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2018
Conference Paper
Titel
Mechanically coupled capacitive ultrasonic transducer
Abstract
Ultrasonic transducers are widely used in application fields of non-destructive testing, sensors and medical imaging. Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUT) are novel devices, which exhibit potentials regarding miniaturization and integration compared to bulk piezo systems. High volume and low cost production are advantages of the underlying MEMS technology that enables the integration of front-end electronics and multichannel systems onto the chip. This paper presents the concept of an innovative mechanically coupled CMUT system that has been developed by Fraunhofer IPMS. The fabrication process is outlined with its challenges. The aim of the novel approach is an increased transmit and receive sensitivity as well as a frequency reduction of the mechanical system. Thus a broader spectrum of realizable resonance frequencies and more application fields will be addressable.