Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) ultrasonic transducers and methods for forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738514-B2
Application number	US-201615291697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) ultrasonic transducers (CUTs) and methods for forming CUTs are described. The CUTs may include monolithically integrated ultrasonic transducers and integrated circuits for operating in connection with the transducers. The CUTs may be used in ultrasound devices such as ultrasound imaging devices and/or high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a semiconductor wafer having a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit and an electrode;
a conductive membrane bonded to the semiconductor wafer to form a bonded structure such that a sealed cavity exists between an uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer and a first side of the conductive membrane, thereby defining, at least in part, an ultrasonic transducer, with the sealed cavity disposed between the conductive membrane and the electrode; and
the uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer providing an electrical connection between the CMOS integrated circuit and the first side of the conductive membrane.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer comprises a conductive standoff.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the conductive standoff comprises titanium nitride (TiN).

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer comprises both an insulating material and a conductive material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer comprises an insulating material having a conductive via embedded therein.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the insulating material comprises silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) and the conductive via comprises tungsten (W).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conductive membrane has a substantially uniform thickness.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conductive membrane has a peripheral portion of a first thickness and center portion of a second thickness, the second thickness greater than the first thickness and corresponding to a location opposite the electrode.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first side of the conductive membrane proximate the cavity has a substantially planar surface, and a second side of the conductive membrane opposite the first side has a non-planar surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first side of the conductive membrane proximate the cavity has a non-planar surface, and a second side of the conductive membrane opposite the first side has a substantially planar surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a membrane stop disposed between the electrode and the conductive membrane.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the membrane stop is configured to come into contact with both the electrode and the conductive membrane in a collapse mode of operation.

13. A method, comprising:
bonding a transfer wafer to a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer having a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit and an electrode;
removing at least a portion of the transfer wafer to define a conductive membrane such that a sealed cavity exists between an uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer and a first side of the conductive membrane, thereby defining, at least in part, an ultrasonic transducer, with the sealed cavity disposed between the conductive membrane and the electrode; and
the uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer providing an electrical connection between the CMOS integrated circuit and the first side of the conductive membrane.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer comprises a conductive standoff.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the conductive standoff comprises titanium nitride (TiN).

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer comprises both an insulating material and a conductive material.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the uppermost portion of the semiconductor wafer comprises an insulating material having a conductive via embedded therein.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the insulating material comprises silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) and the conductive via comprises tungsten (W).

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conductive membrane has a substantially uniform thickness.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conductive membrane has a peripheral portion of a first thickness and center portion of a second thickness, the second thickness greater than the first thickness and corresponding to a location opposite the electrode.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first side of the conductive membrane proximate the cavity has a substantially planar surface, and a second side of the conductive membrane opposite the first side has a non-planar surface.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first side of the conductive membrane proximate the cavity has a non-planar surface, and a second side of the conductive membrane opposite the first side has a substantially planar surface.

23. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming a membrane stop between the electrode and the conductive membrane.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the membrane stop is configured to come into contact with both the electrode and the conductive membrane in a collapse mode of operation.

Assignees

• Butterfly Network Inc

Inventors

• Rothberg Jonathan M
• Fife Keith G
• Ralston Tyler S
• Charvat Gregory L
• Sanchez Nevada J

Classifications

• B81C2201/0195

  the layer being unstructured · CPC title

• B81C2203/0771

  Stacking the electronic processing unit and the micromechanical structure · CPC title

• G01N29/2406

  Electrostatic or capacitive probes, e.g. electret or cMUT-probes · CPC title

• B81C1/00134

  comprising flexible or deformable structures (manufacture of MEMS devices for specific applications, see relevant places, e.g. gyroscopes G01C19/5719, pressure sensors G01L9/0042, accelerometers G01P15/0802, acoustic transducers or diaphragms therefor H04R31/00) · CPC title

• B81C2203/0735

  Post-CMOS, i.e. forming the micromechanical structure after the CMOS circuit · CPC title