IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,358,782
Granted Patent B2
US 12,358,782 · App. 17/674,213 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone sensitivity improvement by anchor engineering

Inventors: Guofeng Chen (Fremont, CA); Yu Hui (Merced, CA)
Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.
B81B3/0051B81B3/0021B81B2201/0257H04R17/02H04R2201/003
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,358,782
App. No.
17/674,213
Granted
Jul 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone comprises a support substrate, a piezoelectric element configured to deform and generate an electrical potential responsive to impingement of sound waves on the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element attached to the support substrate about a portion of a perimeter of the piezoelectric element, a sensing electrode disposed on the piezoelectric element and configured to sense the electrical potential, and slits defined in the piezoelectric element about the perimeter of the piezoelectric element, the slits defining a plurality of partial anchors securing the piezoelectric element to the support substrate to improve sensitivity of the piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone.

Claims (20)

1. A piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone comprising:

a support substrate;

a piezoelectric element configured to deform and generate an electrical potential responsive to impingement of sound waves on the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element attached to the support substrate about a portion of a perimeter of the piezoelectric element;

a sensing electrode disposed on the piezoelectric element and configured to sense the electrical potential; and

slits defined in the piezoelectric element about the perimeter of the piezoelectric element, the slits defining a plurality of partial anchors securing the piezoelectric element to the support substrate to improve sensitivity of the piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone.

2. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric element has a diaphragm structure.

3. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 2 wherein the piezoelectric element is circular.

4. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 3 wherein the slits define at least three partial anchors.

5. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 3 wherein the slits are arcuate in shape.

6. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 5 wherein the plurality of partial anchors each extends over an arc length between 0° and 360°/N, where N is a total number of partial anchors in the piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone.

7. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 2 wherein the sensing electrode includes an inner sensing electrode disposed proximate a center of the diaphragm structure and an outer sensing electrode disposed proximate the perimeter of the diaphragm structure.

8. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 7 wherein the slits are defined in a region of the piezoelectric element surrounding the outer sensing electrode.

9. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 7 wherein the piezoelectric element is free of vent holes within a region inside a perimeter defined by the outer sensing electrode.

10. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 7 wherein the inner sensing electrode includes a first upper sensing electrode disposed on an upper surface of the piezoelectric element and a first lower sensing electrode disposed on a lower surface of the piezoelectric element.

11. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 10 wherein the outer sensing electrode includes a second upper sensing electrode disposed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric element and a second lower sensing electrode disposed on the lower surface of the piezoelectric element.

12. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 11 wherein the piezoelectric element includes an upper film of piezoelectric material and a lower film of piezoelectric material, an inner middle sensing electrode disposed between the upper film and lower film proximate the center of the diaphragm structure, and an outer middle sensing electrode disposed proximate the perimeter of the diaphragm structure.

13. The piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 1 wherein the slits are between 1 μm and 5 μm wide.

14. An electronics device module including the piezoelectric microelectromechanical system microphone of claim 1 .

15. An electronic device including the electronic device module of claim 14 .

16. A telephone including the electronic device module of claim 14 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2023
From: CHEN, GUOFENG; HUI, YU
To: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 064692/0188 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63151318 · Feb 19, 2021
Related Publication 20220267141A1 · Aug 25, 2022
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Cited By (1)
US 12,729,781