode, the dummy electrode configured to reduce static deformation of the piezoelectric element caused by residual stresses in the piezoelectric element.

Dummy electrodes for performance improvement of piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphones

Methods of forming a shear-mode chemical/physical sensor for liquid environment sensing on V-shaped grooves of a [100] crystal orientation Si layer and the resulting devices are provided. Embodiments include forming a set of V-shaped grooves in a [100] Si layer over a substrate; forming an acoustic resonator over and along the V-shaped grooves, the acoustic resonator including a first metal layer, a thin-film piezoelectric layer, and a second metal layer in an IDT pattern or a sheet; and forming at least one functional layer along a slope of the acoustic resonator.

Shear-mode chemical/physical sensor for liquid environment sensing and method for producing the same

According to various embodiments, a PMUT device may include a wafer, an active layer including a piezoelectric stack, an intermediate layer having a cavity therein where the intermediate layer is disposed between the wafer and the active layer such that the cavity is adjoining the piezoelectric stack. A via may be formed through the active layer and the intermediate layer to the wafer. A metallic layer may be disposed over the active layer and over surfaces of the via. The intermediate layer may include an interposing material surrounding the cavity, and may further include a sacrificial material surrounding the via. The sacrificial material may be different from the interposing material. The metallic layer may include a first member at least substantially overlapping the piezoelectric stack, a second member extending from the first member to the cavity, and a third member extending into the active layer to contact an electrode therein.

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers and methods for fabricating thereof

Structures for transistor-based sensors and related fabrication methods. A layer stack is formed that includes a semiconductor layer and a cavity. A transistor is formed that has a gate electrode over the layer stack, and an interconnect structure is formed over the layer stack and the transistor. First and second openings are formed that extend through the metallization levels of the interconnect structure and the semiconductor layer to the cavity. The first opening defines a fluid inlet coupled to the cavity, and the second opening defines a fluid outlet coupled to the cavity.

Sensors with a front-end-of-line solution-receiving cavity

Monolithic integration of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers and CMOS and method for producing the same

A BAW resonator/filter with a monolithic TFE package that defines an acoustic BC and suppresses resonances from the low-Q piezoelectric area of the resonator and resulting devices are provided. Embodiments include a BAW resonator over a dielectric layer, the BAW resonator including a first metal layer, a thin-film piezoelectric layer, and a second metal layer; a first cavity in the dielectric layer under the first metal layer and a second cavity over the first cavity on the second metal layer; and a pair of TFE anchors on the second metal layer, each TFE anchor adjacent to and on an opposite side of the second cavity and extending beyond the first metal layer.

Growing community of inventors

Singapore, Singapore

Humberto Campanella-Pineda