US 12,285,780 B2
Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer with contoured electrode
Bo Ma, Palo Alto, CA (US); Kamyar Firouzi, Palo Alto, CA (US); Butrus T. Khuri-Yakub, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Jose Joseph, Stanford, CA (US)
Assigned to The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Stanford, CA (US)
Filed by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Stanford, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/347,113.
Application 18/347,113 is a continuation of application No. 17/449,235, filed on Sep. 28, 2021, granted, now 11,731,164.
Application 17/449,235 is a continuation of application No. 17/152,563, filed on Jan. 19, 2021, granted, now 11,173,520, issued on Nov. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/963,386, filed on Jan. 20, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/963,393, filed on Jan. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0165663 A1, May 23, 2024
Int. Cl. B06B 1/02 (2006.01); B06B 1/06 (2006.01); B81B 3/00 (2006.01); B81C 1/00 (2006.01); G01N 29/06 (2006.01); G01N 29/24 (2006.01); G01N 29/22 (2006.01)
CPC B06B 1/0215 (2013.01) [B06B 1/0292 (2013.01); B06B 1/0651 (2013.01); B06B 1/0662 (2013.01); B81B 3/0021 (2013.01); B81C 1/00166 (2013.01); G01N 29/0654 (2013.01); G01N 29/2406 (2013.01); B06B 2201/55 (2013.01); B81B 2201/0271 (2013.01); B81B 2203/04 (2013.01); B81C 2201/0157 (2013.01); B81C 2201/0178 (2013.01); G01N 29/22 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT), comprising:
a contoured electrode;
a substrate supporting the contoured electrode; and
a plate covering the contoured electrode to form a cavity;
wherein at least one of the substrate or the plate comprises metal,
wherein a voltage applied across the contoured electrode and the plate deflects the plate, the cavity has a non-uniform cavity spacing between the plate and the contoured electrode, and the cavity spacing is largest in a central region of the plate, and
wherein, when the plate is undeflected, the central region of the plate is spaced apart from the contoured electrode and an outer region of the plate is in contact with the contoured electrode.