A monolithically integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) is disclosed. A MIMs integrated circuit comprises a plurality of sensors. For example, the integrated circuit can comprise three or more sensors where each sensor measures a different parameter. The three or more sensors can share one or more layers to form each sensor structure. In one embodiment, the three or more sensors can comprise MEMs sensor structures. Examples of the sensors that can be formed on a MIMs integrated circuit are an inertial sensor, a pressure sensor, a tactile sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a microphone, a force sensor, a load sensor, a magnetic sensor, a flow sensor, a light sensor, an electric field sensor, an electrical impedance sensor, a galvanic skin response sensor, a chemical sensor, a gas sensor, a liquid sensor, a solids sensor, and a biological sensor.

Described is a micro-haptic actuator device that can be fabricated with roll-to-roll MEMS processing techniques. The device includes a first body having a first surface and a second, opposing surface, the body has a chamber defined by at least one interior wall, a piston member disposed in the chamber, physically spaced from the at least one interior wall of the chamber, the piston member having a first surface and a second opposing surface. A membrane layer is disposed over and attached to the first surface of the body, with a portion of the membrane attached to the first surface of the piston member. The device also includes a first electrode supported on a second surface the membrane, and a second body that supports a second electrode, with the second body attached to the second surface of the first body.

A microphone including a casing having a front wall, a back wall, and a side wall joining the front wall to the back wall, a transducer mounted to the front wall, the transducer including a substrate and a transducing element, the transducing element having a transducer acoustic compliance dependent on the transducing element dimensions, a back cavity cooperatively defined between the back wall, the side wall, and the transducer, the back cavity having a back cavity acoustic compliance. The transducing element is dimensioned such that the transducing element length matches a predetermined resonant frequency and the transducing element width, thickness, and elasticity produces a transducer acoustic compliance within a given range of the back cavity acoustic compliance.

A vibration sensor and a microphone are provided. The vibration sensor includes a piezoelectric system and a capacitive system. The piezoelectric system includes a vibration component and a piezoelectric sensing component collecting a first electrical signal generated due to deformation of the vibration component. The capacitive system uses the vibration component in the piezoelectric system as a movable capacitive plate and a fixed substrate opposite to the vibration component to form a capacitive vibration sensor. The deformation of the vibration component changes a distance between the vibration component and the fixed substrate. A capacitive sensing component collects a second electrical signal generated due to the distance change. The capacitive sensing component is disposed in a region where the first electrical signal in the piezoelectric system is low, thereby better using space of the vibration sensor, and enhancing the second electrical signal without affecting output of the first electrical signal.

It is an object of the present invention to array and utilize piezoelectric generators. It is also an object of the invention to implement properly configured piezoelectric generators into applications that can recapture expelled kinetic energy that is otherwise wasted. Particularly, piezoelectric generators, or arrays, may be, for example, placed in shoes, clothing, tires, roads, and sidewalks in order to recapture the energy expelled in everyday human activities (e.g., walking, moving, and driving).

A method for producing a piezoelectric transducer device is provided, including a membrane including at least one silicon and/or silicon nitride layer; a piezoelectric layer including at least one piezoelectric material with crystalline perovskite structure and arranged on the membrane; first and second electrodes electrically in contact with the piezoelectric layer; and in which the piezoelectric layer is in direct contact with the silicon and/or silicon nitride layer, or in which the piezoelectric layer is in contact with the silicon and/or silicon nitride layer solely through one or more metal layers.

A piezoelectric sensing module includes a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric film, a first electrode layer that includes multiple receiver electrodes arranged in a first pattern enabling a sensing of a position of an input object on a touch surface using the PVDF piezoelectric film, and a second electrode layer that includes at least one common electrode. The PVDF piezoelectric film is arranged between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, with the second electrode layer between the PVDF piezoelectric film and the touch surface.

A diaphragm for a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) is presented having resonance frequency and bandwidth characteristics which are decoupled from one another into independent variables. Portions of at least the piezoelectric material layer and backside electrode layer are removed in a selected pattern to form structures, such as ribs, in the diaphragm which retains stiffness while reducing overall mass. The patterned structure can be formed by additive, or subtractive, fabrication processes.

A composite structure comprises a receiver substrate having at least one cavity defined in the substrate and devoid of solid material or filled with a sacrificial solid material, a single-crystal semiconductor layer disposed on the receiver substrate, the layer having a free surface over the entire extent of the structure and a thickness between 0.1 micron and 100 microns, and a piezoelectric layer secured to the single-crystal semiconductor layer and located between the single-crystal semiconductor layer and the receiver substrate.

A device is based on a movable membrane above a cavity, and is formed from the composite structure.

A method is used to fabricate the composite structure.

There is disclosed a transducer and a method for generating the transducer. The transducer is formed on a substrate layer. The transducer includes a first electrode layer, a first piezoelectric layer on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer on the first piezoelectric layer. The first electrode layer is connected to a first electrical connector and the second electrode layer is connected to a second electrical connector. The transducer can be configured to act as an acoustic sensor or an electric potential sensor.