Patents by Inventor Songbin Gong

Songbin Gong has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240128942
    Abstract: The present application relates to a piezoelectric transducer preparation method and a piezoelectric transducer. The method comprises: first, preparing a bottom acoustic reflection layer on a carrier wafer; then preparing a top acoustic reflection layer on a piezoelectric wafer; then combining the side of the bottom acoustic reflection layer that is away from the carrier wafer with the side of the top acoustic reflection layer that is away from the piezoelectric wafer; and finally, thinning the piezoelectric wafer to form a piezoelectric transducer. The carrier wafer performs a carrying function, a piezoelectric film formed by thinning the piezoelectric wafer can be excited by acoustic vibration, and the top acoustic reflection layer and the bottom acoustic reflection layer can limit the acoustic vibration, such that the resulting piezoelectric transducer can work at a high frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2021
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Songbin GONG, Gabriel VIDAL-ALVAREZ
  • Publication number: 20240120901
    Abstract: An acoustic resonator excited in a thickness shear modes includes an acoustic mirror, a bottom electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, a top electrode unit, and transverse reflectors. The acoustic mirror comprises at least one first acoustic reflective layer and at least one second acoustic reflective layer, and the acoustic impedance of each first acoustic reflective layer is less than that of each second acoustic reflective layer. The bottom electrode layer is located on the acoustic mirror. The piezoelectric layer is provided on the bottom electrode layer. The top electrode unit is provided on the piezoelectric layer. The transverse reflectors are provided on the piezoelectric layer and comprises a first reflector located on the first side of the top electrode unit and a second reflector located on the second side of the top electrode unit, and the transverse reflectors are used for performing transverse reflection on the acoustic wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Songbin GONG, Ruochen LV
  • Patent number: 11942920
    Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film (PTF) is located above a carrier substrate. The PTF may be X-cut LiNbO3 thin film adapted to propagate an acoustic wave in at least one of a first mode excited by an electric field oriented in a longitudinal direction along a length of the PTF or a second mode excited by the electric field oriented at least partially in a thickness direction of the PTF. A first interdigitated transducer (IDT) is disposed on a first end of the PTF. The first IDT is to convert a first electromagnetic signal, traveling in the longitudinal direction, into the acoustic wave. A second IDT is disposed on a second end of the PTF with a gap between the second IDT and the first IDT. The second IDT is to convert the acoustic wave into a second electromagnetic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Ruochen Lu, Tomas Manzaneque Garcia, Yansong Yang, Songbin Gong
  • Publication number: 20240090333
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric transducer, comprising: forming, on a piezoelectric wafer, a first mark parallel to or perpendicular to a preset direction of the piezoelectric transducer; forming, on a carrier wafer, a second mark parallel to or perpendicular to a cutting direction of the carrier wafer, the shape of the second mark being the same as that of the first mark; and aligning the first mark and the second mark, and then bonding the piezoelectric wafer and the carrier wafer to form a process wafer, a first surface of the process wafer where the piezoelectric wafer is provided being used for forming the piezoelectric transducer. The preset direction of the piezoelectric transducer is made to be parallel to or perpendicular to the cutting direction of the carrier wafer by means of the first mark on the piezoelectric wafer and the second mark on the carrier wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2021
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Songbin GONG, Yansong YANG
  • Patent number: 11722116
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a piezoelectric thin film suspended above a carrier substrate, where the piezoelectric thin film is of one of lithium niobate (LiNbO3) or lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) adapted to propagate an acoustic wave in a Lamb wave mode excited by a component of an electric field that is oriented in a longitudinal direction along a length of the piezoelectric thin film. A signal electrode is disposed on, and in physical contact with, the piezoelectric thin film and oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A ground electrode disposed on, and in physical contact with, the piezoelectric thin film and oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, where the ground electrode is separated from the signal electrode by a gap comprising a longitudinal distance and in which the acoustic wave resonates. A release window is formed within the piezoelectric thin film adjacent to the ground electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Yansong Yang, Ruochen Lu, Songbin Gong
  • Publication number: 20230231527
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for fabricating a laterally excited shear mode acoustic resonator. The method includes: providing a piezoelectric layer including monocrystalline lithium niobate and/or monocrystalline lithium tantalate; forming an acoustic mirror on a first surface of the piezoelectric layer; the acoustic mirror including at least one first acoustic reflection layer and at least one second acoustic reflection layer, the first acoustic reflection layers and the second acoustic reflection layers being alternately superimposed, and acoustic impedance of each of the first acoustic reflection layers being less than that of each of the second acoustic reflection layers; bonding a bearing wafer on a first surface of the acoustic mirror; and forming an electrode unit and a lateral reflector on a second surface of the piezoelectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Songbin GONG, Ruochen LV
  • Publication number: 20230216479
    Abstract: Provided is an acoustic resonator in a transverse excitation shear mode. The acoustic resonator comprises: an acoustic mirror (120), which comprises at least one first acoustic reflecting layer (121, 123, 125) and at least one second acoustic reflecting layer (122, 124), wherein the acoustic impedance of each first acoustic reflecting layer is less than that of each second acoustic reflecting layer; a piezoelectric layer (130), which is arranged on the acoustic mirror, and which comprises lithium niobate of a single crystal material and/or lithium tantalate of a single crystal material; electrode units (142, 143, 144), which are arranged on the piezoelectric layer (130) and are used for forming an electric field; and transverse reflectors (152, 154), which are arranged on the piezoelectric layer, are used for transversely reflecting acoustic waves, and can have a high electromechanical coupling coefficient and a high Q value at a frequency greater than 3 GHz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Songbin GONG, Ruochen LV
  • Patent number: 11695382
    Abstract: A method includes depositing a first metal layer on a semiconductor substrate; etching the first metal layer to form a first electrode having a first lead; depositing a piezoelectric layer on the semiconductor substrate and first electrode; etching the piezoelectric layer to a shape of the gyrator to be formed within the circulator; depositing a second metal layer on the piezoelectric layer; etching the second metal layer to form a second electrode having a second lead, the second electrode being positioned opposite the first electrode, wherein the first lead and the second lead form an electrical port; depositing a magnetostrictive layer on the second electrode; etching the magnetostrictive layer to approximately the shape of the piezoelectric layer; depositing a third metal layer on the magnetostrictive layer; and etching the third metal layer to form a metal coil that has a gap on one side to define a magnetic port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Songbin Gong, Ruochen Lu, Tomas Manzaneque Garcia, Cheng Tu, Daniel Shoemaker, Chengxi Zhao
  • Patent number: 11693180
    Abstract: An apparatus such as an optical modulator includes a buried oxide layer is disposed on a substrate. A microring resonator and an optical waveguide are disposed on the buried oxide layer and within a bonded semiconductor layer. The optical waveguide is optically coupled to the microring resonator and inputs a first optical wave into the microring resonator. An oxide layer is deposited on top of the optical waveguide and the microring resonator. A set of electrodes is disposed adjacent to the microring resonator, and in response to an electrical signal, the set of electrodes modulates the first optical wave into a modulated optical wave of transverse magnetic polarization within the microring resonator and outputs the modulated optical wave to the optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Meisam Bahadori, Songbin Gong, Lynford L. Goddard
  • Patent number: 11621689
    Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film (PTF) is located above a carrier substrate. The PTF may be Z-cut LiNbO3 thin film adapted to propagate an acoustic wave in at least one of a first mode excited by an electric field oriented in a longitudinal direction along a length of the PTF or a second mode excited by the electric field oriented at least partially in a thickness direction of the PTF. A first interdigitated transducer (IDT) is disposed on a first end of the PTF. The first IDT is to convert a first electromagnetic signal, traveling in the longitudinal direction, into the acoustic wave. A second IDT is disposed on a second end of the PTF with a gap between the second IDT and the first IDT. The second IDT is to convert the acoustic wave into a second electromagnetic signal, and the gap determines a time delay of the acoustic wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of llllinois
    Inventors: Ruochen Lu, Tomas Manzaneque Garcia, Yansong Yang, Songbin Gong
  • Patent number: 11594816
    Abstract: An antenna includes a piezoelectric disc. The antenna further includes a first electrode disposed on a first surface of the piezoelectric disc and a second electrode disposed on a second surface of the piezoelectric disc that is opposite to the first surface. The first electrode and the second electrode are to receive a time-varying voltage to excite a mechanical vibration in the piezoelectric disc, and the piezoelectric disc is to radiate electromagnetic energy at a particular frequency responsive to the mechanical vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Ahmed Hassanien, Michael Breen, Ming-Huang Li, Songbin Gong
  • Publication number: 20230039934
    Abstract: A device includes a stack of at least two piezoelectric layers configured to propagate a Lamb wave in a mode having an order corresponding to a number of piezoelectric layers of the stack. The stack includes a first piezoelectric layer and a second piezoelectric layer disposed on the first piezoelectric layer. The first piezoelectric layer has a first cut plane orientation, and the second piezoelectric layer has a second cut plane orientation complementary to the first cut plane orientation. The device further includes an interdigitated transducer (IDT) disposed on at least a top surface of the stack or a bottom surface of the stack. In some embodiments, the device is an acoustic resonator. In some embodiments, the device is an acoustic delay line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Songbin Gong, Yansong Yang, Ruochen Lu, Steffen Link
  • Patent number: 11496110
    Abstract: A micro-resonator includes a first electrode positioned on a piezoelectric plate at a first end of the piezoelectric plate, the first electrode including a first set of fingers and a second electrode positioned on the piezoelectric plate at a second end of the piezoelectric plate. The second electrode including a second set of fingers interdigitated with the first set of fingers with an overlapping distance without touching the first set of fingers, the overlapping distance being less than seven-tenths the length of one of the first set of fingers or the second set of fingers. At least one of the first end or the second end of the piezoelectric plate may define a curved shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Songbin Gong, Yong-Ha Song
  • Patent number: 11451209
    Abstract: A piezoelectric thin-film suspended above a carrier substrate. An input interdigital transducer (IDT) having first interdigitated electrodes is disposed at different locations along the horizontal axis and on the first side of the piezoelectric thin-film. Each opposing pair of the first interdigitated electrodes is to selectively transduce a particular frequency range of an input electrical signal that varies in frequency over time into an acoustic wave of a laterally vibrating mode based on a pitch between electrodes of the opposing pair. An output IDT that includes second interdigitated electrodes is disposed at different locations along the horizontal axis and on the second side of the piezoelectric thin-film. Each opposing pair of the second interdigitated electrodes is to convert the acoustic wave transduced by the respective opposing pair of the first interdigitated electrodes into a compressed pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
    Inventors: Songbin Gong, Ruochen Lu, Tomas Manzaneque Garcia
  • Publication number: 20220271731
    Abstract: Disclosed are a resonant device and an acoustic filter. The resonant device includes a wafer substrate, a piezoelectric layer and an interdigital electrode layer. The piezoelectric layer is located on a side of the wafer substrate and includes a piezoelectric monocrystal material, and the piezoelectric monocrystal material includes a first crystal axis, a second crystal axis and a third crystal axis perpendicular to each other. A direction of an electric field generated by the interdigital electrode layer in the piezoelectric layer is a device direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Songbin GONG, Yansong YANG
  • Publication number: 20220255530
    Abstract: The present application relates to a resonator and an electronic device. A high and low acoustic impedance alternating layer, a bottom temperature coefficient of frequency compensation layer, a bottom electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, a top electrode layer and a top temperature coefficient of frequency compensation layer are sequentially stacked on a substrate by using a specific microfabrication process, to form a new resonator. The resonator can simultaneously show excellent characteristics of low loss, wide bandwidth, low temperature sensitivity and a small size through the special stack geometry, thereby having better operation reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Songbin GONG, Gabriel VIDAL-ALVAREZ
  • Patent number: 11376163
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems, and methods for restoring vision to a subject. In one embodiment, the vision restoration device comprises a projector configured to project one or more digital images onto a central retina of the subject and one or more lenses coupled to the projector and configured to focus the one or more digital images. The vision restoration device can also comprise an extraocular component configured to be implanted within the subject and comprising one or more processors programmed to execute instructions stored in a memory to wirelessly receive the one or more digital images from an extracorporeal device. The intraocular projection component can be connected or coupled to the extraocular component by a trans-scleral communication wire configured to cross the sclera of the eye. The trans-scleral communication wire is configured to transmit digital data between the extraocular component and the intraocular projection component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Charles Yu, Mark Rosenblatt, Songbin Gong, Sarah Yoonji Shim
  • Publication number: 20220184660
    Abstract: A device includes a pair of substrate layer corresponding to a carrier substrate, an intermediary layer disposed on the pair of substrate layers, a cavity region disposed between the pair of substrate layers underneath the intermediary layer, a piezoelectric layer including a lithium-based film disposed on the intermediary layer, and a plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes disposed on the piezoelectric layer. The plurality of interdigital transducer electrodes includes an outer signal electrode, an inner signal electrode, an outer ground electrode and an inner ground electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Songbin Gong, Ruochen Lu
  • Publication number: 20220026634
    Abstract: An apparatus such as an optical modulator includes a buried oxide layer is disposed on a substrate. A microring resonator and an optical waveguide are disposed on the buried oxide layer and within a bonded semiconductor layer. The optical waveguide is optically coupled to the microring resonator and inputs a first optical wave into the microring resonator. An oxide layer is deposited on top of the optical waveguide and the microring resonator. A set of electrodes is disposed adjacent to the microring resonator, and in response to an electrical signal, the set of electrodes modulates the first optical wave into a modulated optical wave of transverse magnetic polarization within the microring resonator and outputs the modulated optical wave to the optical waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Meisam Bahadori, Songbin Gong, Lynford L. Goddard
  • Patent number: 11211820
    Abstract: An inductive wireless power transfer apparatus includes a source coil coupled to a power source such that current flows through the source coil when the source coil is excited by the power source. The apparatus further includes a first capacitor coupled in series to the source coil. The apparatus further includes an intermediate coil surrounding the source coil and positioned within an identical plane as the source coil, and a second capacitor coupled in series to the intermediate coil. The capacitances of the first capacitor and the second capacitor are set to tune out self-inductances of the source coil and the intermediate coil. In embodiments, the source coil is to inductively power the intermediate coil, which is to inductively power a load coil positioned a distance away from the intermediate coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Songbin Gong, Yansong Yang, Justin Postma, Liuqing Gao, Brandon Arakawa