An ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer device includes a transducer array consisting of an array of vibrating elements, and a base to which the array of vibrating elements in the transducer array are attached. The base include integrated electrical interconnects for carrying driving signals and sensed signals between the vibrating elements and an external control circuit. The base can be an ASIC wafer that includes integrated circuitry for controlling the driving and processing the sensed signals. The interconnects and control circuits in the base fit substantially within an area below the array of multiple vibrating elements.

A helical dielectric elastomer actuator (HDEA) can include a first dielectric region comprising an elastomer defining a helix. In an example, a dielectric material can be deposited and a compliant conductive material can be deposited, such as using an additive manufacturing approach, to provide an HDEA. In an example where the HDEA has multiple mechanical degrees of freedom, at least two compliant conductive regions can be located on a first surface of the first dielectric region and at least one compliant conductive region can be located on an opposite second surface of the first dielectric region. For such an example, the at least two compliant conductive regions can be arranged to be energized with respect to the at least one compliant conductive region in a manner providing at least two mechanical degrees of freedom for operation of the HDEA.

An imaging system includes: a transceiver cell for generating a pressure wave and converting an external pressure wave into an electrical signal; and a control unit for controlling an operation of the transceiver cell. The transceiver cell includes: a substrate; at least one membrane suspending from the substrate; and a plurality of transducer elements mounted on the at least one membrane. Each of the plurality of transducer elements has a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer on bottom electrode, and at least one top electrode on the piezoelectric layer. Each of the plurality of transducer element generates a bending moment in response to applying an electrical potential across the bottom electrode and the at least one top electrode and develops an electrical charge in response to a bending moment due to the external pressure wave.

The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating an ultrasound transducer. A substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side is provided. A bottom electrode is formed over the first side of the substrate. A piezoelectric element is formed over the bottom electrode. The piezoelectric element has a chamfered sidewall. A top electrode is formed over the piezoelectric element. A step metal element is formed over a portion of the top electrode proximate to the chamfered sidewall of the piezoelectric element.

A method of manufacturing a ceramic structure, a method of manufacturing a ceramic structure with multiple layers of ceramic material, and a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric ceramic structure. The method of manufacturing a ceramic structure includes the steps of: placing a sheet of ceramic material on a supporting platform, wherein the supporting platform is arranged to elevate the sheet of ceramic material from a base of the supporting platform by supporting only a first portion of the sheet of ceramic material; sintering the sheet of ceramic material; and during the step of sintering of the sheet of ceramic material, facilitating forming a curvature on the sheet of ceramic material at a second portion of the sheet of ceramic material which is not supported by the supporting platform.

A piezoelectric device comprising a substrate having a cavity, a piezoelectric film covering the cavity and being supported by the substrate, and electrodes disposed so as to sandwich the piezoelectric film. The piezoelectric film has a convex-shaped or concave-shaped vibrating region disposed on the cavity. The vibrating region is configured by a single-layer piezoelectric film including a first region composed of a first piezoelectric material and a second region composed of a second piezoelectric material having a piezoelectric constant larger than that of the first piezoelectric material. A first electrode and a second electrode are disposed so as to sandwich the second region of the piezoelectric film, a first input signal is converted to a first output signal based on displacement at the second region of the piezoelectric film between these electrodes, and a piezoelectric device comprising a convex-shaped vibrating region with high power and high sensitivity is provided.

An ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer device includes a transducer array consisting of an array of vibrating elements, and a base to which the array of vibrating elements in the transducer array are attached. The base include integrated electrical interconnects for carrying driving signals and sensed signals between the vibrating elements and an external control circuit. The base can be an ASIC wafer that includes integrated circuitry for controlling the driving and processing the sensed signals. The interconnects and control circuits in the base fit substantially within an area below the array of multiple vibrating elements.

There is presented a transparent optical device element (700) comprising an optical lens (744), comprising one or more piezoelectric actuators (206, 208, 210), wherein said optical lens (744) comprises an optical aperture (632), and wherein the optical device element furthermore comprises a passivation layer (312, 314, 742, 628) placed on said optical lens, said passivation layer comprising a barrier layer (312) forming a humidity barrier, and being located on at least a portion of said cover member, where said portion of said cover member is intersected by the optical axis, and on said piezoelectric actuators, and wherein the passivation layer furthermore comprises one or more further layers (628) located on at least said portion of said cover member being intersected by the optical axis, wherein said passivation layer forms an anti-reflection coating for said optical lens (744) at least along the optical axis (634).

A transceiver includes an array of pMUT elements, where each pMUT element includes: a substrate; a membrane suspending from the substrate; a bottom electrode disposed on the membrane; a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode; and a first electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer. Each pMUT element exhibits one or more modes of vibration.

An imaging system includes: a transceiver cell for generating a pressure wave and converting an external pressure wave into an electrical signal; and a control unit for controlling an operation of the transceiver cell. The transceiver cell includes: a substrate; at least one membrane suspending from the substrate; and a plurality of transducer elements mounted on the at least one membrane. Each of the plurality of transducer elements has a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer on bottom electrode, and at least one top electrode on the piezoelectric layer. Each of the plurality of transducer element generates a bending moment in response to applying an electrical potential across the bottom electrode and the at least one top electrode and develops an electrical charge in response to a bending moment due to the external pressure wave.