Abstract: The present invention relates to a transducer arrangement, particularly a transducer arrangement for acquiring tissue information, a method for using a transducer arrangement for acquiring tissue information and a glove which comprises a transducer arrangement. The transducer arrangement 21 for analysing material 40 comprises: a first transducer element 51 for inducing and receiving mechanical displacements in the material to be analysed 40; and an analysing unit 30.

Abstract: The invention relates to a biopsy device, particularly a biopsy device comprising a shaft with a transducer element for providing information about acoustic properties of a material to be analysed, a system of positioning a biopsy device and a method for positioning a biopsy device. The biopsy device may be adapted to take biopsies of different regions of the 5 human body for excluding or detecting abnormalities as cancerous lesions. The biopsy device may be used to measure acoustic properties of the material while inserting the tip portion of the biopsy device into the material to be analysed. The biopsy device may further allow measurement based on elastography.

Abstract: The integrated capacitor structure comprises a first branch with a first capacitor (60) and a second branch with a second capacitor (70). The second capacitor (70) has a higher capacitance density and a lower breakdown voltage than the first capacitor (60). The first branch has a shorter RC time constant than the second branch, such that a voltage peak will substantially follow the first branch. This first capacitor (60) has a sufficient capacity to store the charge of the voltage peak. In one embodiment, the second capacitor (70) is a stacked capacitor. The structure is suitable for ESD-protection and may, to this end, additionally comprise diodes (21) and resistors (22).

Abstract: A transducer (800) is provided where a membrane (830) is formed over a front substrate (615); and a piezoelectric layer (820) is formed over the membrane (830) at an active portion (821) and peripheral portions located adjacent the active portion (821). A patterned conductive layer including first and second electrodes (840, 845) is formed over the piezoelectric layer (820). Further, a back substrate structure is provided having supports (822, 824) located at the peripheral portions adjacent the active portion (821). The height (826) of the supports (822, 824) is greater than a combined height (828) of the patterned piezoelectric layer and the patterned conductive layer. Many transducers may be connected to form an array, where a controller may be provided for controlling the array, such as steering a beam of the array, and processing signals received by the array, for presence or motion detection and/or imaging, for example.

Abstract: A capacitive ultrasound transducer includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, the third electrode including a central region disposed in collapsibly spaced relation with the first electrode, and a peripheral region disposed outward of the central region and disposed in collapsibly spaced relation with the second electrode. The transducer further includes a layer of a high dielectric constant material disposed between the third electrode and the first electrode, and between the third electrode and the second electrode. The transducer may be operable in a collapsed mode wherein the peripheral region of the third electrode oscillates relative to the second electrode, and the central region of the third electrode is fully collapsed with respect to the first electrode such that the dielectric layer is sandwiched therebetween. Piezoelectric actuation, such as d31 and d33 mode piezoelectric actuation, may further be included.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a ferroelectric varactor (400) that comprises a dielectric-layer stack (408) between electrodes (406, 410). The dielectric-layer stack comprises an alternating layer sequence of at least three dielectric layers. At cc least two first dielectric layers of the dielectric-layer stack are made of a non-single-crystalline first dielectric material having a first dielectric constant, at least one second dielectric layer of the dielectric-layer stack is made of a non-single-crystalline second dielectric material with a second dielectric constant that differs from the first dielectric constant. One of the first and second dielectric materials exhibits a weaker ferroelectric hysteresis. The dielectric material with the weaker ferroelectric hysteresis makes up more than 20% of the total volume of the dielectric-layer stack.

Abstract: The integrated capacitor structure comprises a first branch with a first capacitor (60) and a second branch with a second capacitor (70). The second capacitor (70) has a higher capacitance density and a lower breakdown voltage than the first capacitor (60). The first branch has a shorter RC time constant than the second branch, such that a voltage peak will substantially follow the first branch. This first capacitor (60) has a sufficient capacity to store the charge of the voltage peak. In one embodiment, the second capacitor (70) is a stacked capacitor. The structure is suitable for ESD-protection and may, to this end, additionally comprise diodes (21) and resistors (22).

Abstract: The microelectromechanical system (MEMS) element (101) comprises a first electrode (310 that is present on a surface of sustate(30) an a movable element (40). This overlies at least partially the first electrode (31) and comprises a piezo-electric actuator, which movable element (40) is movable towards and from the substrate (30) by application of an actuation voltage between a first and a second position, in which first position it is separated from the substrate (30) by a gap. Herein the piezoelectric actuator comprises a piezoelectric layer (25) that is on opposite surfaces provided with a second and a third electrode (21,22) respectively, said second electrode (21) facing the substrate (30) and said third electrode (22) forming an input electrode of the MEMS element (101), so that a current path between through the MEMS element (101) comprises the piezoelectric layer (25) and the tunable gap.

Abstract: Crystalline, single-phased layers of PbMg0.33 Nb0.6703 with relative dielectric constants of 1500 and more are prepared through the use of a precursor solution that comprises a macrocyclic complexing agent. This agent is added to the lead component in an organic solution. The resulting layer is part of a device which may further include semiconductor elements and resistors.

Abstract: A bulk acoustic wave resonator comprising a substrate (5), a Bragg reflector (4), a top (1) and a bottom (3) electrode and a piezoelectric layer (2) with means for suppression of the pass-band ripples in a bulk acoustic wave filter. The means for absorbing or scattering the spurious modes are a roughened rear side of the substrate (6), an absorbing layer (5) disposed on the rear side of the substrate (6) and/or an absorbing layer (5) disposed on the front side of the substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thin film capacitor with a carrier substrate, at least two interdigitated electrodes, and a dielectric. A staggered arrangement of at least one interdigitated electrode below the dielectric with respect to an interdigitated electrode above the dielectric results in a breakdown-resistant thin film capacitor which can be manufactured in the same production process as a standard monolayer capacitor.

Abstract: The invention relates to an array of ultrasound transducers which each comprise a substrate (1), a membrane (2), a first electrode (4), a piezoelectric layer (5), and a second electrode (6), wherein the substrate (1) comprises at least one opening (3) which adjoins the membrane (2) at one side, while the piezoelectric layer (5) has a high piezoelectric coupling coefficient k and is textured. The invention further relates to an ultrasound transducer and to a method of manufacturing an array of ultrasound transducers.

Abstract: A bulk wave resonator comprising: a substrate (1); a layer (3) of piezoelectric material deposited on the substrate; a first electrode (2) and a second electrode (4) which are arranged on opposite surfaces of the layer (3) of piezoelectric material, the overlapping area of the first electrode (2) and second electrode (4) defining the resonance range of the bulk wave resonator, characterized in that the overlapping area in an intersecting plane parallel to at least one of the electrodes (2, 4) has an aspect ratio in the range from 1 (b/a) 100, where a is the length and b the width of the bulk wave resonator. The invention also relates to a bulk wave filter comprising such bulk wave resonators.

Abstract: The invention relates to a filter device equipped with at least one bulk acoustic wave resonator, which comprises a resonator unit and a reflection element (2) comprising several layers (6, 7, 8). The layers (6, 7, 8) each comprise a mixture of at least two materials. Within each layer (6, 7, 8), the composition of the mixture varies continuously and periodically relative to the layer thickness.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic device provided with an electronic component which comprises an integrated circuit arrangement including a semiconducting substrate, active components, and passive components such as capacitors and resistors. The resistors comprise materials of a high resistivity and can be manufactured with resistance values which lie within a narrow tolerance range.

Abstract: The invention relates to an array of ultrasound transducers which each comprise a substrate (1), a membrane (2), a first electrode (4), a piezoelectric layer (5), and a second electrode (6), wherein the substrate (1) comprises at least one opening (3) which adjoins the membrane (2) at one side, while the piezoelectric layer (5) has a high piezoelectric coupling coefficient k and is textured. The invention further relates to an ultrasound transducer and to a method of manufacturing an array of ultrasound transducers.

Abstract: A thin-film coupler with a carrier substrate (1) and two strip lines disposed thereon, of which one represents the main coupler loop (2) and one the auxiliary coupler loop (3). The use of inexpensive carrier substrate materials and a compact construction are made possible through an integration of a strip line, a coil, or an LC combination into the auxiliary coupler loop (3). The integration of these components (4) achieves a phase shift in the frequency of the signal coupled out so that a broadband coupler is obtained which exhibits an identical coupling at at least two frequencies.

Abstract: The invention relates to an array of ultrasound transducers which each comprise a substrate (1), a membrane (2), a first electrode (4), a piezoelectric layer (5), and a second electrode (6), wherein the substrate (1) comprises at least one opening (3) which adjoins the membrane (2) at one side, while the piezoelectric layer (5) has a high piezoelectric coupling coefficient k and is textured. The invention further relates to an ultrasound transducer and to a method of manufacturing an array of ultrasound transducers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a passive ceramic component with a carrier substrate, at least one first electrode, at least one first barrier layer, at least one dielectric, and at least one second electrode. A metal, an alloy, or a conductive oxide is used for the barrier layer.

Abstract: The invention describes a filter arrangement as well as an electronic component, each with a bulk acoustic wave resonator unit which is present on a carrier substrate (1). A reflection element (2) is provided between the carrier substrate (1) and the bulk acoustic wave resonator unit for the purpose of acoustic insulation of the generated oscillations. This reflection element (2) may consist either of several layers of alternately high and low impedance or, if the acoustically reflecting substance has a sufficiently low impedance, of a single layer. In addition, a mobile telephone device, a transmitter, a receiver, and a wireless data transmission system as well as a method of manufacturing an electronic component are described.