Design of AlN-Based PMUT with High Electromechanical Coupling Efficiency for Breast Cancer Diagnosis

This paper proposed impact of geometrical dimension for circular shaped aluminum nitride (AIN) based piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) for achieving best operating performance. The PMUT is focusing on 25–35 MHz frequency for biomedical application. Thus, this paper investigates the minimum geometrical dimension of PMUT with limitation of CMOS compatible process by using finite element analysis (FEA) ONSCALE software. This paper proposed comparative study that focused on AlN thickness and substrate diameter for PMUT in order to determine better design for better PMUT performance. Finite element analysis (FEA) of ONSCALE software was used for numerical analysis simulation. The simulation was carried out for AlN thickness and substrate diameter for impact study on PMUT performance with CMOS limitation. The PMUT displacement performances and frequencies for different AIN thickness and substrate diameter are analyzed. Firstly, the PMUT performance is analyzed for AlN thickness when the substrate diameter and cavity height are fixed. Secondly, the PMUT performance is analyzed for substrate diameter when the AlN thickness and cavity height are fixed. In this work, for frequency 25–35 MHz, the maximum PMUT displacement is achieved at AlN thickness $\mathbf{1.1} \mu\mathbf{m}$ , substrate diameter $\mathbf{22.5} \mu\mathbf{m}$ , and cavity height $\mathbf{3.0} \mu\mathbf{m}$ . The substrate diameter has no impact for PMUT displacement when the AlN thickness and cavity height is fixed. This work provides helpful information for designing PMUT for better performance of displacement.

In this paper, we present a 2μm-thick aluminum nitride (AlN) based piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) array, these PMUTs share one cavity. The Finite Element Model (FEM) method is used to perform various electromechanical performances of the PMUT array, such as resonance frequency, displacement frequency response, electromechanical coupling coefficient and sound pressure output to evaluate the time and frequency domain performance of the PMUT array. The results are verified by an impedance analyzer and hydrophone. The results show that the PMUT’s resonance frequencies are from 106kHz to 152 kHz, so it can be used for distance detection. The sound pressure of a single PMUT received by a hydrophone is from 0.208Pa to 0.752Pa, and when these PMUTs are simultaneously emitted, the sound pressure is 2.57Pa, which is 3–12 times larger than single PMUT. At a fixed resonant frequency, the sound pressure intensity can be controlled by changing the number of transmitted PMUTs to control the ranging range and accuracy.

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) based piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) have been the prime choice in acoustic imaging, because it has advantages of high frequency and thus high resolution. However, low piezoelectric constants of AlN gives rises to limitation in transmitting sensitivity. Scandium (Sc) doping method for AlN can be used to improve its piezoelectricity. In this paper, single element PMUT based on ScAlN thin film was proposed and modeled by performing finite element method (FEM). Influence of different electrode configurations on PMUT performance were studied. The results show that, compared with other electrode configurations, PMUT has the best overall performance when the upper electrode is platinum (Pt) and the lower electrode is molybdenum (Mo). In addition, the acoustic field characteristics and its dynamic analysis of PMUT based on ScAlN in water were studied. The investigation results demonstrated that the relative pulse-echo sensitivity level M of PMUT is significantly improved with the increase of Sc doping concentration in AlN thin film. When the Sc concentration is 40%, the M reaches -44 dB, which is 20 dB higher than that without Sc (-64 dB). The PMUT based on the high Sc-doped AlN thin film has a larger effective electromechanical coupling coefficient and sensitivity, which is beneficial to the application in high sensitivity ultrasound imaging.

This paper presents a 1.2-mm diameter high fill-factor array of 1261 piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) operating at 18.6 MHz in fluid for intravascular ultrasound imaging. At 1061 transducers/mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> , the PMUT array has a 10-20 times higher density than previous PMUT arrays realized to date. Aluminum nitride (AlN)-based PMUTs described in this paper are fabricated using a process compatible with the fabrication of inertial sensors, radio frequency (RF) resonators, and CMOS integrated circuits. The PMUTs are released using a front-side sacrificial etch through etching holes that are subsequently sealed by a thin layer of parylene. Finite element method and analytical results, including resonant frequency, pressure sensitivity, output acoustic pressure, and directivity are given to guide the PMUT design effectively, and are shown to match well with measurement results. Due to the PMUTs thin membrane (750-nm AlN/800-nm SiO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> ) and small diameter, a single 25-μm PMUT has approximately omnidirectional directivity and no near-field zone with irregular pressure pattern. PMUTs are characterized in both the frequency and time domains. Measurement results show a large displacement response of 2.5 nm/V at resonance and good frequency matching in air, high center frequency of 18.6 MHz and wide bandwidth of 4.9 MHz, when immersed in fluid. Phased array simulations based on measured PMUT parameters show a tightly focused high-output pressure acoustic beam.

This paper presents three-dimensional (3D) models of high-frequency piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) based on the finite element method (FEM). These models are verified with fabricated aluminum nitride (AlN)-based PMUT arrays. The 3D numerical model consists of a sandwiched piezoelectric structure, a silicon passive layer, and a silicon substrate with a cavity. Two types of parameters are simulated with periodic boundary conditions: (1) the resonant frequencies and mode shapes of PMUT, and (2) the electrical impedance and acoustic field of PMUT loaded with air and water. The resonant frequencies and mode shapes of an electrically connected PMUT array are obtained with a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). The first resonant frequency difference between 3D FEM simulation and the measurement for a 16-MHz PMUT is reasonably within 6%, which is just one-third of that between the analytical method and the measurement. The electrical impedance of the PMUT array measured in air and water is consistent with the simulation results. The 3D model is suitable for predicting electrical and acoustic performance and, thus, optimizing the structure of high-frequency PMUTs. It also has good potential to analyze the transmission and reception performances of a PMUT array for future compact ultrasonic systems.

As an important physical parameter of liquids, the liquid density plays an important role in many applications. As a result, the development of liquid density sensors is critical. However, current liquid density sensors have drawbacks, such as large size of conventional liquid density sensors, low quality factor of microcantilever beam structures, low sensitivity of quartz crystal tuning forks, and high operating frequency requirement of surface-acoustic-wave Love-mode resonators. In this article, we report an aluminum nitride (AlN) piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT)-based liquid density sensor to mitigate the aforementioned drawbacks of traditional liquid density sensors. The PMUT sensor utilizes CMOS-compatible AlN as the piezoelectric material. This sensor operates by measuring the change in resonant frequency of the PMUT to calculate the liquid density. In an experiment, the resonance of the PMUT sensor is measured by a digital holographic microscope (DHM), which allows direct measurement of the PMUT surface displacement, providing intuitive vibration amplitude and mode. Moreover, the DHM-based optical measurement approach has a higher sensitivity than the conventional electrical impedance-based measurement approach, allowing measurement of weak PMUT vibrations in dense liquids. The quality factor ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) value of the PMUT sensor is measured to be 49.38 in water. A high sensitivity of 12.71 kHz/( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{g}\cdot $ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{-{3}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) was determined for this sensor by measuring the resonant frequencies immersed in different glycerol aqueous solutions. We measured 12 PMUTs and the maximum deviation of resonant frequency between different PMUTs is 9.85%. For the first time, the resolution of the PMUT density sensor is determined to be <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$5.9\times 10^{-{4}}\,\,\text{g}\cdot $ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{-{3}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> .

This paper presents a novel bimorph Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) fabricated with 8-inch standard CMOS-compatible processes. The bimorph structure consists of two layers of 20% scandium-doped aluminum nitride (Sc0.2Al0.8N) thin films, which are sandwiched among three molybdenum (Mo) layers. All three Mo layers are segmented to form the outer ring and inner plate electrodes. Both top and bottom electrodes on the outer ring are electrically linked to the center inner plate electrodes. Likewise, the top and bottom center plate electrodes are electrically connected to the outer ring in the same fashion. This electrical configuration maximizes the effective area of the given PMUT design and improves efficiency during the electromechanical coupling process. In addition, the proposed bimorph structure further simplifies the device's electrical layout with only two-terminal connections as reported in many conventional unimorph PMUTs. The mechanical and acoustic measurements are conducted to verify the device's performance improvement. The dynamic mechanical displacement and acoustic output under a low driving voltage (1 Vpp) are more than twice that reported from conventional unimorph devices with a similar resonant frequency. Moreover, the pulse-echo experiments indicate an improved receiving voltage of 10 mV in comparison with the unimorph counterpart (4.8 mV). The validation of device advancement in the electromechanical coupling effect by using highly doped ScAlN thin film, the realization of the proposed bimorph PMUT on an 8-inch wafer paves the path to production of next generation, high-performance piezoelectric MEMS.

We present the nonlinearity of Aluminum Nitride (AlN)-based Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) utilizing Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) technique. The PMUT working at resonant frequency excite the piezoelectric layer into strong nonlinear region. The nonlinear phenomena are observed, such as frequency shift and nonlinear out-of-plane displacement magnitude. A mathematic model of piezoelectric nonlinearity is employed for analyzing the nonlinear behavior, and the second order piezoelectric coefficient is obtained subsequently. Approximately 120 harmonics, which are generated by PMUT nonlinearity, are obtained experimentally under a single-tone AC signal of a relatively high-level voltage. In addition, the number of harmonics can be controlled meticulously. Three different applications are developed to utilize harmonic generations in acoustic-optical hybrid microsystem and Radio Frequency (RF) field. The observation and analysis of AlN piezoelectric nonlinearity could benefit a further understanding of PMUT based on AlN thin film. We believe the generated harmonics can be potentially used in a wide variety of applications in signal processing and modulation.

This paper presents a high frequency and high fill factor piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) array, which is fabricated with a simple and CMOS compatible process based on commercially available cavity SOI wafers. This 2-mask process eliminates the need for through-wafer etching and enables 10× higher fill factor and thereby higher acoustic performance. PMUTs based on both lead zirconium titanate (PZT) and aluminum nitride (AlN) piezoelectric layers are designed, fabricated and characterized. For the same 50 µm diameter, PZT PMUTs show large dynamic displacement sensitivity of 316 nm/V at 11 MHz in air, which is ~20× higher than that of AlN PMUTs. Electrical impedance measurements of PZT PMUTs show high electromechanical coupling kt 2 = 12.5%, and 50 Ω electrical impedance that is well-matched to circuits. The resonant frequency and static displacement of PMUTs with different diameters are measured and agree well with FEM results. The acoustic pressure generated by an unfocused 9×9 array of 40 µm diameter PZT PMUTs was measured with a needle hydrophone, showing a pressure sensitivity of 2 kPa/V.

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) play a crucial role in the advancement of portable and wearable ultrasound imaging devices. Matching strategy of conventional thickness mode transducer for acoustic propagation is quite well developed yet. However, PMUTs which employ thin film’s flexural mode vibration lack systematic acoustic matching guidelines critical for optimizing performance. This study introduces the first comprehensive design framework for PMUT matching layers, integrating theoretical modeling, finite element method analysis and ultrasound characterization as well as phased-array ultrasound imaging validation. Being different from conventional thickness mode devices, the results indicate that a matching layer cannot simultaneously improve PMUT’s sensitivity and bandwidth (BW). Employing the matching layer thickness to be a quarter ultrasound wavelength, materials having an acoustic impedance above 1.5 MRayl enhance sensitivity, whereas those with an impedance below 1.5 MRayl improve BW. For our developed PMUT having center frequency of 6.3 MHz, a PDMS with an acoustic impedance of 1 MRayl was selected as matching layer, and it increases the PMUT’s BW from 20% to 39% while resulting in a 41% reduction in sensitivity. The results align closely with the theoretical predictions. To enhance PMUT’s sensitivity, matching materials like polybutadiene and thermoplastic polyurethane are more effective. These guidelines provide a foundation for rapid material selection and dimensional optimization, facilitating the broader application of miniaturized PMUTs in medical imaging and industrial sensing.

Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) based piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers for acoustic imaging of the surroundings are known as piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs). This research proposes a structural design of the PMUT with four fixed-guided beams. The beam is subjected to lateral loads, with vectors that are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. This project simulated Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) with three different material properties i.e. Aluminium Nitride (AlN), Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO). Based on the study, it was found that reducing the beam dimensions and increasing the plate size will result in the first mode frequency reduction from 1.33x107 Hz to 3.74x106 Hz. Other than that, it was found that AlN PMUT experienced the maximum deflection of 6.3413 to 6.3478 μm when the loads applied in the range of 50 to 200 μN/m2. When the piezoelectric material changed to PZT, we obtained the maximum deflections of 0.3771 to 0.3786 μm when the same loads range applied to the PMUT. As for the ZnO PMUT, the maximum deflections obtained were in between 0.1702 μm to 0.1772 μm with the loads are maintained as in the loads applied to the AlN and PZT. This study proved the significant impact of altering the structural dimensions and material properties of PMUTs on their operational characteristics, specifically the first mode frequency and deflection behavior.

This paper presents an AlN-based piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) with a double-beam suspended structure. In order to obtain greater deflection displacement and output sound pressure compared to standard systems, a suspended structure is proposed, achieved by utilizing double-sided deep reactive ion etching of the silicon substrate. This structure is capable of greatly reducing the tensile stress caused by deflection on the membrane edge, thereby improving the piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer performance. Simulations are performed using the finite element method and COMSOL software, with results demonstrating that the suspension structure exhibits a lower resonant frequency and a larger membrane deflection displacement than other methods, implying higher penetration and acoustic energy levels. Thus, the sound pressure is improved by changing the PMUT structure. Moreover, a PMUT with a double-beam is fabricated, and the impedance diagram is determined with an impedance analyzer. The resonant frequency of the transducer was 31.88 kHz, while the sound wave received by the standard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ultrasonic transducer was converted to a voltage of 277.5 mV. In comparison, the proposed PMUT demonstrates an improved acoustic emission performance. In addition, the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the suspended PMUT is observed to be approximately 3.08%, which is significantly better than that of a fully clamped PMUT. This demonstrates the strong electromechanical conversion performance of the proposed PMUT. Results from the transmission and reception air experiments prove that the proposed double-beam PMUT can potentially be used for ranging and wireless energy transmission applications.

In this work, we present a novel device developed by integration of an array of Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (PMUTs) with a microfluidic chip that can be used for characterizing the acoustical properties of the liquid present in the back-cavity of the PMUT. PMUT membrane operates in flexural mode of vibration and it is directly coupled with the cylindrical back-cavity formed during the release of the PMUT membrane. This leads to very strong structural-acoustic coupling between the PMUT and the liquid present in the its back-cavity. Presence of fluid around the thin PMUT membrane causes a significant reduction in the resonant frequencies of the PMUT due to mass loading imposed by the surrounding fluid. It also leads to the excitation of the acoustic modes of the cylindrical back-cavity when the PMUT vibrates near the fundamental acoustic frequencies of the cavity. These acoustic reverberations appear in the vibration response of the PMUT in form of additional resonant peaks. Further we explore the feasibility of capturing the acoustic signature of microbubbles introduced in the back-cavity liquid. Microbubbles are generated on the microfluidic chip using flow focusing technique and introduced in the cylindrical back-cavity of the PMUT through a network of channels and wells made on PDMS and adhered to the PMUT from the backside. This approach can provide an alternative method for on-chip characterization of microbubbles.

Ultrasound is widely applied in diverse domains, such as medical imaging, non-destructive evaluation, and acoustic communication. Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) capable of generating and receiving ultrasonic signals at the micrometer level have become a prominent technology in the field of ultrasound. It is important to enrich the models of the PMUTs to meet the varied applications. In this study, a series of PMUT devices featured with various top electrode configurations, square, circular, and doughnut, were designed to assess the influence of shape on the emission efficacy. It was demonstrated that the PMUTs with a circular top electrode were outperformed, which was calculated from the external acoustic pressure produced by the PMUTs operating in the fundamental resonant mode at a specified distance. Furthermore, the superior performance of PMUT arrays were exhibited through computational simulations for the circular top electrode geometries. Conventional microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) techniques were used to fabricate an array of PMUTs based on aluminum nitride (AlN) films. These findings make great contributions for enhancing the signal transmission sensitivity and bandwidth of PMUTs, which have significant potential in non-destructive testing and medical imaging applications.

A key metric of micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) performance is the volume velocity, which determines the transmitting output pressure. Here, we present a study to demonstrate corrugated-diaphragm piezoelectric MUTs (PMUTs) which have up to 3.2X higher volume velocity than conventional PMUTs of the same area. The PMUTs are manufactured by a surface-micromachining process forming a high fill-factor (80%) array, and corrugations can be added without any additional masks or process steps. The PMUTs with corrugations are implemented to have the increased displacement and resonant frequency. The corrugations and released holes are etched and formed by the same fabrication step, and their opening-area ratios determines the corrugation depth which is critical to PMUT efficiency. By corrugating PMUT diaphragm, it provides a simple method to tune resonant frequency. The study includes design, fabrication, and characterization for the various approaches to corrugated PMUTs.