Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cmut) forming

Abstract

A Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) device including at least one CMUT element with at least one CMUT cell is formed. A patterned dielectric layer thereon including a thick and a thin dielectric region is formed on a top side of a single crystal material substrate. A second substrate is bonded to the thick dielectric region to provide at least one sealed micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) cavity. The second substrate is thinned to reduce a thickness of said second substrate to provide a membrane layer. The membrane layer is etched to form a movable membrane over said MEMS cavity and to remove said membrane layer over said top side substrate contact area. The thin dielectric region is removed from over said top side substrate contact area. A top side metal layer is formed including a trace portion coupling said top side substrate contact area to said movable membrane. From a bottom side surface of said first substrate, etching is performed to open an isolation trench around said single crystal material to form a through-substrate via (TSV) plug of said single crystal material at least under said top side substrate contact area which is electrically isolated from surrounding regions of said single crystal material.