Transmitter charge sharing in a differential ultrasonic transducer

1. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising:

a differential piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer comprising:

a membrane layer;

a bottom electrode layer disposed above and coupled with the membrane layer;

a piezoelectric layer disposed above and coupled with the bottom electrode layer; and

a top electrode layer disposed above and coupled with the piezoelectric layer and comprising:

a first electrode with a positive voltage to displacement coefficient; and

a second electrode with a negative voltage to displacement coefficient; and

a controller configured to:

during a first time period:

electrically decouple a first output of a first driver from the first electrode; and

electrically decouple a second output of a second driver from the second electrode; and

electrically couple the first electrode with the second electrode to equalize charge between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

during a second time period:

electrically decouple the first electrode from the second electrode;

electrically couple the first output of the first driver with the first electrode; and

electrically couple the second output of the second driver with the second electrode, wherein waveforms on the first output and the second output during the second time period are out of phase with one another.

2. The ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a selectively switchable electrical path between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the selectively switchable electrical path is configured to be selectively opened and closed by the controller.

3. The ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises:

the first driver; and

the second driver.

4. The ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

during a third time period:

electrically decouple the first output from the first electrode;

electrically decouple the second output from the second electrode; and

electrically couple the first electrode with the second electrode to equalize charge between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

during a fourth time period:

electrically decouple the first electrode from the second electrode;

electrically couple the first output with the first electrode, wherein waveforms on the first output during the third time period and during the first time period are out of phase with one another; and

electrically couple the second output with the second electrode, wherein waveforms on the second output during the second time period and during the fourth time period are out of phase with one another, and wherein waveforms on the first output and second output during the fourth time period are out of phase with one another.

5. The ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1 , wherein the equalization of charge during the first time period reduces, during the second time period, an amount of charge required from the first driver and from the second driver to operate the ultrasonic transducer device.

6. The ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1 , wherein the first output and second output are differential with respect to one another.

7. The ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode forms a plate of a first capacitor and the second electrode forms a plate of a second capacitor, and wherein the equalization of charge between the first electrode and the second electrode comprises an equalization of charge between the first capacitor and the second capacitor.

8. The ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are substantially equal to one another in surface area.

9. The ultrasonic transducer device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are parts of a common electrode layer, and wherein:

the first electrode is a center electrode of the top electrode layer and is disposed above a center portion of the membrane layer; and

the second electrode is an outer electrode of the top electrode layer and is spaced outwardly apart from the center electrode.

10. A controller for a differential piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer, the controller comprising:

a first driver with a first output;

a second driver with a second output which is out of phase with the first output; and

control logic disposed in the controller and configured to:

during a first time period:

electrically decouple the first output from a first electrode of the differential piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic transducer, wherein the first electrode has a positive voltage to displacement coefficient;

electrically decouple the second output from a second electrode of the differential piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer, wherein the second electrode has a negative voltage to displacement coefficient; and

electrically couple the first electrode with the second electrode to equalize charge between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

during a second time period:

electrically decouple the first electrode from the second electrode;

electrically couple the first output of the first driver with the first electrode; and

electrically couple the second output of the second driver with the second electrode, wherein waveforms on the first output and the second output during the second time period are out of phase with one another.

11. The controller of claim 10 , further comprising:

a selectively switchable electrical path between the first electrode and the second electrode.

12. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

during a third time period:

electrically decouple the first output from the first electrode;

electrically decouple the second output from the second electrode; and

electrically couple the first electrode with the second electrode to equalize charge between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

during a fourth time period:

electrically decouple the first electrode from the second electrode;

electrically couple the first output with the first electrode, wherein waveforms on the first output during the third time period and during the first time period are out of phase with one another; and

electrically couple the second output with the second electrode, wherein waveforms on the second output during the second time period and during the fourth time period are out of phase with one another, and wherein waveforms on the first output and second output during the fourth time period are out of phase with one another.

13. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the equalization of charge during the first time period reduces, during the second time period, an amount of charge required from the first driver and from the second driver to operate the ultrasonic transducer.

14. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the first output and second output are differential with respect to one another.

15. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the first electrode forms a plate of a first capacitor and the second electrode forms a plate of a second capacitor, and wherein the equalization of charge between the first electrode and the second electrode comprises an equalization of charge between the first capacitor and the second capacitor.

16. A method of operating a differential piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer comprising a first electrode with a positive voltage to displacement coefficient and a second electrode with a negative voltage to displacement coefficient, the method comprising:

during a first time period:

electrically decoupling a first output of a first driver from the first electrode; and

electrically decoupling a second output of a second driver from the second electrode; and

electrically coupling the first electrode with the second electrode to equalize charge between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

during a second time period:

electrically decoupling the first electrode from the second electrode;

electrically coupling the first output of the first driver with the first electrode; and

electrically coupling the second output of the second driver with the second electrode, wherein waveforms on the first output and the second output during the second time period are out of phase with one another.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising:

during a third time period:

electrically decoupling the first output from the first electrode;

electrically decoupling the second output from the second electrode; and

electrically coupling the first electrode with the second electrode to equalize charge between the first electrode and the second electrode.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising:

during a fourth time period:

electrically decoupling the first electrode from the second electrode;

electrically coupling the first output with the first electrode, wherein waveforms on the first output during the third time period and during the first time period are out of phase with one another; and

electrically coupling the second output with the second electrode, wherein waveforms on the second output during the second time period and during the fourth time period are out of phase with one another, and wherein waveforms on the first output and second output during the fourth time period are out of phase with one another.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising:

during a fifth time period:

electrically decoupling a first output of a first driver from the first electrode; and

electrically decoupling a second output of a second driver from the second electrode; and

electrically coupling the first electrode with the second electrode to equalize charge between the first electrode and the second electrode.

20. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the electrically decoupling the first electrode from the second electrode comprises:

opening a selectively switchable electrical path between the first electrode and the second electrode.

21. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the electrically coupling the first electrode with the second electrode to equalize charge between the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:

closing a selectively switchable electrical path between the first electrode and the second electrode.