Supported By Elastic Material Patents (Class 310/345)
  • Patent number: 11824521
    Abstract: The vibration substrate having a main surface extending parallel to a first direction and a second direction that are orthogonal to each other, and that includes a main body region having a vibrating portion at least in a part thereof and at least one holding region arranged side by side with the main body region along the first direction. The at least one holding region including a holding portion and a beam portion connecting the holding portion and the main body region. The beam portion includes a first arm portion extending from the holding portion along the first direction, a second arm portion extending along the second direction from an end portion of the first arm portion on a side thereof opposite to the holding portion, and a connection portion connecting the second arm portion and the main body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Sasaki, Toru Kizu, Hiroshi Kumano, Yuuki Ooi, Hiroaki Kaida
  • Patent number: 11758818
    Abstract: A method of preparing a piezoelectric single crystal with high piezoelectricity and near- perfect transparency. The method includes depositing electrodes on two opposition surfaces of a piezoelectric single crystal which is a ferroelectric crystal; AC-poling the piezoelectric single crystal through the electrodes by repeatedly changing polarity of an AC electric field; and after polarization, removing the electrodes on the two opposition surfaces of the piezoelectric single crystal and then depositing Ag nanowire or indium tin oxide (ITO) as electrodes on the two opposition surfaces of the piezoelectric single crystal. Repeatedly changing the polarity of the polarized electric field can increase the domain size of the ferroelectric crystal, or reduce the domain wall density of the domain structure, thereby improving the transparency of the piezoelectric single crystal having high piezoelectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignees: XI'AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY, THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Fei Li, Chaorui Qiu, Zhuo Xu, Bo Wang, Long-Qing Chen, Shujun Zhang, Thomas R. Shrout
  • Patent number: 11647339
    Abstract: A data link (101) for a MIMO communication system (100) comprises a first transceiver device (106A) comprising a body (109A) having a transducer mounting surface near or at which is mounted a plurality of first transducers (107A-107D) configured to, in use, receive and convert a plurality of electrical waveforms to a respective plurality of acoustic signals. A first bonding layer (120A) bonds a barrier mounting surface of the body of the first transceiver device to a barrier (103). The data link further comprises a second transceiver device (106B) comprising a body (109B) and a plurality of second transducers (107?A-107?D) configured to receive and convert the plurality of acoustic signals transmitted through the barrier to a respective plurality of electrical waveforms. A second bonding layer (120B) bonds a barrier mounting surface of the body of the second transceiver to the barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
    Inventor: Lionel William Kent
  • Patent number: 11581825
    Abstract: An acoustic device includes a piezoelectric element, an attachment member to which the piezoelectric element is attached, and a spacer. The piezoelectric element includes first and second principal surfaces opposing each other. The attachment opposes the first principal surface. The spacer is disposed between the piezoelectric element and the attachment member in such a manner as to form an acoustic space between the piezoelectric element and the attachment member. The spacer includes an adhesive layer including a principal surface in contact with the first principal surface and a principal surface in contact with the attachment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Satoh, Yoshikazu Shimura, Kaoru Kijima
  • Patent number: 11551905
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a resonant process monitor and methods of forming such a resonant process monitor. In an embodiment, the resonant process monitor includes a frame that has a first opening and a second opening. In an embodiment, a resonant body seals the first opening of the frame. In an embodiment, a first electrode on a first surface of the resonant body contacts the frame and a second electrode is on a second surface of the resonant body. Embodiments also include a back plate that seals the second opening of the frame. In an embodiment the back plate is mechanically coupled to the frame, and the resonant body, the back plate, and interior surfaces of the frame define a cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yaoling Pan, Vijaykumar Krithivasan, Shimin Mao, Kelvin Chan, Michael D. Willwerth, Anantha Subramani, Ashish Goel, Chih-shun Lu, Philip Allan Kraus, Patrick John Tae, Leonard Tedeschi
  • Patent number: 11131360
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for isolating a crystal oscillator assembly from shock and/or vibration inputs. A system may include one or more vibration isolators coupled between the crystal oscillator assembly and the base structure, and each of the vibration isolators may include a spring material layer and a damping material layer. The spring material layer may provide a spring force between the crystal oscillator assembly and the base structure. The damping material layer may be adhered to at least one side of the spring material layer, and may provide a damping force between the crystal oscillator assembly and the base structure. Some vibration isolators may further include a constraint layer adhered to the damping material layer, such that the damping material layer is coupled between the constraint layer and the spring material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Viasat, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Shrinkle, Kenneth Larson, Christopher Haas
  • Patent number: 11114996
    Abstract: There is disclosed acoustic resonators and filter devices. An acoustic resonator includes a single-crystal piezoelectric plate having front and back surfaces, a portion of the piezoelectric plate forming a diaphragm. A thickness of the piezoelectric plate is greater than or equal to 300 nm and less than or equal to 500 nm. An interdigital transducer (IDT) is formed on the front surface of the single-crystal piezoelectric plate such that interleaved fingers of the IDT are disposed on the diaphragm. The piezoelectric plate and the IDT are configured such that a radio frequency signal applied to the IDT excites a primary shear acoustic mode in the diaphragm. The interleaved fingers of the IDT are substantially molybdenum. The diaphragm is contiguous with the piezoelectric plate around at least 50% of the IDT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Resonant Inc.
    Inventors: Viktor Plesski, Bryant Garcia, Julius Koskela, Patrick Turner
  • Patent number: 11040537
    Abstract: A head chip, liquid jet head, and liquid jet recording device are described. An actuator plate is adapted to apply pressure to the liquid, and includes a first surface, and a second surface facing to an opposite side to the first surface, ejection channels and non-ejection channels which have an opening on the first and/or second surface and are alternately arranged to be separated from each other, a common electrode disposed on a sidewall of the ejection channel, an individual electrode electrically separated from the common electrode and disposed on a sidewall of the non-ejection channel, a common electrode pad disposed on the first surface and adapted to electrically connect the common electrode and a wiring board to each other, and a bypass interconnection adapted to electrically connect the individual electrodes in the non-ejection channels adjacent to each other and failing to be exposed on the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: STI PRINTEK INC.
    Inventor: Satoshi Horiguchi
  • Patent number: 10389181
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electromagnetic resonator antennas and methods for their manufacture. An example electromagnetic resonator antenna includes a first substrate and a first metal layer disposed on the first substrate. The first metal layer includes copper. The antenna also includes a dielectric layer disposed on the first metal layer. The dielectric layer includes a polarizable electrical insulator. The antenna additionally includes a second metal layer disposed on the dielectric layer. The second metal layer includes copper. The antenna yet further includes a second substrate disposed on the second metal layer and a feed line electrically coupled to at least one of the first metal layer or the second metal layer. At least one aspect of at least one of the first metal layer, the dielectric layer, or the second metal layer is selected based on a desired resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Michael Grundmann, Gabriella Levine
  • Patent number: 10335084
    Abstract: There has been no sufficient study to address an issue caused in the use of an open-air type audio device. Therefore, provided is an audio device with an actually useful organism sensor. In particular, the audio device includes an audio unit 10 to externally abut on the ear without being inserted thereinto, and an organism sensor unit 70 to be inserted into the ear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Inagaki, Asao Hirano
  • Patent number: 10078369
    Abstract: A terminal device includes a touch panel and excitation piezoelectric elements. The excitation piezoelectric elements are attached to a touch panel, and generate standing-wave vibration in the touch panel to give a user a tactile sensation when the user has performed a touch operation on the touch panel. The terminal device further includes a pressurization piezoelectric element that is attached to the inner side of the touch panel than the excitation piezoelectric elements, and pressurizes the touch panel thereby changing the vibration mode of the standing-wave vibration including the position of antinodes of the standing-wave vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Keiji Kohata, Toru Kohei
  • Patent number: 9983671
    Abstract: An electronic device 100 according to one embodiment includes: a panel 101; vibrators 102 that vibrates the panel 101; and a vibration controller 109 that controls the vibrators 102 so that when positions of the panel 101 are simultaneously touched by the user, a vibration at a first touch position of the touch positions is greater than a vibration of a second touch position of the touch positions. The vibrators 102 include a first and a second vibrator 102. Where a distance between first touch position and the first vibrator 102 is equal to a distance between second touch position and the first vibrator 102, a transfer characteristic of vibration of the panel 101 between the first vibrator 102 and the first touch position is different from a transfer characteristic of vibration of the panel 101 between the first vibrator 102 and the second touch position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Adachi, Yoshifumi Hirose
  • Patent number: 9766140
    Abstract: A surface mount force sensing module is disclosed. A first embodiment shows that the surface mount force sensing module has a bottom electrode designed to be mounted on a circuit board. A second, third, and fourth embodiments show that the sensing module has a pair of bottom electrodes amenable for mounting onto a circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: UNEO Inc.
    Inventor: Chih-Sheng Hou
  • Patent number: 9595657
    Abstract: A composite substrate 10 includes a supporting substrate 12 and a piezoelectric substrate 14 which are bonded to each other. In this embodiment, the supporting substrate 12 and the piezoelectric substrate 14 are bonded to each other by an adhesive layer 16. In the composite substrate 10, since the supporting substrate 12 is composed of a translucent alumina ceramic, alignment is easily performed during FCB compared with the case where the supporting substrate is composed of an opaque ceramic. Furthermore, preferably, the linear transmittance and the total light transmittance from the front of the supporting substrate 12 in the visible light range (360 to 750 nm) are 10% or more and 70% or more, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Hori, Tomoyoshi Tai, Akiyoshi Ide, Sugio Miyazawa
  • Publication number: 20150137666
    Abstract: A reactive ionic liquid to be used as an ionic component that is contained in an ion-containing layer in a transducer arranged in contact with a high-resistance layer as a dielectric layer of the transducer, and is restrained from migrating from the ion-containing layer to the high-resistance layer on application of a voltage is provided. The reactive ionic liquid comprises an ion pair that consists of an anion and a cation. (a) The cation (a1) is an imidazolium or quaternary ammonium cation, and (a2) comprises a reactive group that consists of an alkoxysilyl or phosphonate group. (b) The anion (b1) is a sulfonate, sulfonylimide, or nitrobenzoate anion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicants: SUMITOMO RIKO COMPANY LIMITED, KYUSHU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shigeaki TAKAMATSU, Yota KOKUBO, Kazunobu HASHIMOTO, Hitoshi YOSHIKAWA, Atsushi TAKAHARA, Ryousuke MATSUNO, Hideyuki OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20150084485
    Abstract: There is provided a vibrator including: a housing having an internal space; an elastic member including a housing fixed part fixed to the housing, a piezoelectric element mounted part disposed so as to face the housing fixed part, and a weight body installed part disposed adjacent to the housing fixed part; a piezoelectric element fixed to the piezoelectric element mounted part; and a weight body fixed to the weight body installed part, wherein the elastic member has a closed curve shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hwa Young OH, Seung Hyeon JEONG
  • Patent number: 8978216
    Abstract: A method for forming an acoustical stack for an ultrasound probe comprises partly dicing a single crystal piezoelectric material to form single crystal pieces that are partly separated by a plurality of kerfs. The single crystal piezoelectric material comprises a carrier layer. The kerfs are filled with a kerf filling material to form a single crystal composite and the carrier layer is removed. At least one matching layer is attached to the single crystal composite, and dicing within the kerfs is accomplished to form separate acoustical stacks from the single crystal composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Serge Gerard Calisti, Frederic Lanteri, Alan Tai, Charles Baumgartner, Jean-Francois Gelly
  • Patent number: 8970534
    Abstract: Provided is an electronic device including: a base; a panel; a support for supporting the panel with respect to the base; and a vibrator for causing the panel to vibrate at a given frequency. The support includes a first region located at a part corresponding to a node of vibration of the panel, and a second region located at a part other than the node of the vibration of the panel. The support has a rigidity that is smaller in the first region than in the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Adachi, Ryo Okumura
  • Publication number: 20150035413
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a piezoelectric thin film formed by separating and forming a piezoelectric single crystal substrate, an inorganic layer formed on a back surface of the piezoelectric thin film, an elastic body layer disposed on a surface opposite to the piezoelectric thin film of the inorganic layer, and a support pasted to a surface opposite to the inorganic layer of the elastic body layer. In a membrane structure portion, the inorganic layer and the elastic body layer are disposed on the piezoelectric thin film through a gap layer. The elastic body layer reduces a stress caused by pasting the piezoelectric thin film including the inorganic layer and the support and has a certain elastic modulus. The inorganic layer is formed with a material having an elastic modulus higher than that of the elastic body layer and suppresses damping caused by disposing the elastic body layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Takashi IWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140368087
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator device includes a vibrator and a driver to vibrate the vibrator. The vibrator includes a lower vibration layer configured to vibrate and an upper vibration layer coupled to an upper surface of the lower vibration layer and configured to vibrate together with the lower vibration layer. The driver includes an upper electrode layer on a lower surface of the lower vibration layer, a piezoelectric layer on a lower surface of the upper electrode layer, and a lower electrode layer on a lower surface of the piezoelectric layer. The lower vibration layer of the vibrator is made of organic material. The upper vibration layer is mainly made of inorganic material. The lower vibration layer has a smaller longitudinal elastic modulus than the upper vibration layer. The piezoelectric actuator device has a large resistance to disturbance vibrations and a large warping amount of the vibrator without increasing power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soichiro Hiraoka, Kazuki Komaki, Shinsuke Nakazono, Akira Kurozuka, Toshiaki Horie
  • Publication number: 20140319971
    Abstract: A film actuator is disclosed. The actuator includes a frameless actuator film. The frameless actuator film includes at least one elastomeric dielectric film disposed between first and second electrodes, at least one adhesive applied on one side of the frameless actuator film. It can also include a second adhesive applied on an opposite side of the frameless actuator film. A method of making the actuator is disclosed. A configurable actuator element also is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Mikyong Yoo, Willam D. Sutherland, Xina Quan, Anthony Obispo, Junfeng Mei
  • Patent number: 8872409
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device is manufactured in which the material of a supporting substrate can be selected from various alternative materials. Ions are implanted into a piezoelectric substrate to form an ion-implanted portion. A temporary supporting substrate is formed on the ion-implanted surface of the piezoelectric substrate. The temporary supporting substrate includes a layer to be etched and a temporary substrate. The piezoelectric substrate is then heated to be divided at the ion-implanted portion to form a piezoelectric thin film. A supporting substrate is then formed on the piezoelectric thin film. The supporting substrate includes a dielectric film and a base substrate. The temporary supporting substrate is made of a material that produces a thermal stress at the interface between the temporary supporting substrate and the piezoelectric thin film less than the thermal stress at the interface between the supporting substrate and the piezoelectric thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 8857041
    Abstract: An electromechanical transducer includes a first electromagnetic element and a second electromagnetic element, such as electrodes, disposed opposite to each other with a sealed cavity therebetween. The sealed cavity is formed by removing a sacrifice layer and then performing sealing. A sealing portion is formed by superposing a film of a hardened second sealing material that has fluidity at normal temperature on a film of a first sealing material that does not have fluidity at normal temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Masaki, Yoshihiro Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8854150
    Abstract: A resonator in which in addition to the normal anchor at a nodal point, a second anchor arrangement is provided and an associated connecting arm between the resonator body and the second anchor arrangement. The connecting arm connects to the resonator body at a non-nodal point so that it is not connected to a normal position where fixed connections are made. The connecting arm is used to suppress transverse modes of vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: NXP, B.V.
    Inventors: Casper van der Avoort, Jozef Thomas Martinus van Beek
  • Patent number: 8841823
    Abstract: A wear cap including a flexible barrel and a rigid disc enables a high-frequency ultrasonic transducer to properly align to the surface of a material to be tested. The wear cap may be employed for any type of contact sensor that requires a protective wear cap and that needs to align to the surface of a material to be tested. An ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a wear cap and an ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic transducer is mounted in the wear cap and includes a transducer body with a cylindrical shape. A method of producing a wear cap for an ultrasonic transducer includes selecting a flexible material, forming a flexible barrel from the flexible material, selecting a rigid material, forming a rigid disc from the rigid material, and affixing the rigid disc to an end of the flexible barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ascent Ventures, LLC
    Inventor: Todd Jackson
  • Publication number: 20140218588
    Abstract: Provided is a dust removing device that can be designed and controlled appropriately and has high dust removal performance even at low temperature, and an imaging device using the dust removing device. In a dust removing device to be set on a base, including a piezoelectric element formed of a piezoelectric material and a pair of opposing electrodes, a vibration member, and a fixation member containing at least a high molecular compound component, a phase transition temperature T from a first ferroelectric crystal phase to a second ferroelectric crystal phase of the piezoelectric material is set to ?60° C.?T??5° C., and whereby, the dust removing device can be designed and controlled appropriately and high dust removal performance can be obtained even at low temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: CANNON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ifuku, Yasushi Shimizu, Tatsuo Furuta, Takanori Matsuda, Makoto Kubota, Jumpei Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8760037
    Abstract: Apparatus for coupling a piezoelectric motor to a moveable body, the motor having a coupling surface for coupling to the moveable body, the apparatus comprising: at least one elastic element that provides at least a portion of a coupling force for pressing the coupling surface of the piezoelectric motor to the moveable body; and at least one shape memory component that is controllable to change shape and/or phase; wherein the at least a portion of the coupling force provided by an elastic element of the at least one elastic element changes responsive to changes in shape and/or phase of the at least one memory component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Inventors: Gal Eshed, Nir Karasikov, Allan C. Entis
  • Patent number: 8760231
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes an integrated circuit (IC) chip and a piezoelectric resonator element, a part of the piezoelectric resonator element being disposed so as to overlap with a part of the IC chip when viewed in plan. The IC chip includes: an inner pad disposed on an active face and in an area where is overlapped with the piezoelectric resonator when viewed in plan; an insulating layer formed on the active face; a relocation pad disposed on the insulating layer and in an area other than a part where is overlapped with the piezoelectric resonator element, the relocation pad being coupled to an end part of a first wire; and a second wire electrically coupling the inner pad and the relocation pad, the second wire having a relocation wire and a connector that penetrates the insulating layer, the relocation wire being disposed between the insulating layer and the active face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Shimodaira
  • Patent number: 8736150
    Abstract: Mechanical resonating structures and related methods are described. The mechanical resonating structures may provide improved efficiency over conventional resonating structures. Some of the structures have lengths and widths and are designed to vibrate in a direction approximately parallel to either the length or width. They may have boundaries bounding the length and width dimensions, which may substantially align with nodes or anti-nodes of vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Sand 9, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan H. Kuypers, David M. Chen, Guiti Zolfagharkhani, Alexei Gaidarzhy
  • Patent number: 8729775
    Abstract: An exemplary piezoelectric vibrating device includes a piezoelectric vibrating piece that vibrates when electrically energized. A first package plate has a main recess in which the piezoelectric vibrating piece is placed, and a peripheral surface surrounding the recess. A second package plate is bonded to the peripheral surface of the first package plate in airtight manner. A band of adhesive bonds the first package plate to the second package plate. The adhesive band surrounds the peripheral surface. Between the adhesive and the main recess is a band of metal film. The band of metal film prevents gas, generated from the adhesive, from flowing into the recess. The band of metal film surrounds the peripheral surface and is disposed inboard of the band of adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitoshi Umeki, Ryoichi Ichikawa, Yoshiaki Amano, Kenji Kamezawa, Kenichi Kikuchi, Noritsugu Matsukura
  • Patent number: 8713789
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a microphone comprising a substrate, a transducer element that is mounted on a top side of the substrate, a covering layer that covers the transducer element and forms a seal with the top side of the substrate, a shaped covering material that covers the substrate, the transducer element and the covering layer, and a sound opening that extends through the covering material and the covering layer. Methods for manufacturing a microphone and for manufacturing a plurality of microphones are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Epcos AG
    Inventors: Anton Leidl, Wolfgang Pahl
  • Patent number: 8667665
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present inventions sets forth a method for decreasing a temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) of a MEMS resonator. The method comprises lithographically defining slots in the MEMS resonator beams and filling the slots with a compensating material (for example, an oxide) wherein the temperature coefficient of Young's Modulus (TCE) of the compensating material has a sign opposite to a TCE of the material of the resonating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: SiTime Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Merritt Hagelin, Charles Grosjean
  • Patent number: 8664836
    Abstract: Passivated micromechanical resonators and related methods are described. Applicants have appreciated that polycrystalline conductive layers used as electrodes for some MEMS resonators are a source of mechanical and electrical instability. To inhibit or prevent contamination of such conductive layers, which may exacerbate the instabilities, passivation structures are used. The passivation structures can be grown, deposited, or otherwise formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sand 9, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan H. Kuypers, David M. Chen, Alexei Gaidarzhy, Guiti Zolfagharkhani
  • Patent number: 8633632
    Abstract: A vibration actuator includes an elastic body on which at least one projection is formed and a vibrating body including an electromechanical conversion device, and drives a driven member that is in contact with a contact portion of the projection by causing an end portion of the projection to perform an ellipsoidal movement in response to a combination of two vibration modes generated in the vibrating body when an alternating driving voltage is applied. The elastic body is formed integrally with the projection and a bonding portion between the projection and the electromechanical conversion device. A space is provided between the contact portion and the electromechanical conversion device to which the projection is bonded. The spring portion is provided between the bonding portion and the contact portion and causes the projection to exhibit a spring characteristic when the contact portion is pressed by the driven member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Oda, Shinji Yamamoto, Akio Atsuta
  • Publication number: 20140016014
    Abstract: A vibration-type actuator includes a supporting mechanism functioning such that a reaction force from a base against a pressing force from a driven member to an elastic member is dispersed to a vibrating portion and a supported portion of the elastic member. The supported portion is supported by the base with a vibration-isolating member interposed therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventor: Daisuke Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8624470
    Abstract: An exemplary piezoelectric device has a piezoelectric vibrating board including a portion that exhibits thickness-shear vibration, and a frame portion extending around and supporting the vibrating portion. A first cover board, bonded to the first main surface of the frame portion, has a first excitation electrode. A second cover board, bonded to the second main surface of the frame portion, has a second excitation electrode. Thus, the vibrating portion is sealed in a package formed by the frame portion and cover boards. A first convexity, defined either on the bonded main surface of the first cover board or on the first main surface of the frame portion, surrounds the excitation electrode and establishes a predetermined gap between the vibrating portion and excitation electrode. The first cover board and frame portion are bonded by adhesive applied, adjacent the first convexity but not on the first convexity, continuously around the vibrating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takehiro Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20130320810
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrating component that includes a plate-shaped seat having first and second opposed surfaces, and a piezoelectric diaphragm attached to the first surface. The piezoelectric diaphragm has an expansion vibration mode as a main vibration mode. The piezoelectric vibrating component is used with the second surface of the seat attached to a vibrated body. The seat is structured so that the piezoelectric vibrating component entirely vibrates in the expansion vibration mode as the main vibration mode when the piezoelectric diaphragm vibrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Susumu Okazaki, Masakazu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20130242702
    Abstract: In an electro-acoustic transducer 100 which is an oscillator device, center positions of principal surfaces of piezoelectric elements 130 that are positioned on both surfaces of an elastic member 120 are different from each other. As such, since the two piezoelectric elements 130 are disposed asymmetrically on the upper and lower sides in the electro-acoustic transducer 100, it is possible to prevent vibrations of reversed phases at the time of divided vibration in which the reversed phases overlap with each other. In other words, since it is possible to prevent the generation of sound waves due to the vibration of local reversed phases, the sound pressure level can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: NEC CASIO Mobile Communications, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuharu Onishi, Yuichiro Kishinami, Shigeo Satou, Jun Kuroda, Yukio Murata, Motoyoshi Komoda, Nobuhiro Kawashima, Tatsuya Uchikawa
  • Patent number: 8513863
    Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator device includes: a top electrode layer with a patterned structure, a top piezoelectric layer adjacent to the top layer, a middle metal layer adjacent to the top piezoelectric layer opposite the top layer, a bottom piezoelectric layer adjacent to the middle layer opposite the top piezoelectric layer, and a bottom electrode layer with a patterned structure and adjacent to the bottom piezoelectric layer opposite the middle layer. The top layer includes a first plurality of electrodes inter-digitated with a second plurality of electrodes. A first one of the electrodes in the top layer and a first one of the electrodes in the bottom layer are coupled to a first contact, and a second one of the electrodes in the top layer and a second one of the electrodes in the bottom layer are coupled to a second contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip J. Stephanou, Justin P. Black
  • Publication number: 20130147320
    Abstract: Provided is a bulk acoustic wave resonator (BAWR). The BAWR may include a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer disposed on the first electrode, a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer. In various aspects, at least one of the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are formed of a carbon-based material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Sang Uk Son, Duck Hwan KIM, Chul Soo KIM, Ho Soo Park, In Sang Song, Jea Shik Shin, Moon Chul Lee, Jing Cui
  • Patent number: 8450910
    Abstract: An ultrasound transducer element includes a piezoelectric layer, a front end body, and a backing layer assembly. The piezoelectric layer extends between opposite front and back sides and is configured to transmit acoustic waves from the front side. The front end is body disposed proximate to the front side of the piezoelectric layer and is configured to emit the acoustic waves out of a housing. The backing layer assembly is disposed proximate to the back side of the piezoelectric layer. The backing layer assembly includes a first thermally conductive mesh disposed in a matrix enclosure. The first thermally conductive mesh is positioned to conduct thermal energy away from the piezoelectric layer. In one aspect, the first thermally conductive mesh is a grid of elongated strands of a metal or metal alloy material oriented in at least one of transverse or oblique directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Gelly, Anne Cecile Dagonneau, Jean Pierre Malacrida
  • Patent number: 8441176
    Abstract: Mechanical resonating structures and related methods are described. The mechanical resonating structures may provide improved efficiency over conventional resonating structures. Some of the structures have lengths and widths and are designed to vibrate in a direction approximately parallel to either the length or width. They may have boundaries bounding the length and width dimensions, which may substantially align with nodes or anti-nodes of vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Sand 9, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan H. Kuypers, David M. Chen, Guiti Zolfagharkhani, Alexei Gaidarzhy
  • Patent number: 8429808
    Abstract: A method for fabricating electrostatic transducers and arrays electrically separates the substrate segments of the transducer elements from each other using a technique involving two cutting steps, in which the first step forms a patterned opening in the substrate to make a partial separation of substrate segments, and the second step completes the separation after the substrate segments have been secured to prevent instability of the substrate segments upon completion of the second step. The securing of the substrate segments may be accomplished by filling a nonconductive material in the partial separation or securing the transducer array on a support substrate. When the substrate is conductive, the separated substrate segments serve as separate bottom electrodes that can be individually addressed. The method is especially useful for fabricating ID transducer arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Kolo Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yongli Huang
  • Publication number: 20130043769
    Abstract: An oscillator includes a piezoelectric vibrator (10), a vibrating member (20) which is larger than the piezoelectric vibrator (10) when seen in a plan view and restrains one surface of the piezoelectric vibrator (10), a vibrating member (25) which is larger than the piezoelectric vibrator (10) when seen in a plan view and restrains the other surface of the piezoelectric vibrator (10), an elastic member (30) which supports an edge of the surface of the vibrating member (20), which restrains the piezoelectric vibrator (10), and supports an edge of the surface of the vibrating member (25), which restrains the piezoelectric vibrator (10), and a supporting member (35) which is located around the elastic member (30) and supports the elastic member (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuharu Onishi, Jun Kuroda, Motoyoshi Komoda, Yuichiro Kishinami, Yukio Murata, Shigeo Satou, Tatsuya Uchikawa
  • Publication number: 20120299445
    Abstract: An electrically transductive device, including a substrate having an electrically conducting surface portion, a first film of semiconducting nanoparticles positioned on the electrically conducting portion and further including a first plurality of close packed first generally spherical particles defining a first plurality of interstices and a second plurality of second, smaller generally spherical particles substantially filling the plurality of interstices, and a first coating of electrically conductive metal deposited over the first film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Haag
  • Patent number: 8289092
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a MEMS resonant structure, provided with a substrate of semiconductor material; a mobile mass suspended above the substrate and anchored to the substrate by constraint elements to be free to oscillate at a resonance frequency; and a fixed-electrode structure capacitively coupled to the mobile mass to form a capacitor with a capacitance that varies as a function of the oscillation of the mobile mass; the fixed-electrode structure arranged on a top surface of the substrate, and the constraint elements being configured in such a way that the mobile mass oscillates, in use, in a vertical direction, transverse to the top surface of the substrate, keeping substantially parallel to the top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Anna Pomarico, Pasquale Flora, Annarita Morea, Giuditta Roselli
  • Patent number: 8261428
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for assembling a 3D microelectrode structure. Firstly, 2D microelectrode arrays are stacked to form a 3D microelectrode array via an auxiliary tool. Then, the 3D microelectrode array is assembled to a carrier chip to form a 3D microelectrode structure. The present invention uses an identical auxiliary tool to assemble various types of 2D microelectrode arrays having different shapes of probes to the same carrier chip. Therefore, the method of the present invention increases the design flexibility of probes. The present invention also discloses a 3D microelectrode structure, which is fabricated according to the method of the present invention and used to perform 3D measurement of biological tissues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
    Inventors: Weileun Fang, Yu-Tao Lee, Yen-Chung Chang
  • Patent number: 8235869
    Abstract: A device for generating power from a locomotion energy associated with leg muscles acting across an ankle joint. The device including: a cuff worn on the leg; a shoe; an energy absorbing element operatively connected to the cuff and shoe for absorbing energy during one or more periods of a periodic motion of the joint in which energy is absorbed by the muscles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Omnitek Partners LLC
    Inventors: Jahangir S. Rastegar, Thomas Spinelli, David Haarhoff
  • Patent number: 8234774
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for decreasing a temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) of a MEMS resonator. The method comprises lithographically defining slots in the MEMS resonator beams and filling the slots with oxide. By growing oxide within the slots, the amount of oxide growth on the outside surfaces of the MEMS resonator may be reduced. Furthermore, by situating the slots in the areas of large flexural stresses, the contribution of the embedded oxide to the overall TCF of the MEMS resonator is increased, and the total amount of oxide needed to decrease the overall TCF of the MEMS resonator to a particular target value is reduced. As a result, the TCF of the MEMS resonator may be reduced in a manner that is more effective relative to prior art approaches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: SiTime Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Merritt Hagelin, Charles Grosjean
  • Patent number: 8229141
    Abstract: A transducer array assembly includes a support structure having a plurality of predetermined openings therein for accommodating transducer components. Flexible circuits are embedded in the support structure. Each flexible circuit has first ends being positioned in the support structure predetermined openings. Terminal blocks are joined to the second ends. Transducer elements are positioned in the support structure predetermined openings and placed in electrical communication with the flexible circuit first ends. A polymer material is provided surrounding the transducer elements, said support structure, and said flexible circuit first ends. There is also provided a method for manufacturing the transducer array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Kim C. Benjamin