Abstract: A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer device includes bonding a membrane to seal a transducer cavity with at least a portion of a getter material layer being exposed, the getter material layer comprising a portion of a bilayer stack compatible for use in damascene processing.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device is described. The device includes a material defining a reaction region. The device also includes a plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors have a common floating gate in communication with the reaction region. The device also includes a circuit to obtain respective output signals from the chemically-sensitive field effect transistors indicating an analyte within the reaction region.

Abstract: A universal ultrasound device having an ultrasound probe includes a semiconductor die; a plurality of ultrasonic transducers integrated on the semiconductor die, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers configured to operate a first mode associated with a first frequency range and a second mode associated with a second frequency range, wherein the first frequency range is at least partially non-overlapping with the second frequency range; and control circuitry configured to: control the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate and/or detect ultrasound signals having frequencies in the first frequency range, in response to receiving an indication to operate the ultrasound probe in the first mode; and control the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate and/or detect ultrasound signals having frequencies in the second frequency range, in response to receiving an indication to operate the ultrasound probe in the second mode.

Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound device, for placement on a subject, includes a semiconductor device and a housing to support the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes: a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements; a plurality of pulsers coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements; a plurality of waveform generators configured to drive the plurality of pulsers; receive processing circuitry configured to process ultrasound signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements; and a plurality of independently controllable registers configured to store a plurality of different parameters for the waveform generators.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to ultrasound transducer devices including capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) and methods for forming CMUTs in ultrasound transducer devices. Some embodiments include forming a cavity of a CMUT by forming a first layer of insulating material on a first substrate, forming a second layer of insulating material on the first layer of insulating material, and then etching a cavity in the second insulating material. A second substrate may be bonded to the first substrate to seal the cavity. The first layer of insulating material may include, for example, aluminum oxide. The first substrate may include integrated circuitry. Some embodiments include forming through-silicon vias (TSVs) in the first substrate prior to forming the first and second insulating layers (TSV-Middle process) or subsequent to bonding the first and second substrates (TSV-Last process).

Abstract: A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer device includes forming and patterning a film stack over a substrate, the film stack comprising a metal electrode layer and a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) stop layer formed over the metal electrode layer; forming an insulation layer over the patterned film stack; planarizing the insulation layer to the CMP stop layer; measuring a remaining thickness of the CMP stop layer; and forming a membrane support layer over the patterned film stack, wherein the membrane support layer is formed at thickness dependent upon the measured remaining thickness of the CMP stop layer, such that a combined thickness of the CMP stop layer and the membrane support layer corresponds to a desired transducer cavity depth.

Abstract: A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer device includes forming an insulating layer having topographic features over a lower transducer electrode layer of a substrate; forming a conformal, anti-stiction layer over the insulating layer such that the conformal layer also has the topographic features; defining a cavity in a support layer formed over the anti-stiction layer; and bonding a membrane to the support layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ultrasound imaging device involves forming an interposer structure, including forming a first metal material within openings through a substate and on top and bottom surfaces of the substrate, patterning the first metal material, forming a dielectric layer over the patterned first metal material, forming openings within the dielectric layer to expose portions of the patterned first metal material, filling the openings with a second metal material, forming a third metal material on the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate, and patterning the third metal material. The method further involves forming a packaging structure for an ultrasound-on-chip device, including attaching a multi-layer flex substrate to a carrier wafer, bonding a first side of an ultrasound-on-chip device to the multi-layer flex substrate, bonding a second side of the ultrasound-on-chip device to a first side of the interposer structure, and removing the carrier wafer.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes a membrane, a bottom electrode, and a plurality of cavities disposed between the membrane and the bottom electrode, each of the plurality of cavities corresponding to an individual transducer cell. Portions of the bottom electrode corresponding to each individual transducer cell are electrically isolated from one another. Each portion of the bottom electrode corresponds to each individual transducer that cell further includes a first bottom electrode portion and a second bottom electrode portion, the first and second bottom electrode portions electrically isolated from one another.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to control circuitry configured to turn on and off the ADC driver. In some embodiments, the control circuitry is configured to turn on and off the ADC driver in synchronization with sampling activity of an ADC, in particular based on when an ADC is sampling. The control circuitry may be configured to turn on the ADC driver during the hold phase of the ADC a time period before the track phase and to turn off the ADC driver during the hold phase a time period after the track phase. In some embodiments, the control circuitry is configured to control a duty cycle of the ADC driver turning on and off. In some embodiments, the control circuitry is configured to control a ratio between an off current and an on current in the ADC driver.

Abstract: A system comprising a multi-modal ultrasound probe configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes associated with a respective plurality of configuration profiles; and a computing device coupled to the handheld multi-modal ultrasound probe and configured to, in response to receiving input indicating an operating mode selected by a user, cause the multi-modal ultrasound probe to operate in the selected operating mode.

Abstract: A high data rate integrated circuit, such as an integrated circuit including a large sensor array, may be implemented using clock multipliers in individual power domains, coupled to sets of transmitters, including a transmitter pair configuration. Reference clock distribution circuitry on the integrated circuit distributes a relatively low speed reference clock. In a transmitter pair configuration, each pair comprises a first transmitter and a second transmitter in a transmitter power domain. Also, each pair of transmitters includes a clock multiplier connected to the reference clock distribution circuitry, and disposed between the first and second transmitters, which produces a local transmit clock.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure described herein related to packaging an ultrasound-on-a-chip. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an ultrasound-on-a-chip that has through-silicon vias (TSVs) and an interposer coupled to the ultrasound-on-a-chip and including vias, where the ultrasound-on-a-chip is coupled to the interposer such that the TSVs in the ultrasound-on-a-chip are electrically connected to the vias in the interposer. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an ultrasound-on-a-chip having bond pads, an interposer that has bond pads and that is coupled to the ultrasound-on-a-chip, and wirebonds extending from the bond pads on the ultrasound-on-a-chip to the bond pads on the interposer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device is described. The device includes a material defining a reaction region. The device also includes a plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors have a common floating gate in communication with the reaction region. The device also includes a circuit to obtain respective output signals from the chemically-sensitive field effect transistors indicating an analyte within the reaction region.

Abstract: A system comprising a multi-modal ultrasound probe configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes associated with a respective plurality of configuration profiles; and a computing device coupled to the handheld multi-modal ultrasound probe and configured to, in response to receiving input indicating an operating mode selected by a user, cause the multi-modal ultrasound probe to operate in the selected operating mode.

Abstract: System and methods for analyzing single molecules and performing nucleic acid sequencing. An integrated device may include multiple pixels with sample wells configured to receive a sample, which when excited, emits radiation. The integrated device includes a surface having a trench region recessed from a portion of the surface and an array of sample wells, disposed in the trench region. The integrated device also includes a waveguide configured to couple excitation energy to at least one sample well in the array and positioned at a first distance from a surface of the trench region and at a second distance from the surface in a region separate from the trench region. The first distance is smaller than the second distance. The system also includes an instrument that interfaces with the integrated device. The instrument may include an excitation energy source for providing excitation energy to the integrated device by coupling to an excitation energy coupling region of the integrated device.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for producing ultrashort optical pulses are described. A high-power, solid-state, passively mode-locked laser can be manufactured in a compact module that can be incorporated into a portable instrument for biological or chemical analyses. The pulsed laser may produce sub-100-ps optical pulses at a repetition rate commensurate with electronic data-acquisition rates. The optical pulses may excite samples in reaction chambers of the instrument, and be used to generate a reference clock for operating signal-acquisition and signal-processing electronics of the instrument.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to an ultrasound device including a first die that includes an ultrasonic transducer, a first application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is bonded to the first die and includes a pulser, and a second ASIC in communication with the second ASIC that includes integrated digital receive circuitry. In some embodiments, the first ASIC may be bonded to the second ASIC and the second ASIC may include analog processing circuitry and an analog-to-digital converter. In such embodiments, the second ASIC may include a through-silicon via (TSV) facilitating communication between the first ASIC and the second ASIC. In some embodiments, SERDES circuitry facilitates communication between the first ASIC and the second ASIC and the first ASIC includes analog processing circuitry and an analog-to-digital converter. In some embodiments, the technology node of the first ASIC is different from the technology node of the second ASIC.

Abstract: A universal ultrasound device having an ultrasound probe includes a semiconductor die; a plurality of ultrasonic transducers integrated on the semiconductor die, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers configured to operate a first mode associated with a first frequency range and a second mode associated with a second frequency range, wherein the first frequency range is at least partially non-overlapping with the second frequency range; and control circuitry configured to: control the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate and/or detect ultrasound signals having frequencies in the first frequency range, in response to receiving an indication to operate the ultrasound probe in the first mode; and control the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate and/or detect ultrasound signals having frequencies in the second frequency range, in response to receiving an indication to operate the ultrasound probe in the second mode.

Abstract: To implement a single-chip ultrasonic imaging solution, on-chip signal processing may be employed in the receive signal path to reduce data bandwidth and a high-speed serial data module may be used to move data for all received channels off-chip as digital data stream. The digitization of received signals on-chip allows advanced digital signal processing to be performed on-chip, and thus permits the full integration of an entire ultrasonic imaging system on a single semiconductor substrate. Various novel waveform generation techniques, transducer configuration and biasing methodologies, etc., are likewise disclosed. HIFU methods may additionally or alternatively be employed as a component of the “ultrasound-on-a-chip” solution disclosed herein.