Piezoelectrically actuated flextensional micromachined ultrasound transducers

This paper presents novel micromachined two-dimensional array piezoelectrically actuated flextensional transducers that can be used to generate sound in air or water. Micromachining techniques to fabricate these devices are also presented. Individual unimorph array elements consist of a thin piezoelectric annular disk and a thin, fully clamped, circular plate. We manufacture the transducer in two-dimensional arrays using planar silicon micromachining and demonstrate ultrasound transmission in air at 2.85 MHz with 0.15 mum/V peak displacement. The devices have a range of operating resonance frequencies starting from 450 kHz up to 4.5 MHz, Such an array could be combined with on-board driving and addressing circuitry for different applications. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.