US 11,950,512 B2
Thin-film acoustic imaging system for imaging through an exterior surface of an electronic device housing
Ehsan Khajeh, Los Gatos, CA (US); Aaron S. Tucker, Redwood City, CA (US); Andrew W. Joyce, San Jose, CA (US); Brian M. King, Saratoga, CA (US); Giovanni Gozzini, Berkeley, CA (US); Jason S. Griesbach, Sausalito, CA (US); Marcus C. Yip, San Carlos, CA (US); Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, Santa Clara, CA (US); Gordon S. Franza, Rockledge, FL (US); and Henry H. Yang, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/210,023.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/993,632, filed on Mar. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0296562 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. H10N 30/87 (2023.01); H10N 30/00 (2023.01); H10N 30/20 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 30/878 (2023.02) [H10N 30/10516 (2023.02); H10N 30/2047 (2023.02)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An acoustic imaging system comprising:
an adhesive layer configured to acoustically couple to a sensing plate;
a first electrode layer bonded to the adhesive layer;
a piezoelectric actuator layer below the first electrode layer;
a second electrode layer below the piezoelectric actuator layer and aligned with the first electrode layer to generate an electric field through the piezoelectric actuator layer;
a metalloid oxide layer encapsulating the second electrode layer against the piezoelectric actuator layer; and
an application-specific integrated circuit formed below and coupled to the metalloid oxide layer, the application-specific integrated circuit conductively coupled to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.