Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer Array Research Articles

Discrimination of Binary Gas Mixture Using CMUT Based Sound Attenuation Spectrum Gas Sensor

Introduction In order to overcome the long term stability issues caused by functionalized films in gas sensing [1], uncoated sensors have become increasingly attractive for applications where the selectivity is not a major concern such as industrial gas monitoring. Despite their poor selectivity, discrimination can be achieved by measuring different properties of the gas mixture [2]. The sound attenuation of a gas depends on several of its physical properties such as mass density, viscosity and sound velocity among several others [3]. Its value depends on the frequency in a non-linear manner which makes measuring large parts of its spectrum interesting for gas discrimination.In this abstract, an uncoated sensor capable of measuring the attenuation spectrum continuously over a frequency range is presented. Measurements on binary mixtures such as nitrogen (N2) with either hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4) are presented. Then, a simple method based on the construction of a preliminary mixture signature allowing to distinguish each type of mixture demonstrates the potential of this sensor to be used in smart gas sensors as a perspective to future work. Although attenuation sensors can be found in the literature [3], to the best of our knowledge, it is the first of this kind with easy integration thanks to the use of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) and allowing discrimination of binary mixtures. Setup The manufacturing process of the CMUT arrays is similar to the one used in reference [4] and their characteristics are reported in Table 1. Schematics of the experimental setup are shown in Figure 1. An electrical signal (1) is sent to an emitter CMUT array (2) which generates a continuous ultrasonic wave at a given frequency f. The wave travels a distance d through the gas and is attenuated by an amount that depends on the gas composition, through the attenuation coefficient α, before reaching the receiver (3) which is connected to a charge amplifier (4). Both the emitter and receiver signals are fed to a network analyzer (5) in order to measure the total transfer function of the setup |H| as a function of frequency. Far from the resonant frequency of the CMUT array (fr = 9.6MHz), |H| is given by Equation 1, where |He | is the transfer function of the setup which is independent of the gas. Thus, by measuring first |H| under pure N2, |HN2 |, it is possible to know the shift in attenuation Δαaccording to Equation 2. Results Tests under H2, CO2 and CH4 in N2 at different concentrations were performed at 20°C and 1atm for f ranging from 2MHz to 4.5MHz. The normalized measurements are shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The normalization consists in multiplying Δα by the wavelength in N2, λN2 , at the optimal frequency, fopt , for each mixture. Theses frequencies correspond to the best theoretical limit of detection LOD (Equation 3). The noise standard deviation σ increases with the frequency from 1.7x10-5 at 2MHz to 6.1x10-5 at 4.5MHz. For each mixture, the optimal frequency, fopt , sensitivity, S, and theoretical limit of detection, LOD, are reported in Table 2. The calculated values of the LOD were then verified for the three binary mixtures at lower concentrations. The results are shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 and are consistent with the calculations and even better in the case of CH4 where the step at 0.25% is still visible. These values of LOD correspond approximately to an attenuation of 1m-1,which corresponds to the state of the art on attenuation sensors [3]. Finally the normalized attenuation spectra for the three mixtures, shown in Figure 8, makes the discrimination of the three mixtures possible. In this study, it is done by simply considering both the sign of λN2 Δα and the one of the mean slope Σ in the region between 2MHz and 3.6MHz defined by Equation 4 (both signs are reported in Table 2 for each mixture). Conclusion A CMUTs based device is used to measure the attenuation spectrum of a gas. Its characterization shows performances comparable to the state of the art of attenuation sensors. Such measurements allow to determine the concentration of binary mixtures of N2 with either H2, CO2 or CH4. Finally, a signature of each of the three binary mixture is introduced to show the potential of this sensor as part of a smart sensor network. Possible perspectives include increasing the frequency range and testing in other gases.

Analysis of Negative Capacitance-Based Broadband Impedance Matching for CMUTs.

Tight integration of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) arrays with integrated circuits can make active impedance matching feasible for practical imaging devices. In this article, negative capacitance-based impedance matching for CMUTs is investigated. Simple equivalent circuit model-based calculations show the potential of negative capacitance matching for improving the bandwidth along with electrical power transfer and acoustic reflectivity, but the model has limitations especially for acoustic reflectivity evaluation. For more realistic results, an experimentally validated CMUT array model is applied to a small 1-D CMUT array operating in the 5-15 MHz range. The results highlight the difference between electrical power transfer and acoustic reflectivity as well as the tradeoffs in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). According to the results, ideal negative capacitance termination matched to the CMUT capacitance provides the broadest bandwidth and highest SNR if acoustic or electrical reflections are of no concern. On the other hand, negative capacitance and resistance matching to minimize acoustic reflectivity provides both lower reflection and closer to ideal SNR as compared with electrical power matching. It is observed that acoustic matching also reduces acoustic crosstalk and improves array uniformity. While several challenges for integrated circuit implementation are present, negative capacitance-based impedance matching can be a viable broadband active impedance matching method for CMUTs operating in conventional and collapsed mode as well as other ultrasound transducers with mainly capacitive impedance.

Design of a hexagonal air-coupled capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer for air parametric array

An air parametric array can generate a highly directional beam of audible sound in air, which has a wide range of applications in targeted audio delivery. Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUTs) have great potential for air-coupled applications, mainly because of their low acoustic impedance. In this study, an air-coupled CMUT array is designed as an air parametric array. A hexagonal array is proposed to improve the directivity of the sound generated. A finite element model of the CMUT is established in COMSOL software to facilitate the choice of appropriate structural parameters of the CMUT cell. The CMUT array is then fabricated by a wafer bonding process with high consistency. The performances of the CMUT are tested to verify the accuracy of the finite element analysis. By optimizing the component parameters of the bias-T circuit used for driving the CMUT, DC and AC voltages can be effectively applied to the top and bottom electrodes of the CMUT to provide efficient ultrasound transmission. Finally, the prepared hexagonal array is successfully used to conduct preliminary experiments on its application as an air parametric array.

An Investigation of Silica Aerogel to Reduce Acoustic Crosstalk in CMUT Arrays.

This paper presents a novel technique to reduce acoustic crosstalk in capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) arrays. The technique involves fabricating a thin layer of diisocyanate enhanced silica aerogel on the top surface of a CMUT array. The silica aerogel layer introduces a highly nanoporous permeable layer to reduce the intensity of the Scholte wave at the CMUT-fluid interface. 3D finite element analysis (FEA) simulation in COMSOL shows that the developed technique can provide a 31.5% improvement in crosstalk reduction for the first neighboring element in a 7.5 MHz CMUT array. The average improvement of crosstalk level over the −6 dB fractional bandwidth was 22.1%, which is approximately 5 dB lower than that without an aerogel layer. The results are in excellent agreement with published experimental results to validate the efficacy of the new technique.

Design and Experiment of Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer Array for High-frequency Underwater Imaging

Background:: Ultrasound is widely used in the applications of underwater imaging. Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) is a promising candidate for the traditional piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer. In underwater ultrasound imaging, better resolutions can be achieved with a higher frequency ultrasound. Therefore, a CMUT array for high-frequency ultrasound imaging is proposed in this work. Methods:: Analytical methods were used to calculate the center frequency in water and the pull-in voltage for determining the operating point of CMUT. A finite element method model was developed to finalize the design parameters. The CMUT array was fabricated with a five-mask sacrificial release process. Results:: The CMUT array owned an immersed center frequency of 2.6 MHz with a 6 dB fractional bandwidth of 123 %. The pull-in voltage of the CMUT array was 85 V. An underwater imaging experiment was carried out with the target of three steel wires. Conclusion:: In this study, we have developed CMUT for high-frequency underwater imaging. The experiment showed that the CMUT could detect the steel wires with a diameter of 100 μm and the axial resolution was 0.582 mm, which was close to one wavelength of ultrasound in 2.6 MHz

Fabrication and Characterization of a Wideband Low-Frequency CMUT Array for Air-Coupled Imaging

The capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) has a good acoustic matching with air. In this paper, a 16-element CMUT array for airborne application is designed and fabricated by SOI wafer bonding process. All the CMUT cells have the same geometric parameters with circular and sealed membrane, which vibrate uniformly for good transmission efficiency. And the thin membrane with small mass is proposed to broaden the bandwidth of CMUT. The sensor array operates at a 215.6 kHz resonance frequency with a large −3dB fractional bandwidth of 15.7% and a good consistency. The selection of the driving parameters (i.e. the DC bias voltage and AC excitation signal) has been analyzed comprehensively, which can be used to optimize the driving strategy of the CMUT for better transmission and reception performance. The CMUT array proposed in this paper has been used to demonstrate a two-dimension non-contact air-coupled imaging by through-transmission mode and pitch-catch mode. The images of two kinds of objects have been reconstructed to exhibit the capability of the CMUT array in air-ultrasonic imaging, suggesting broad applications including 3D imaging, gesture recognition, and other human-machine interactions in air.

An Integrated Front-end Circuit Board for Air-Coupled CMUT Burst-Echo Imaging

To conduct burst-echo imaging with air-coupled capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) using the same elements in transmission and reception, this work proposes a dedicated and integrated front-end circuit board design to build an imaging system. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first air-coupled CMUT burst-echo imaging using the same elements in transmission and reception. The reported front-end circuit board, controlled by field programmable gate array (FPGA), consisted of four parts: an on-board pulser, a bias-tee, a T/R switch and an amplifier. Working with our 217 kHz 16-element air-coupled CMUT array under 100 V DC bias, the front-end circuit board and imaging system could achieve 22.94 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in burst-echo imaging in air, which could represent the surface morphology and the three-dimensional form factor of the target. In addition, the burst-echo imaging range of our air-coupled CMUT imaging system, which could work between 52 and 273 mm, was discussed. This work suggests good potential for ultrasound imaging and gesture recognition applications.

Broadband phononic frequency comb generation in a parametrically excited capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer

Optical frequency combs consisting of evenly spaced discrete frequencies have been used for a number of applications such as frequency metrology, range finding and molecular fingerprinting. Recently, the acoustic equivalent of these frequency combs, known as phononic frequency combs (PFCs), have been demonstrated in micro and nanoscale resonators. However, such demonstrations are restricted to PFC generation in high-Q mechanical resonators under carefully controlled operating conditions with limited practical applications. In this work, we demonstrate a novel method of generating PFCs with a parametrically driven capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) operating in a fluid medium. The proposed system consists of an electrically driven CMUT array that forms part of a resonant RLC circuit of frequency w0. By applying two drive tones of frequency w0 and w0+Δ, we are able to generate broadband acoustic frequency combs via a parametric four-wave mixing process. The intensity and number of combs generated is strongly dependent on the relative strength of the two driving tones whereas the comb spacing is determined by the frequency difference Δ between the drive signals. We also briefly discuss a potential application of PFCs in extended non-ambiguous range (NAR) distance metrology with interferometric resolution.

Fabrication of 2D Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) Arrays on Insulating Substrates With Through-Wafer Interconnects Using Sacrificial Release Process

A critical component in a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging system is a two-dimensional (2D) transducer array. A 2D transducer array is also essential for the implementation of a compact form factor focused ultrasound system for therapeutic applications. Considering the difficulty associated with developing 2D transducer arrays using piezoelectric technology, capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) technology with the inherent advantages has emerged as a candidate to develop these devices. Previously, we demonstrated that 2D CMUT arrays can be fabricated with through-glass-via interconnects on borosilicate substrates using anodic bonding. In this paper, we present a fabrication process for implementing $16\times 16$ -element 2D CMUT arrays on an alkali-free glass substrate using the sacrificial release method. The vacuum-sealed $16\times 16$ -element 2D CMUT array is built on an SGW3 glass substrate with copper through-glass interconnects. The fabrication process developed for the 2D CMUT array is described in detail. Across the 256 elements of the 2D CMUT array, the mean resonant frequency is measured as 4.76 MHz with a standard deviation of 46.6 kHz. Also, the mean device capacitance across the array is measured as 1.17 pF with a standard deviation of 0.12 pF, and these results agree with the finite-element analysis. This study shows an alternative method to fabricate 2D CMUT arrays on glass substrates with metal interconnects, especially when the substrate is not suitable for anodic bonding. In addition to improved reliability and reduction in parasitic interconnect capacitance and resistance, this fabrication method benefits from the flexibility of developing 2D CMUT arrays on any type of insulating substrate, and still attain optimum uniformity in both yield and functionality of the fabricated devices. [2019-0246]

CMUT Time of Flight Gas Sensor By Phase Shift Measurement

Introduction The most common approach to measure a gas concentration consists in coating the exposed part of a sensor with a functionalized film in order to absorb the targeted gas [1].However, it is well known that a sensitive coating compromises the long term stability of the sensor mostly due to aging of such film [2]. This has resulted in an increasing interest in uncoated sensors, which rely on the change of the physical properties (mass density for instance) of their surrounding gas despite their lack of selectivity.One example of uncoated sensors are time of flight sensors. Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) [3], have been previously used for time of flight gas sensing due to their easy integration capabilities. However, these methods rely on peak detection algorithms which can be very complex and hard to integrate.In this study, we present a new simple approach using the phase shift of a continuous ultrasonic wave to measure the time of flight between two CMUT arrays. The principle of this method along with the experimental setup and results will be presented in the following sections. Sensor Figure 1 shows a picture of the sensor used in this study. It consists of an array of thousands of CMUTs as the one illustrated in Figure 2 fabricated according to [4]. By applying a bias Vdc and an alternative voltage Vdc between its electrodes, the top electrode vibrates generating an ultrasonic mechanical vibration in the gas (emitter mode). Similarly, when the membrane vibrates due to a mechanical vibration of the gas, the CMUT’s capacitance changes generating an electrical signal (receiver mode). Principle The experimental setup schematics are shown in Figure 3. One CMUT array working as emitter (1) generates a continuous ultrasonic wave at a given angular frequency (ω) through a network analyzer in gain/phase configuration (2). The wave propagates through the gas at a velocity (C) that depends on the gas composition. For this study the gas consists of N2 (similar to air) and either CO2 or H2. In the case of an ideal gas, its expression is given by Equation 1 where R = 8.314 J.K-1.mol-1, T = 20°C, x is the molar fraction of a gas (either N2 or the mixture), M is the corresponding molar mass and γ is the adiabatic index given by Equation 2 where cp and cv are, respectively, the isobar and isochoric heat capacitance per unit mass. After a delay τ, the wave reaches a second CMUT array (3) working in receiver mode. The generated signal is conditioned by a charge amplifier (4) and then injected back to the network analyzer. At a given time t, the phase difference φ between the emission and the reception is proportional to τ as shown in Equation 3. Therefore, the slope of the curve φ(ω ) changes when the gas composition changes. To verify this experimentally, the curves φ( w) are shown for pure N2 (black), 4% of H2 in N2 (blue) and 4% of CO2 in N2 (green) in Figure 4. Results 1-Sensitivity Tests under H2 and CO2 in N2 at different concentrations (4%, 3%, 2% and 1%) were performed and are shown respectively in Figure 5 and Figure 6. From these measurements, the calibration curves were obtained with good linearity (Figure 7). The sensitivities (slope of the curves) to each gas were measured and their values are, respectively, S{H2,exp}=-92ns/% and S{CO2,exp}=55ns/%. Their corresponding theoretical values around a given concentration (xmix=4%) can be approximated by Equation 4. The obtained values are respectively, S{H2,th}=-135ns/% and S{CO2,th}=97ns/% which are consistent with the experiments. 2-Limit of Detection Finally, knowing the sensitivity to a gas Sgas , a theoretical limit of detection (LOD) can be estimated with Equation 5 where σ=1ns, is the noise standard deviation of the sensor. The obtained values for H2 and CO2 are, respectively, LODH2 =0.03%, LODCO 2 =0.05%.In order to verify this experimentally, tests at low concentrations for H2 and CO2 were performed and are shown, respectively, in Figure 8 and Figure 9. The obtained results are consistent with the calculations. Conclusion In this study we presented a new way of determining the concentration of binary gas mixtures without a sensitive chemical coating through a time of flight measurement. We verified this method using N2 as a reference and both CO2 and H2 as analytes. Finally, we showed experimentally that the LOD in N2 is less than 0.03% for H2 and less than 0.05% for CO2 which, despite being worse than what has been reported with a coated sensor, remain comparable to the state of the art of uncoated sensors and to some commercial coated sensors.

Proof of Concept and Preliminary Results of Gas Detection by Measuring the Admittance at the Resonance and Anti-resonance of an Uncoated CMUT

Functionalized films are commonly used in gas sensing to target a particular gas. This is due, in part, to their usually high capability to detect very low concentrations and their high selectivity. However, their poor stability over time remains a challenge when dealing with applications that require the sensing to remain reliable without frequent recalibration. For this reason, uncoated gas sensors have become increasingly popular regardless of their lower sensitvity and their often non-selective characteristics. There exist different approaches for gas sensing without a functionalized film. One possibility is to use an uncoated resonating sensor and tracking its resonant properties which depend on its surrounding environment. The easy integration capability of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) makes them great candidates for uncoated gas sensing. Moreover, they are able to reach very high resonant frequencies and, therefore, allow for a shorter response time. In this article, a method to detect gas by following the value of the admittance of an uncoated silicon nitride CMUT array at either the resonant or at the anti-resonant frequency is presented and tested. This chemical detection is purely based on the change of the physical properties of the gas mixture (the mass density and the viscosity). A general model describing the impact of the electrical and mechanical properties of the CMUT in the sensitivity is presented, validated and applied to carbon dioxide and methane detection.

A Boundary Element Model for CMUT-Arrays Loaded by a Viscoelastic Medium.

This work is an extension of a model previously developed by our group to simulate the electroacoustic response of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT)-based linear arrays acoustically loaded by a fluid medium. The goal is to introduce the viscoelasticity effects of the propagation medium into the modeling. These effects are mainly due to the passivation layer used to protect the transducer, i.e., a silicon polymer, a few hundred micrometers thick. The passivation layer is also required to ensure good acoustic coupling between the transducer front face and human skin. The theoretical approach relies on the determination of a new boundary matrix to simulate the acoustic coupling between the CMUT array and the viscoelastic medium. The complete numerical implementation of a 3-D Green's function for a viscoelastic half-space is hence described. In order to reduce computing time, an optimization was carried out through vectorization and parallelization methods. A comparison is then performed with the analytical solutions, from the literature, obtained for elastic half-space. An experimental validation of shear viscosity effects is performed through electrical impedance measurements of the CMUT linear arrays loaded by oils of varying viscosity. A very good agreement is obtained, showing that the model correctly takes the shear viscosity effects on the mechanical response of the CMUT into account, i.e., a shift in the resonance frequency and a diminution in the mechanical quality factor are observed.

Performance simulation and testing of capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer

PurposeThis study aims to simulate and test the performance of a transmitting and receiving capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT). Aimed at detecting demand of the CMUT, a matched integrated adjustment circuit was designed through analyzing processing methods of transducer’s weak echo signal.Design/methodology/approachBased on the analysis of CMUT array structure and work principle, the CMUT units are designed and the dynamic performance analysis of SIMULINK is given according to the demand of underwater detecting. A transceiver isolation circuit is used to make transmission mode and receiving mode separate. A detection circuit is designed based on the transimpedance amplifier to achieve extraction of high-frequency and weak signal.FindingsThrough experimentation, the effectiveness of the CMUT performance simulation and the transceiver integrated adjustment circuit were verified. In addition, the test showed that CMUT with 400 kHz frequency has wider bandwidth and better dynamic characteristics than other similar transducers.Originality/valueThis paper provides a theoretical basis and design reference for the development and application of CMUT technology.

A Nonlinear Lumped Equivalent Circuit Model for a Single Uncollapsed Square CMUT Cell.

An accurate nonlinear lumped equivalent circuit model is used for modeling of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). Finite-element analysis (FEA) is a powerful tool for the analysis of CMUT arrays with a small number of cells while with the harmonic balance (HB) analysis of the lumped equivalent circuit model, the entire behavior of a large-scale arbitrary CMUT array can be modeled in a very short time. Recently, an accurate nonlinear equivalent circuit model for uncollapsed single circular CMUT cells has been developed. However, the need for an accurate large-signal circuit model for CMUT cells with square membranes motivated us to produce a new nonlinear large-signal equivalent circuit model for uncollapsed CMUT cells. In this paper, using analytical calculations and FEA as the tuning tool, a precise large signal equivalent circuit model of square CMUT dynamics was developed and showed excellent agreement with finite-element modeling (FEM) results. Then, different CMUT single cells with square and circular membranes were fabricated using a standard sacrificial release process. Model predictions of resonance frequencies and displacements closely matched experimental vibrometer measurements. The framework presented here may prove valuable for future design and modeling of CMUT arrays with square membranes for ultrasound imaging and therapy applications.

Orthogonal Chirp Coded Excitation in a Capacitive Micro-machined Ultrasonic Transducer Array for Ultrasound Imaging: A Feasibility Study.

It has been reported that the frequency bandwidth of capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) is relatively broader than that of other ceramic-based conventional ultrasonic transducers. In this paper, a feasibility study for orthogonal chirp coded excitation to efficiently make use of the wide bandwidth characteristic of CMUT array is presented. The experimental result shows that the two orthogonal chirps mixed and simultaneously fired in CMUT array can be perfectly separated in decoding process of the received echo signal without sacrificing the frequency bandwidth each chirp. The experimental study also shows that frequency band-divided orthogonal chirps are successfully compressed to two short pulses having the −6 dB axial beam-width of 0.26- and 0.31-micro second for high frequency and low frequency chirp, respectively. B-mode image simulations are performed using Field II to estimate the improvement of image quality assuming that the orthogonal chirps designed for the experiments are used for simultaneous transmission multiple-zone focusing (STMF) technique. The simulation results show that the STMF technique used in CMUT array can improve the lateral resolution up to 77.1% and the contrast resolution up to 74.7%, respectively. It is shown that the penetration depth also increases by more than 3 cm.

Analysis and Design of High-Frequency 1-D CMUT Imaging Arrays in Noncollapsed Mode.

High-frequency ultrasound imaging arrays are important for a broad range of applications, from small animal imaging to photoacoustics. Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) arrays are particularly attractive for these applications as low noise receiver electronics can be integrated for an overall improved performance. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of high-frequency CMUT arrays based on an experimentally verified CMUT array simulation tool. The results obtained on an example, a 40-MHz 1-D CMUT array for intravascular imaging, are used to obtain key design insights and tradeoffs for receive only and pulse-echo imaging. For the receiver side, thermal mechanical current noise, plane wave pressure sensitivity, and pressure noise spectrum are extracted from simulations. Using these parameters, we find that the receiver performance of CMUT arrays can be close to an ideal piston, independent of gap thickness, and applied dc bias, when coupled to low noise electronics with arrays utilizing smaller membranes performing better. For pulse-echo imaging, thermal mechanical current noise limited signal-to-noise ratio is observed to be dependent on the maximum available voltage and gap thickness. In terms of bandwidth, we find that the Bragg resonance of the array, related to the fill factor, is a significant determinant of the high frequency limit and the fluid loaded single membrane resonance determines the lower limit. Based on these results, we present design guidelines requiring only fluid loaded single membrane simulations and membrane pitch to achieve a desired pulse-echo response. We also provide a design example and discuss limitations of the approach.

Fabrication and Packaging of CMUT Using Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic.

This paper presents fabrication and packaging of a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) using anodically bondable low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC). Anodic bonding of LTCC with Au vias-silicon on insulator (SOI) has been used to fabricate CMUTs with different membrane radii, 24 µm, 25 µm, 36 µm, 40 µm and 60 µm. Bottom electrodes were directly patterned on remained vias after wet etching of LTCC vias. CMUT cavities and Au bumps were micromachined on the Si part of the SOI wafer. This high conductive Si was also used as top electrode. Electrical connections between the top and bottom of the CMUT were achieved by Au-Au bonding of wet etched LTCC vias and bumps during anodic bonding. Three key parameters, infrared images, complex admittance plots, and static membrane displacement, were used to evaluate bonding success. CMUTs with a membrane thickness of 2.6 µm were fabricated for experimental analyses. A novel CMUT-IC packaging process has been described following the fabrication process. This process enables indirect packaging of the CMUT and integrated circuit (IC) using a lateral side via of LTCC. Lateral side vias were obtained by micromachining of fabricated CMUTs and used to drive CMUTs elements. Connection electrodes are patterned on LTCC side via and a catheter was assembled at the backside of the CMUT. The IC was mounted on the bonding pad on the catheter by a flip-chip bonding process. Bonding performance was evaluated by measurement of bond resistance between pads on the IC and catheter. This study demonstrates that the LTCC and LTCC side vias scheme can be a potential approach for high density CMUT array fabrication and indirect integration of CMUT-IC for miniature size packaging, which eliminates problems related with direct integration.

Dual-mode capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer arrays for high intensity focused ultrasound and imaging

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) therapy requires imaging guidance to ensure that the correct area is treated. Guidance may be provided by magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound imaging. With piezoelectric transducers, ultrasound imaging guidance is typically done with a separate transducer array since it is difficult to obtain sufficient imaging and HIFU performance with the same transducers. However, Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (CMUTs) can have sufficient bandwidth and efficiency to allow both HIFU therapy and imaging to be done with the same transducer array. Additionally, CMUTs have much lower self-heating than piezoelectric transducers and require less cooling when used for HIFU. This means that CMUT-based HIFU systems can be made smaller than other HIFU systems to date, allowing access to treatment areas that were not previously possible. In addition, using the same array for imaging and treatment eliminates challenges with co-registration. We have constructed a dual-mode HIFU and imaging probe using a 32x32 CMUT array integrated with an application-specific integrated circuit. Ultrasound imaging guided ablation of ex-vivo tissue has been demonstrated with the probe, with rapid switching between HIFU and imaging mode.

Simulation Analysis and Performance Testing Investigation of Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer

In various applications of ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic transducer is the key device of ultrasonic testing and ultrasonic imaging. Compared with the traditional piezoelectric transducer, the capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) has many striking advantages, such as low impedance, high bandwidth, easy integration and low cost, and it is expected to become a next generation of mainstream products. In this paper, a CMUT structure for underwater-imaging applications is designed, and the finite element model is established by using COMSOL software, then the modal analysis, harmonic response analysis, electromechanical coupling analysis and transient analysis are carried out. As a consequence, the key parameters of CMUT are obtained, namely resonance frequency, voltage collapse and electromechanical coupling coefficient. For the processed CMUT line array consisting of 16 elements, a test system is built and the emission performance, receiving performance, directivity, bandwidth and preliminary imaging of the designed transducer are tested and analyzed. The results show that the designed CMUT array can meet the requirements of underwater-imaging applications.

Low temperature CMUT fabrication process with dielectric lift-off membrane support for improved reliability

This paper reports an improved CMOS compatible low temperature sacrificial layer fabrication process for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). The process adds the fabrication step of silicon oxide evaporation which is followed by a lift-off step to define the membrane support area without a need for an extra mask. This simple addition improves reliability by reducing the electric field between the top and bottom electrodes everywhere except the moving membrane without affecting the vacuum gap thickness. Furthermore, the parasitic capacitance which degrades the CMUT receive performance is reduced. A 1D CMUT array suitable for intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) imaging with 9 MHz center frequency is fabricated using this method. Detailed electrical and acoustic testing indicates adequate performance of the devices for ICE in agreement with simulations. Long term output pressure testing with more than 2 × 1011 pulsing cycles and environmental testing demonstrate the efficacy of the approach for improved reliability as compared to devices without the additional membrane support layer.