IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,785,567
Granted Patent B1
US 10,785,567 · App. 16/903,044 · Granted Sep 22, 2020

Fabrication of piezoelectric transducer including integrated temperature sensor

Inventors: Nicholas Roche (Edinburgh, GB); Anthony S. Doy (Los Gatos, CA); Itisha Tyagi (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
H04R3/007H04R17/00H04R29/001
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,785,567
App. No.
16/903,044
Granted
Sep 22, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method of fabricating a piezoelectric transducer may include interleaving a plurality of layers of piezoelectric material with a plurality of conductive layers including a first conductive layer, one or more second conductive layers, and one or more third conductive layers, coupling the first conductive layer to a first electrode, wherein an electrical impedance of the first conductive layer varies as a function of a temperature internal to the piezoelectric transducer, and such that a measurement signal indicative of the electrical impedance is generated at the first electrode, coupling the one or more second conductive layers to a second electrode, and coupling the one or more third conductive layers to a third electrode, such that an electrical driving signal driven to the second electrode and the third electrode causes mechanical vibration of the piezoelectric transducer as a function of the electrical driving signal.

Claims (35)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a measurement signal indicative of a temperature internal to a piezoelectric transducer from a first electrode coupled to a first conductive layer of the piezoelectric transducer, wherein the piezoelectric transducer comprises a plurality of layers of piezoelectric material interleaved with a plurality of conductive layers including the first conductive layer, one or more second conductive layers coupled to a second electrode, and one or more third conductive layers coupled to a third electrode wherein an electrical driving signal driven to the second electrode and the third electrode causes mechanical vibration of the piezoelectric transducer as a function of the electrical driving signal; and

controlling the electrical driving signal in order to maintain the temperature internal to the piezoelectric transducer at a desired temperature or desired temperature range.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the measurement signal comprises receiving a differential measurement signal indicative of the electrical impedance from the first electrode and the second electrode.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the measurement signal comprises receiving a differential measurement signal indicative of the electrical impedance from the first electrode and a fourth electrode coupled to the first conductive layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive layer is patterned such that the first conductive layer has a significantly higher electrical impedance than each of the conductive layers of the one or more second conductive layers and the one or more third conductive layers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the electrical driving signal comprises controlling a cutoff frequency of a low-pass filter from which the electrical driving signal is generated.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the electrical driving signal comprises controlling one or more equalization coefficients of an equalization filter from which the electrical driving signal is generated.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein controlling one or more equalization coefficients comprises:

accessing a piezo-thermal model that sets forth operation of the piezoelectric transducer as a function of temperature; and

generating the one or more equalization coefficients in accordance with the piezo-thermal model at a sensed temperature.

8. A system comprising:

an input configured to receive a measurement signal indicative of a temperature internal to a piezoelectric transducer from a first electrode coupled to a first conductive layer of the piezoelectric transducer, wherein the piezoelectric transducer comprises a plurality of layers of piezoelectric material interleaved with a plurality of conductive layers including the first conductive layer, one or more second conductive layers coupled to a second electrode, and one or more third conductive layers coupled to a third electrode wherein an electrical driving signal driven to the second electrode and the third electrode causes mechanical vibration of the piezoelectric transducer as a function of the electrical driving signal; and

control circuitry configured to control the electrical driving signal in order to maintain the temperature internal to the piezoelectric transducer at a desired temperature or desired temperature range.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the measurement signal comprises a differential measurement signal indicative of the electrical impedance from the first electrode and the second electrode.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the measurement signal comprises a differential measurement signal indicative of the electrical impedance from the first electrode and a fourth electrode coupled to the first conductive layer.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first conductive layer is patterned such that the first conductive layer has a significantly higher electrical impedance than each of the conductive layers of the one or more second conductive layers and the one or more third conductive layers.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein controlling the electrical driving signal comprises controlling a cutoff frequency of a low-pass filter from which the electrical driving signal is generated.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein controlling the electrical driving signal comprises controlling one or more equalization coefficients of an equalization filter from which the electrical driving signal is generated.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein controlling one or more equalization coefficients comprises:

accessing a piezo-thermal model that sets forth operation of the piezoelectric transducer as a function of temperature; and

generating the one or more equalization coefficients in accordance with the piezo-thermal model at a sensed temperature.

15. A device comprising:

a piezoelectric transducer; and

control circuitry configured to:

receive a measurement signal indicative of a temperature internal to a piezoelectric transducer from a first electrode coupled to a first conductive layer of the piezoelectric transducer, wherein the piezoelectric transducer comprises a plurality of layers of piezoelectric material interleaved with a plurality of conductive layers including the first conductive layer, one or more second conductive layers coupled to a second electrode, and one or more third conductive layers coupled to a third electrode, wherein an electrical driving signal driven to the second electrode and the third electrode causes mechanical vibration of the piezoelectric transducer as a function of the electrical driving signal; and

control the electrical driving signal in order to maintain the temperature internal to the piezoelectric transducer at a desired temperature or desired temperature range.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the measurement signal comprises a differential measurement signal indicative of the electrical impedance from the first electrode and the second electrode.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the measurement signal comprises a differential measurement signal indicative of the electrical impedance from the first electrode and a fourth electrode coupled to the first conductive layer.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first conductive layer is patterned such that the first conductive layer has a significantly higher electrical impedance than each of the conductive layers of the one or more second conductive layers and the one or more third conductive layers.

19. The device of claim 15 , wherein controlling the electrical driving signal comprises controlling a cutoff frequency of a low-pass filter from which the electrical driving signal is generated.

20. The device of claim 15 , wherein controlling the electrical driving signal comprises controlling one or more equalization coefficients of an equalization filter from which the electrical driving signal is generated.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein controlling one or more equalization coefficients comprises:

accessing a piezo-thermal model that sets forth operation of the piezoelectric transducer as a function of temperature; and

generating the one or more equalization coefficients in accordance with the piezo-thermal model at a sensed temperature.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2020
From: CIRRUS LOGIC INTERNATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
To: CIRRUS LOGIC, INC.
Reel/Frame 053194/0431 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2020
From: ROCHE, NICHOLAS
To: CIRRUS LOGIC INTERNATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
Reel/Frame 052954/0854 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2020
From: DOY, ANTHONY S.; TYAGI, ITISHA
To: CIRRUS LOGIC INTERNATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
Reel/Frame 052954/0990 →
Continuity (2)
Division 16287235 · Feb 27, 2019
Provisional Application 62635899 · Feb 27, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,348,206