Cirrus Logic Inc.

Aac Acoustic Technologies (shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

Aac Technologies Pte. Ltd.

Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Limited

Scott Lyall Cargill

Euan James Boyd

Colin Robert Jenkins

Yannick Pierre Kervran

Marek Sebastian Piechocinski

Richard Ian Laming

James Thomas Deas

Anup Patel

Tsjerk Hans Hoekstra

Colin Wei Hong Chung

Timothy John Brosnihan

Provided is a micro-electro-mechanical system and an electro-acoustic conversion device having the micro-electro-mechanical system. The micro-electro-mechanical system includes: first and second membranes arranged opposite to each other; support members arranged between the first and second membranes; and an opening provided on the first and/or second membranes. Each support member includes support walls, and opposite ends of each of the support walls are connected to the first and second membranes. The first and second membranes, and two adjacent support walls in one support member are enclosed to form a first chamber. The opening is configured to link the first chamber with the outside. By arranging a supporting member composed of support walls and providing an opening on the first and/or second membranes, the compliance of the first or second membrane is increased, and the inter-plate capacitance therebetween is reduced.

Micro-electro-mechanical system and electro-acoustic conversion device having the micro-electro-mechanical system

A microelectromechanical system membrane includes spacers, counter electrodes, a first diaphragm and a second diaphragm. The spacers and the counter electrodes are at the same level and arranged alternatively on cross sections of the microelectromechanical system membrane. The first diaphragm and the second diaphragm are respectively located on opposite sides of the spacers and hermetically connected. The first diaphragm is provided with first projections spaced arranged in the first direction, and the second diaphragm is provided with second projections spaced arranged alternately in the first direction. The first projections include first front walls and first back walls disposed opposite in the first direction, and the second projections include second front walls and second back walls disposed opposite in the first direction. At least some of the first front and back walls, the second front and back walls are configured to be sub-corrugation structures. The microelectromechanical system membrane has an improved robustness.

Microelectromechanical system membrane

A microelectromechanical system includes a backplate and a diaphragm. The backplate includes spaced stator elements with voids formed therebetween. The stator element includes a first conductive element. The diaphragm includes a plurality of corrugations facing the voids respectively. Each corrugation includes a groove formed at a surface thereof away from the backplate. The corrugation includes a second conductive element. The diaphragm is moveable with respect to the backplate in response to a pressure exerted thereon to cause the corrugations to be moved into or out of the corresponding voids, thereby changing the capacitance formed between the first and second conductive elements. The corrugations are defined by grooves formed at surfaces away from the backplate, which facilitate to control the compliance of the diaphragm and reduce stiffness of the diaphragm. The corrugation can be formed with lower aspect ratios, which allows it to be formed using standard front side processes.

Microelectromechanical system

A comb-drive device used in Micro Electro Mechanical System is provided, and the comb-drive device includes: a rotor comprising a rotor body and a plurality of rotor combs provided on the rotor body; and a stator comprising one or more stator bodies and a plurality of stator combs provided on the one or more stator bodies. The rotor is spaced from the stator by a distance, the rotor and the stator are arranged along a direction in which the rotor is movable, and the plurality of rotor combs and the plurality of stator combs are alternately arranged in a direction particular to the direction in which the rotor is movable; and the rotor body is made of an insulating material, and each of the plurality of rotor combs is made of a conductive material or coated with a conductive material. The present invention can increase sensitivity and capacitance efficiency of the comb-drive device.

Comb-drive device used in micro electro mechanical system

A cantilever microphone includes: a substrate; a cantilever including a rotor frame and a plate covering the rotor frame, where the cantilever includes a first edge fixed to the substrate and a second end opposite to the first edge, a plurality of rotor comb fingers is attached to the plate at an edge of the plate adjacent to the second edge; and a stator fixed to the substrate or attached to a sub structure to allow some displacement from the substrate, where the stator includes a plurality of stator comb fingers, and the stator comb fingers are interdigitated with the rotor comb fingers. For the cantilever microphone, high mechanical sensitivity of the cantilever and high electrostatic sensitivity of the comb structure can be implemented, so as to increase the performance or signal-to-noise ratio of the cantilever microphone.

Cantilever microphone

Provided is a MEMS device. The MEMS device includes: substrate having back cavity passing through; diaphragm connected to the substrate and covers the back cavity, the diaphragm comprises first and second membranes, and accommodating space is formed between the first and second membranes; supports arranged in the accommodating space, and opposite ends of the support are connected to the first and second membranes; counter electrode arranged in the accommodating space, the first and second membranes each include conductive and second regions, ventilation slots are annularly spaced on the diaphragm along circumferential direction and penetrate through the first and second membranes, the electrode region extends from center of the first and second membranes toward but does not reach the ventilation slots. Through design of the first and second membranes and the electrode region, sensitivity of the microphone is increased.

MEMS device

Provided is an MEMS device, including: a base, a rear cavity; a vibrating diaphragm, the vibrating diaphragm including an upper diaphragm and a lower diaphragm, and an accommodation space being formed between the upper and lower diaphragms; a counter electrode arranged in the accommodation space; and supporting members concentrically arranged and spaced apart. The supporting members are arranged between the upper and lower diaphragms and are spaced apart from the counter electrode, two opposite ends of each supporting member are connected to the upper and lower diaphragms, and at least one of the supporting members is provided with first cavities. An upper ventilation hole and a lower ventilation hole are respectively formed at a position of the upper diaphragm and a position of the lower diaphragm corresponding to one of the first cavities; and the upper ventilation hole, the first cavity and the lower ventilation hole communicate with each other.

Provided is a MEMS device. The MEMS device includes: substrate having back cavity passing therethrough; diaphragm connected to the substrate and covers the back cavity, the diaphragm comprises first and second membranes, and accommodating space is formed between the first and second membranes; supports arranged in the accommodating space, and opposite ends of the support are connected to the first and second membranes; counter electrode arranged in the accommodating space, the first and second membranes each include conductive and second regions, the second region is formed by semiconductor material without doping conductive ions. Through design of the first and second membranes as the first region and the second region, respectively, the second region is formed by semiconductor material without doping conductive ions, and the first region is formed by doping conductive ions in the semiconductor material, so that the compliance performance is improved and not at risk of delamination.

A microelectromechanical system includes an enclosure defining a cavity and an opening communicating with the cavity; a membrane mounted at the opening; a cantilever located within the cavity, the at least one cantilever comprising a first end, a second end and a fulcrum located between the first end and the second end; a plunger positioned between the membrane and the cantilever and configured to transfer displacement of the membrane to the first end of the cantilever; and a sensing member connected to the second end of the cantilever. The distance between the first end and the fulcrum is less than that between the second end and the fulcrum. The microelectromechanical system has the advantages of high SNR, small package size and high sensitivity. The membrane has a stiffness order of magnitude higher than a conventional membrane, which avoids mechanical collapse and large DC deformation under 1 atm.

The application describes a MEMS transducer in which first and second conductive elements of a capacitor are both provided on the membrane. The membrane is shaped such that the first and second conductive elements are displaced relative to each other when the flexible membrane deflects in response to a pressure differential across the membrane. For example the membrane may be corrugated.

MEMS device and process

The application relates to MEMS transducers comprising at least one support structure for connecting a backplate structure of the transducer with an underlying substrate. A strengthening portion is provided in the region of the support structure.

MEMS devices and processes

A MEMS transducer may comprise a membrane supported relative to a substrate, the membrane comprising a first region and a second region, wherein the first region comprises a central region and plurality of arms which extend laterally from the central region and wherein the second region is separated from the first region by a channel which extends through the membrane.

The application describes MEMS transducers comprising a flexible membrane supported at a supporting edge relative to a substrate and further comprising one or more unbound edges. The shape of the unbound edge is selected so that the flexible membrane tends to bend along more than one bend axis in the region of the supporting edge.

The application describes MEMS transducer having a flexible membrane and which seeks to alleviate and/or redistribute stresses within the membrane layer. A membrane having a first/active region and a second/inactive region is described.

MEMS transducer having stress diffusing structures provided in a flexible membrane

This application relates to MEMS transducer having a membrane layer () and at least one variable vent structure (). The variable vent structure has a vent hole for venting fluid so as to reduce a pressure differential across the membrane layer and a moveable vent cover () which, at an equilibrium position, at least partly blocks the vent hole. The vent cover is moveable from its equilibrium position in response to a pressure differential across the vent cover so as to vary the size of a flow path through the vent hole. In various embodiments the vent cover comprises at least a first flap section () and a second flap section (), the first flap section being hingedly coupled to the side of the vent hole and the second flap section being hingedly coupled to the first flap section so as to be moveable with respect to the first flap section. In some embodiments the second flap section () may be configured so that it deflects away from the first section () more readily than the first section deflects away from its equilibrium position.

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Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Scott Lyall Cargill