Invensense, Inc.

Pgs Geophysical As

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (a*star)

Agency for Science, Technology and Research

Nanyang Technological University

Julius Ming-Lin Tsai

Nikhil Apte

Michael Julian Daneman

Baris Cagdaser

James Christian Salvia

Martin Lim

Mike Daneman

Eldwin Ng

Michael Henderson Perrott

Aleksey Sergeyevich Khenkin

Renata Melamud Berger

Xiang Li

Marian Voros

Sanjiv Kapoor

Omid Oliaei

Ilker Ender Ocak

Stephen Lloyd

Chengliang Sun

Sanchitha Nirodha Fernando

Bruno Werner Garlepp

Fariborz Assaderaghi

Fang Liu

Jifang Tao

Hong Cai

Aiqun Liu

Microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices and associated methods are disclosed. Piezoelectric MEMS transducers (PMUTs) suitable for integration with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit (IC), as well as PMUT arrays having high fill factor for fingerprint sensing, are described.

Integrated piezoelectric microelectromechanical ultrasound transducer (PMUT) on integrated circuit (IC) for fingerprint sensing

A mobile device including a processor, a memory unit, a display device disposed on a first surface of the mobile device, and a fingerprint sensor disposed on a second surface of the mobile device, wherein the second surface is a curved surface having a curvature such that the fingerprint sensor is curved to match the curvature of the curved surface.

Device mountable packaging of ultrasonic transducers

An electronic device includes a plurality of CMOS control elements arranged in a two-dimensional array and a plurality of MEMS devices. Each CMOS control element of the plurality of CMOS control elements includes at least one of a low voltage semiconductor device, a high voltage PMOS semiconductor device, and a high voltage NMOS semiconductor device. Each MEMS device of the plurality of MEMS devices is associated with a CMOS control element of the plurality of CMOS control elements. The plurality of CMOS control elements are arranged in the two-dimensional array such that low voltage semiconductor devices are only adjacent to other low voltage semiconductor devices, high voltage PMOS semiconductor devices are only adjacent to other high voltage PMOS semiconductor devices, and high voltage NMOS semiconductor devices are only adjacent to other high voltage NMOS semiconductor devices.

Two-dimensional array of CMOS control elements

An electronic device comprises a CMOS substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. A plurality of ultrasonic transducers is provided having a transmit/receive surface. A contact surface is piezoelectrically associated with the plurality of ultrasonic transducers and is formed on the first surface of the CMOS substrate. The plurality of ultrasonic transducers is disposed on the second surface of the CMOS substrate, with the transmit/receive side attached to the second surface thereof such that the CMOS substrate is between the plurality of ultrasonic transducers and the platen. An image sensing system is also provided, together with a method for ultrasonic sensing in the electronic device.

Ultrasonic sensing device

In a method of operating a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of array positions comprising pluralities of ultrasonic transducers of the two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers is defined, the plurality of array positions each comprising a portion of ultrasonic transducers of the two dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers. For each array position of the plurality of array positions, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers associated with the respective array position are activated. The activation includes transmitting ultrasonic signals from a first group of ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, wherein at least some ultrasonic transducers of the first group of ultrasonic transducers are phase delayed with respect to other ultrasonic transducers of the first group of ultrasonic transducers, the first group of ultrasonic transducers for forming a focused ultrasonic beam. The activation also includes receiving reflected ultrasonic signals at a second group of ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

Operating a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers

A Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) device is provided. The PMUT includes a substrate and an edge support structure connected to the substrate. A membrane is connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, where the membrane is configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies. The membrane includes a piezoelectric layer and first and second electrodes coupled to opposing sides of the piezoelectric layer. An interior support structure is disposed within the cavity and connected to the substrate and the membrane.

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT)

A method for generating a composite image having an increased image pixel density by an array of ultrasonic transducers having a given spatial density is provided. The method comprises capturing a first set of pixels at an ultrasonic sensor using a first beamforming pattern, wherein the first beamforming pattern comprises a first pattern of ultrasonic transducers of the ultrasonic sensor. The method further comprises capturing a second set of pixels at the ultrasonic sensor using a second beamforming pattern, wherein the second beamforming pattern comprises a second pattern of ultrasonic transducers. The first beamforming pattern and the second beamforming pattern are different. Pixels of the second set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels. The method additionally comprises combining the first and second sets of pixels to form the composite image. An electronic device and a method of generating an image of a fingerprint are also provided.

Image generation in an electronic device using ultrasonic transducers

Acoustic ambient temperature and humidity sensing based on determination of sound velocity is described, in addition to sensors, algorithms, devices, systems, and methods therefor. An exemplary embodiment employs sound velocity in the determination of ambient temperature and humidity. Provided implementations include determinations of sound velocity based on time of flight of a coded acoustic signal and/or based on resonance frequency of a Helmholtz resonator.

Acoustic ambient temperature and humidity sensing

An electronic device including an array of ultrasonic transducers for generating and receiving ultrasonic signals, and an acoustic coupling layer overlying the array of ultrasonic transducers, where the ultrasonic signals are propagated through the acoustic coupling layer.

An integrated package of at least one environmental sensor and at least one MEMS acoustic sensor is disclosed. The package contains a shared port that exposes both sensors to the environment, wherein the environmental sensor measures characteristics of the environment and the acoustic sensor measures sound waves. The port exposes the environmental sensor to an air flow and the acoustic sensor to sound waves. An example of the acoustic sensor is a microphone and an example of the environmental sensor is a humidity sensor.

Integrated package containing MEMS acoustic sensor and environmental sensor and methodology for fabricating same

An electronic device includes a plurality of CMOS control elements arranged in a two-dimensional array, where each CMOS control element of the plurality of CMOS control elements includes semiconductor devices. The plurality of CMOS control elements each including a PMOS semiconductor device portion comprising a high voltage PMOS device and a low voltage PMOS device and an NMOS semiconductor device portion comprising a high voltage NMOS device and a low voltage NMOS device. The plurality of CMOS control elements are arranged in the two-dimensional array such that the PMOS semiconductor device portion of a CMOS control element of the plurality of CMOS control elements is only adjacent to other PMOS semiconductor device portions of adjacent CMOS control elements of the plurality of CMOS control elements, and such that the NMOS semiconductor device portion of a CMOS control element of the plurality of CMOS control elements is only adjacent to other NMOS semiconductor device portions of adjacent CMOS control elements of the plurality of CMOS control elements.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Julius Ming-Lin Tsai