Abstract: A single-chip solution for multi-modal imaging with every pixel capable of electrostatic, ultrasonic and optical imaging. The device can be configured in as much modality configurations as possible based on the types of the transducers included in the system.

Abstract: An ultrasonic computation apparatus includes first and second ultrasonic transducer arrays arranged on opposing ends thereof, and further comprises first and second ultrasonic propagation regions arranged between the first and second ultrasonic transducer arrays and proximate respective ones of the first and second ultrasonic transducer arrays, and an intermediate computational structure arranged between the first and second ultrasonic propagation regions. Respective first and second input signals applied to respective ones of the first and second ultrasonic transducer arrays cause propagation of corresponding ultrasonic waves through the respective first and second ultrasonic propagation regions towards the intermediate computational structure.

Abstract: A system and/or method for RF interrogation to read surface properties such as ultrasonic impedance and temperature in the field of measuring signals at a distance. The system includes a substrate with one or more piezoelectric transducers, at least one antenna connected to the substrate or formed onto the substrate, and one or more antenna terminals extending from the antenna and connected to terminals of at least one piezoelectric transducer. The antenna receives a radio frequency pulse and actuates at least one piezoelectric transducer. The piezoelectric transducer generates an ultrasonic pulse that reflects off a back side of the substrate. The reflected ultrasonic pulse is received at the piezoelectric transducer and drives the antenna that initially received the radio frequency pulse.

Abstract: An ultrasonic computation apparatus includes first and second ultrasonic transducer arrays arranged on opposing ends thereof, and further comprises first and second ultrasonic propagation regions arranged between the first and second ultrasonic transducer arrays and proximate respective ones of the first and second ultrasonic transducer arrays, and an intermediate computational structure arranged between the first and second ultrasonic propagation regions. Respective first and second input signals applied to respective ones of the first and second ultrasonic transducer arrays cause propagation of corresponding ultrasonic waves through the respective first and second ultrasonic propagation regions towards the intermediate computational structure.

Abstract: Disclosed are ferroelectric devices including devices for performing a multiplication of analog input signals and resonators. In one aspect, a ferroelectric nanoelectromechanical device includes a first structural beam, a first input electrode disposed on a first top portion of the first structural beam, and an output electrode. The apparatus further includes a first ferroelectric film disposed on a second top portion of the first input electrode, and a first resistive layer disposed on a third top portion of the first ferroelectric film, wherein a first electrode is positioned at a first end of the first resistive layer and a second electrode is positioned at a second end of the first resistive layer.

Abstract: In one aspect a high frequency ultrasonic microfluidic flow control device is disclosed. The device includes an array of ultrasonic transducers arranged to direct ultrasound to a microfluidic channel. The device further includes one or more driver circuits. Each ultrasonic transducer is associated with one of the one or more driver circuits, and each ultrasonic transducer is driven by a driver signal from the associated driver circuit. The array of ultrasonic transducers and one or more driver circuits are produced in the same semiconductor fabrication process. The device further includes one or more electrical contacts associated with each ultrasonic transducer in the array if ultrasonic transducers, wherein the one or more electrical contacts associated with each ultrasonic transducer applies the driver signal from the associated ultrasonic driver circuit.

Abstract: An energy harvesting tape comprising a plurality of flexible layers. The plurality of flexible layers includes a solar cell layer configured to capture solar energy, a thermoelectric layer configured to capture thermal energy, one or more piezoelectric layers configured to capture mechanical energy; and an electrode layer configured to capture radiofrequency energy and to transmit a radiofrequency signal. The energy harvesting tape also includes one or more processing units on at least one of the plurality of flexible layers. The one or more processing units are configured to use the captured energy from the plurality of flexible layers to transmit the radiofrequency signal. The energy harvesting tape has a length, a width, and a thickness, where the length is greater than the width, and the width is greater than the thickness.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) rectifier. The MEMS rectifier includes a mainboard and a sub-board. The mainboard has one or more radiofrequency (RF) inputs configured to receive an RF signal, and a first electrical contact. The sub-board is positioned parallel to the mainboard with a gap in-between, and has a thin film piezoelectric layer, a second electrical contact positioned opposite the first electrical contact, and a ground plane. The sub-board is configured to vibrate as the RF signal is received at the one or more RF inputs, and the thin film piezoelectric layer is configured to generate energy due to the vibration and piezoelectric properties of the thin film piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an intelligent tracking system is disclosed. The intelligent tracking system includes one or more passive tracking devices, an exciter, and a tracker. Each passive tracking device includes one or more transceivers and is energized by an electromagnetic frequency. In response to being energized each passive tracking device transmits a short message. The exciter emits the electromagnetic frequency. The tracker receives short messages from the one or more passive tracking devices and confirms the presence of the one or more passive tracking devices in a vicinity of the tracker based on the received messages.

Abstract: A temperature insensitive oscillator system. The system includes a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, a CMOS device with one or more CMOS circuits attached to the first surface of the substrate, one or more piezoelectric transducers attached to an outer surface of the CMOS device, a voltage-controlled oscillator generating a RF frequency, which is transmitted as a plurality of short pulses to the one or more piezoelectric transducers, and one or more delays and oscillators using resistor and active components arranged alongside the piezoelectric transducers or on the CMOS device such that the voltage-controlled oscillator has minimal dependence on temperature, and has minimal deviation from a programmed frequency.

Abstract: The technology relates to a wireless system that can be used indoors or outdoors, and is configured to reduce interference of beacon signals on channels used by the system. Aspects of the technology provide for evaluation of channel activity to determine an optimal transmission channel. This is beneficial where there is a high density of tags that may be configured for data transmission. Tags may include an antenna to receive signals; a first conditioning element to attenuate received signals corresponding with the system channels; a converter and a second conditioning element to prepare attenuated signals for analysis; a comparator to compare an attenuated signal to a threshold value; and a processor to transmit a beacon signal to a reader apparatus based on the comparison.

Abstract: A rotation sensor, including: (i) a substrate having a top surface and an interior bottom surface; (ii) an electrode module positioned on the top surface of the substrate and including a first set of electrodes configured to generate a bulk acoustic wave directly into the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the bulk acoustic wave is transduced into a shear wave upon reflection on the interior bottom surface of the substrate without use of a reflector, and a second set of electrodes configured to detect the shear wave; and (iii) a controller in communication with the first set and second set of electrodes and configured to determine, based on the detected shear wave, an effect of Coriolis force on the sensor.

Abstract: An energy harvesting tape comprising a plurality of flexible layers. The plurality of flexible layers includes a solar cell layer configured to capture solar energy, a thermoelectric layer configured to capture thermal energy, one or more piezoelectric layers configured to capture mechanical energy; and an electrode layer configured to capture radiofrequency energy and to transmit a radiofrequency signal. The energy harvesting tape also includes one or more processing units on at least one of the plurality of flexible layers. The one or more processing units are configured to use the captured energy from the plurality of flexible layers to transmit the radiofrequency signal. The energy harvesting tape has a length, a width, and a thickness, where the length is greater than the width, and the width is greater than the thickness.

Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for touch, force and/or thermal sensing by an ultrasonic transceiver chip. In some aspects, an ultrasonic transceiver sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a CMOS layer attached to the substrate; an array of piezoelectric transducers coupled to the CMOS layer to generate ultrasonic pulses; and a contact layer attached to the substrate on a side opposite the substrate for providing a surface for contact with an object, where an ultrasonic pulse generated by a piezoelectric transducer propagates through the substrate and the contact layer, such that when the object is in contact with the surface of the contact layer, a reflected ultrasonic pulse is produced and propagates through the contact layer and the substrate to be received at the array of piezoelectric transducers, and the CMOS layer receive and process outputs from the piezoelectric transducers produced in response to the received reflected ultrasonic pulses.

Abstract: A device configured for low-energy ultrasonic 2D Fourier transform analysis, comprising: (i) a first layer comprising an array of piezoelectric pixels; (ii) a second layer comprising an array of piezoelectric pixels; (iii) a third layer, positioned between the first and second layers, comprising a bulk ultrasonic transmission medium; wherein the second layer of array of piezoelectric pixels is in the Fourier plane of an input signal of the first layer array of piezoelectric pixels.

Abstract: There is a need for miniature, low power, and remotely powered sensors that can measure moisture and reactive gas content in the environment. Examples of devices that already exist include dew-point sensors, moisture sensors, and oxygen sensors. This disclosure describes the use of high-frequency ultrasonic pulses to interrogate thin films on the imaging surface of a CMOS integrated GHz Ultrasonic imager substrate. In one embodiment the device uses a Peltier cooler and heater chip to detect the dew point by the act of moisture condensing on the surface. Integrated temperature measurement is enabled by using some of the pixels, isolated from the environment, to be reflectors that measure the phase change in the reflected signal due to the change in the speed of sound in the silicon substrate. In another embodiment a thin film is exposed to gases, changing its ultrasonic impedance, which can be used to extract the film thickness and its ultrasonic properties.

Abstract: A system, comprising: (i) an interposer layer; (ii) a circuit layer positioned on the interposer layer and comprising a plurality of sonically-enabled pads; and (iii) an interrogator layer positioned on the circuit layer and comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducers configured to sonically interrogate the circuit layer; wherein the sonically-enabled pads are configured to generate an electrical signal in response to sonic interrogation from the interrogator layer, if the sonically-enabled pad is functional.

Abstract: An GHz ultrasonic transducer pixel, alone or incorporated into imaging system with a CMOS device. The ultrasonic transducer pixel includes an ultrasonic transducer connected to a transmit circuit and a receive circuit. The transmit and receive circuits are chosen by switches. The ultrasonic transducer pixel also includes a mixer of the receive circuit positioned as a first stage in the receive circuit, a pixel select circuit comprising analog components and digital components, and a power supply conditioning circuitry.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) rectifier. The MEMS rectifier includes a mainboard and a sub-board. The mainboard has one or more radiofrequency (RF) inputs configured to receive an RF signal, and a first electrical contact. The sub-board is positioned parallel to the mainboard with a gap in-between, and has a thin film piezoelectric layer, a second electrical contact positioned opposite the first electrical contact, and a ground plane. The sub-board is configured to vibrate as the RF signal is received at the one or more RF inputs, and the thin film piezoelectric layer is configured to generate energy due to the vibration and piezoelectric properties of the thin film piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for touch, force and/or thermal sensing by an ultrasonic transceiver chip. In some aspects, an ultrasonic transceiver sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a CMOS layer attached to the substrate; an array of piezoelectric transducers coupled to the CMOS layer to generate ultrasonic pulses; and a contact layer attached to the substrate on a side opposite the substrate for providing a surface for contact with an object, where an ultrasonic pulse generated by a piezoelectric transducer propagates through the substrate and the contact layer, such that when the object is in contact with the surface of the contact layer, a reflected ultrasonic pulse is produced and propagates through the contact layer and the substrate to be received at the array of piezoelectric transducers, and the CMOS layer receive and process outputs from the piezoelectric transducers produced in response to the received reflected ultrasonic pulses.