Technologies

Ultrasound transducers have been widely used in applications such as imaging, diagnostics, and treatments or therapy. Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs) for medical devices configured to direct sound waves to body tissue have attracted industry attention for their high pressure-to-size-output ratios, small geometry, low manufacturing cost, low driving voltages, low power consumption, and favorable compatibilities with CMOS and consumer electronics. Traditional ultrasound-based methods involve complex, bulky and expensive hardware. single-electrode unimorph pMUTs have less favorable performance characteristics for medical diagnostics and treatment. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed next generation of pMUTs arrays with desirable electromechanical coupling and output efficiencies for medical applications.