Microphone diaphragm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10349178-B2
Application number	US-201614995286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 3, 2015
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to microphones diaphragms. In one embodiment, a sensor comprising a diaphragm comprised of a composition having a plurality of individual graphene sheets. An emitter formed in a manner to transmit lights towards a surface of the diaphragm. A collector that captures at least a portion of light that is reflected by the diaphragm. A converter is in communication with the detector that converts a signal that is generated by the sensor to a digital signal for processing. The graphene-based composition includes graphene sheets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to fabricate a microphone diaphragm comprising:
forming a first layer on to a surface of a substrate, the first layer comprising individual graphene sheets;
curing the first layer;
forming a second layer on a surface of the first layer;
removing the first layer from the surface of the substrate;
removing excess portions of the first layer and/or the second layer to form a predefined shape; and
wherein the individual graphene sheets form a three-dimensional interconnected network in the first layer in a manner wherein individual graphene sheets have nanometer scale separation at contact points between individual graphene sheets.

2. The method to fabricate the microphone diaphragm of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming individual graphene sheets from graphite; and
wherein the individual graphene sheets have one or more of
a surface area of at least 100 m 2 /g; and
a carbon-to-oxygen ratio of at least 1,000:1.

3. The method to fabricate the microphone diaphragm of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first layer comprises:
preparing a composition comprising a polymer and the individual graphene sheets; and
applying the composition to the surface.

4. The method to fabricate the microphone diaphragm of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first layer comprises:
preparing a composition comprising a reflective material and the individual graphene sheets; and
applying the composition to the surface.

5. The method to fabricate the microphone diaphragm of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first layer on the surface of the substrate comprises electrohydrodynamically printing the first layer on the surface of the substrate.

6. The method to fabricate the microphone diaphragm of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first layer comprises screen printing the first layer on the surface of the substrate.

Assignees

• Vorbeck Materials Corp

Inventors

• Lettow John S
• Scheffer Dan F
• Fritsch Kenneth E

Classifications

• H04R2307/027

  Diaphragms comprising metallic materials · CPC title

• H04S2420/01

  Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD] · CPC title

• H04S7/00

  Indicating arrangements; Control arrangements, e.g. balance control · CPC title

• H04R2307/023

  Diaphragms comprising ceramic-like materials, e.g. pure ceramic, glass, boride, nitride, carbide, mica and carbon materials · CPC title

• H04R7/06 Primary

  comprising a plurality of sections or layers · CPC title