Lithium-based piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337347-B2
Application number	US-202117528438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2021
Priority date	Dec 14, 2020
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A device includes a pair of substrate layer corresponding to a carrier substrate, an intermediary layer disposed on the pair of substrate layers, a cavity region disposed between the pair of substrate layers underneath the intermediary layer, a piezoelectric layer including a lithium-based film disposed on the intermediary layer, and a plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes disposed on the piezoelectric layer. The plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes includes an outer signal electrode, an inner signal electrode, an outer ground electrode and an inner ground electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a pair of substrate layers corresponding to a carrier substrate;
an intermediary layer comprising a passive layer disposed on the pair of substrate layers;
a piezoelectric layer comprising a lithium-based material disposed on the passive layer; and
a plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes disposed on the piezoelectric layer, wherein the plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes comprises an outer signal electrode, an inner signal electrode, an outer ground electrode, and an inner ground electrode.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises at least one of lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) or lithium tantalate (LiTaO 3 ).

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a suspended lithium-based thin film, and wherein the suspended lithium-based thin film comprises a 36° Y-cut wafer.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a cavity region formed between the pair of substrate layers underneath the passive layer, wherein the piezoelectric layer and the plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes form a resonator.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein:
the pair of substrate layers each have a thickness between about 20 microns (μm) and about 700 μm;
the cavity region has a length between about 220 μm and about 260 μm;
the intermediary layer has a thickness between about 1 μm and about 3 μm;
the piezoelectric layer has a thickness between about 0.5 μm and about 1.2 μm; and
each interdigital transducer electrode of the plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes has a thickness between about 0.1 μm and 0.5 μm.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
each interdigital transducer electrode of the plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes has a width between about 3 microns (μm) and about 7 μm;
the outer signal electrode and the outer ground electrode have a separation by an outer electrode distance between about 70 μm and about 80 μm; and
the inner signal electrode and the inner ground electrode have a separation by an inner electrode distance between about 25 μm and about 35 μm.

7. A piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) comprising:
a pair of substrate layers corresponding to a carrier substrate;
an intermediary layer comprising a first lithium-based material disposed on the pair of substrate layers;
a piezoelectric layer comprising a second lithium-based material disposed on the intermediary layer, wherein a first cut-plane orientation of the first lithium-based material is different from a second cut-plane orientation of the second lithium-based material; and
a plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes disposed on the piezoelectric layer, wherein the plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes comprises an outer signal electrode, an inner signal electrode, an outer ground electrode, and an inner ground electrode.

8. The PMUT of claim 7 , wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises at least one of lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) or lithium tantalate (LiTaO 3 ).

9. The PMUT of claim 7 , wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a suspended lithium-based thin film, and wherein the suspended lithium-based thin film comprises a 36° Y-cut wafer.

10. The PMUT of claim 7 , wherein the first lithium-based material has a complementary cut plane orientation relative to the second lithium-based material.

11. The PMUT of claim 7 , further comprising a cavity region formed between the pair of substrate layers underneath the intermediary layer, wherein the piezoelectric layer and the plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes form a resonator.

12. The PMUT of claim 11 , wherein:
the pair of substrate layers each have a thickness between about 20 microns (μm) and about 700 μm;
the cavity region has a length between about 220 μm and about 260 μm;
the intermediary layer has a thickness between about 1 μm and about 3 μm;
the piezoelectric layer has a thickness between about 0.5 μm and about 1.2 μm; and
each interdigital transducer electrode of the plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes has a thickness between about 0.1 μm and 0.5 μm.

13. The PMUT of claim 7 , wherein:
each interdigital transducer electrode of the plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes has a width between about 3 microns (μm) and about 7 μm;
the outer signal electrode and the outer ground electrode have a separation by an outer electrode distance between about 70 μm and about 80 μm; and
the inner signal electrode and the inner ground electrode have a separation by an inner electrode distance between about 25 μm and about 35 μm.

Assignees

• Board Of Trustees Of The Univ Of Illinois
• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Gong Songbin
• Lu Ruochen

Classifications

• H10N30/8542

  Alkali metal based oxides, e.g. lithium, sodium or potassium niobates · CPC title

• H10N30/2047

  Membrane type · CPC title

• H10N30/87

  Electrodes or interconnections, e.g. leads or terminals · CPC title

• H10N30/082

  by etching, e.g. lithography · CPC title

• H10N30/06

  Forming electrodes or interconnections, e.g. leads or terminals · CPC title