Audio sensing device and method of acquiring frequency information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10225662-B2
Application number	US-201615268141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2016
Priority date	Aug 13, 2014
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An audio sensing device having a resonator array and a method of acquiring frequency information using the audio sensing device are provided. The audio sensing device includes a substrate having a cavity formed therein, a membrane provided on the substrate and covering the cavity, and a plurality of resonators provided on the membrane and respectively sensing sound frequencies of different frequency bands.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An audio sensing device comprising:
a substrate having a cavity formed therein;
a membrane provided on the substrate and entirely covering an opening of the cavity; and
a plurality of resonators disposed on the membrane and between a bottom surface of the cavity and the membrane, and respectively configured to sense sound frequencies of different frequency bands,
wherein each of the plurality of resonators comprises:
a first electrode provided on the membrane; and
a second electrode fixedly provided on the membrane and spaced apart from the first electrode.

2. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of resonators are disposed inside the cavity and the interior of the cavity is maintained in a vacuum state.

3. The audio sensing device of claim 2 , wherein a degree of vacuum in the cavity is less than or equal to 100 Torr.

4. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of resonators are arranged on the membrane in one dimension or two dimensions.

5. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of resonators is in a range of ten to thousand.

6. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode comprises a boundary area that is fixed on and in contact with the membrane, and a center area that is spaced apart from the membrane.

7. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is a common electrode.

8. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , further comprising an insulating layer interposed between the membrane and the first electrode.

9. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of resonators further comprises an insulating layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and provided on one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

10. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes comprise a conductive material.

11. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of resonators comprises:
a piezoelectric layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

12. The audio sensing device of claim 11 , wherein one end or opposite ends of the first electrode are fixed on the membrane.

13. The audio sensing device of claim 11 , further comprising an insulating layer interposed between the membrane and the first electrode.

14. The audio sensing device of claim 11 , wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises at least one of ZnO, SnO, PZT, ZnSnO 3 , polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)), AlN, and PMN-PT.

15. The audio sensing device of claim 11 , wherein the first and second electrodes comprise a conductive material.

16. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of resonators are configured to sense sound frequencies of a same band.

17. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon.

18. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises at least one of silicon, a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, metal, and a polymer.

19. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein sound frequency bands sensed by the plurality of resonators correspond to dimensions of the plurality of resonators.

20. The audio sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is configured to receive an input audio signal of an audible frequency range or an ultrasonic frequency range.

21. An audio sensing device comprising:
a membrane configured to vibrate in response to sound; and
a plurality of resonators provided on the membrane and respectively configured to sense different frequency bands of the sound,
wherein each of the plurality of resonators comprises:
a first electrode provided on the membrane; and
a second electrode provided on the membrane and spaced apart from the first electrode, and

wherein the first electrode is disposed between the membrane and the second electrode.

22. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of resonators are disposed in a vacuum state.

23. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , wherein the first electrode is a common electrode.

24. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , further comprising an insulating layer is interposed between the membrane and the first electrode.

25. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , wherein each of the plurality of resonators further comprises an insulating layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and provided on one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

26. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , wherein one end or opposite ends of the second electrode are fixed on the membrane.

27. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , wherein the first and second electrodes comprise a conductive material.

28. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , wherein each of the plurality of resonators further comprises:
a piezoelectric layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

29. The audio sensing device of claim 28 , wherein one end or opposite ends of the first electrode are fixed on the membrane.

30. The audio sensing device of claim 28 , further comprising an insulating layer is interposed between the membrane and the first electrode.

31. The audio sensing device of claim 28 , wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises at least one of ZnO, SnO, PZT, ZnSnO 3 , polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)), AlN, and PMN-PT.

32. The audio sensing device of claim 28 , wherein the first and second electrodes comprise a conductive material.

33. The audio sensing device of claim 21 wherein at least two of the plurality of resonators are configured to sense frequencies of a same band.

34. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , further comprising a substrate,
wherein the membrane is provided on the substrate, and
wherein the substrate comprises silicon.

35. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , wherein the membrane comprises at least one of silicon, a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, metal, and a polymer.

36. The audio sensing device of claim 21 , wherein sound frequency bands sensed by the plurality of resonators correspond to dimensions of the plurality of resonators.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Cheheung

Classifications

• H04R17/02

  Microphones · CPC title

• H04R7/08

  comprising superposed layers separated by air or other fluid · CPC title

• H04R17/025 Primary

  using a piezoelectric polymer · CPC title

• H04R23/006

  using solid state devices (solid state devices per se H10) · CPC title

• H04R29/00 Primary

  Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} · CPC title