Patent ID: 8787116
Filing Date: 2014-07-22
Classification: B06B

Abstract:
1. A capacitive ultrasound transducer, comprising: a substrate; and a flexible membrane, the flexible membrane including peripheral regions along which the flexible membrane is mounted to the substrate, and a middle region extending between the peripheral regions; wherein the substrate is contoured so that the flexible membrane is collapsed against the substrate in a vicinity of the middle region in the absence of a bias voltage, thereby permitting the transducer to be operated in collapse mode either with a reduced bias voltage, or with no bias voltage, wherein the substrate further includes a further membrane disposed beneath the flexible membrane, the further membrane being contoured so that the flexible membrane is collapsed against the further membrane in the vicinity of the middle region in the absence of a bias voltage, and wherein the substrate further includes a support disposed beneath the further membrane, the support being dimensioned and configured to deflect a corresponding portion of the further membrane upward toward the flexible membrane to an extent at least equal to the thickness of an original gap therebetween.