IP Library Granted Patent US 11,871,664
Granted Patent B1
US 11,871,664 · App. 16/790,537 · Granted Jan 9, 2024

Staggering of openings in electrodes for crack mitigation

Inventors: Robert J. Littrell (Boston, MA); Karl Grosh (Boston, MA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Technologies, Inc.
H10N30/508B06B1/064H01L21/02104H10N30/871
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,871,664
App. No.
16/790,537
Granted
Jan 9, 2024
Kind
B1
Abstract

A transducer comprising: at least one piezoelectric layer; a first patterned conductive layer that is patterned with a first opening; a second patterned conductive layer that is patterned with a second opening; wherein at least one piezoelectric layer is between the first and the second patterned conductive layers in a stack; and wherein a position of the first opening is staggered relative to a position of the second opening in the stack to mitigate an occurrence of crack propagation through the layers.

Claims (28)

1. A device comprising:

a first layer with a first opening;

a second layer with a second opening; and

at least one layer between the first and the second layers,

wherein a traversal between the first and second openings has an orientation that is substantially distinct from an orientation of an axis of the at least one layer.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one layer comprises at least one piezoelectric layer.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a conductive layer.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the axis of the at least one layer comprises an axis defined along a grain of material in the at least one layer.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second layers are patterned on a moving portion of the device to generate more than four sensor elements on the device.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device includes a sensor element that comprises more than sixty-percent piezoelectric material.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second layers are electrodes, and wherein the first and second openings are staggered about an axis that represents a substantially optimal point for breaking the electrodes to increase an amount of output energy of the device.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein an angle formed by a line representing the traversal and a base of the first or second layer is less than or greater than an angle at which a crack propagates through the at least one layer.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is an acoustic transducer, a microphone or a piezoelectric MEMS transducer.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second openings are included in a moving portion of the device.

11. A device comprising:

a first layer with a first opening;

a second layer with a second opening; and

at least one layer between the first and the second layers,

wherein a position of the first opening is staggered relative to a position of the second opening such that a traversal between the first and second openings has an orientation that is substantially distinct from an orientation of an axis of the at least one layer to mitigate an occurrence of crack propagation through the layers.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one layer comprises at least one piezoelectric layer.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a patterned conductive layer.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the axis of the at least one layer comprises an axis defined along a grain of material in the at least one layer.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first and second layers are patterned on a moving portion of a transducer to generate more than four sensor elements on the transducer.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device includes a sensor element that comprises more than sixty-percent piezoelectric material.

17. The device of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second are electrodes, and wherein the first and second openings are staggered about an axis that represents a substantially optimal point for breaking the electrodes to increase an amount of output energy of the device.

18. The device of claim 11 , wherein an angle formed by a line representing the traversal and a base of the first or second layer is less than or greater than an angle at which a crack propagates through the at least one layer.

19. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device is a transducer, a microphone or a piezoelectric MEMS transducer.

20. The device of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second openings are included in a moving portion of the device.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 069818/0431 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2022
From: VESPER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
To: QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 061424/0533 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2020
From: LITTRELL, ROBERT J.; GROSH, KARL
To: VESPER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Reel/Frame 051817/0796 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14851560 · Sep 11, 2015
Provisional Application 62049091 · Sep 11, 2014