US 11,696,078 B2
Robust MEMS microphone
Craig Core, North Andover, MA (US); Hamid Basaeri, Cambridge, MA (US); and Robert Littrell, Belmont, MA (US)
Assigned to QUALCOMM Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by QUALCOMM Technologies, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/879,454.
Application 17/879,454 is a continuation of application No. 17/143,934, filed on Jan. 7, 2021, granted, now 11,438,706.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/958,050, filed on Jan. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0369043 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04R 19/00 (2006.01); H04R 19/04 (2006.01); B81B 3/00 (2006.01); B81C 1/00 (2006.01); H04R 31/00 (2006.01); H04R 1/04 (2006.01); H04R 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 19/04 (2013.01) [B81B 3/0021 (2013.01); B81C 1/00158 (2013.01); H04R 1/04 (2013.01); H04R 7/06 (2013.01); H04R 19/005 (2013.01); H04R 31/003 (2013.01); B81B 2201/0257 (2013.01); B81B 2203/019 (2013.01); B81B 2203/0127 (2013.01); B81B 2203/0315 (2013.01); B81B 2207/012 (2013.01); B81C 2201/013 (2013.01); H04R 2201/003 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A MEMS transducer comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a top layer, and a bottom surface opposite the top layer;
a frontside cavity extending into the substrate from the bottom surface and forming an aperture at the bottom surface;
a transducer element having a movable diaphragm disposed at the top layer of the substrate and exposed to the aperture through the frontside cavity; and
a rigid kinetic energy diverter configured to divert kinetic energy of a mass of fluid moving toward the movable diaphragm, the rigid kinetic energy diverter disposed within the frontside cavity and extending into the frontside cavity in a direction away from the movable diaphragm, the rigid kinetic energy diverter having an end exposed to the aperture and distal from the diaphragm, such that the exposed distal end is nearer to the bottom surface than it is to the diaphragm, such that the frontside cavity has a plurality of portions separated by the rigid kinetic energy diverter, each portion of the plurality of portions exposing an underside of the transducer element through the frontside cavity, wherein the rigid kinetic energy diverter is contiguous with the top layer.