Patent ID: 11725993

Abstract:
A force-measuring and touch-sensing integrated circuit device includes a semiconductor substrate, a thin-film piezoelectric stack overlying the semiconductor substrate, piezoelectric micromechanical force-measuring elements (PMFEs), and piezoelectric micromechanical ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs). The thin-film piezoelectric stack includes a piezoelectric layer. The PMFEs and PMUTs are located at respective lateral positions along the thin-film piezoelectric stack, such that each of the PMFEs and PMUTs includes a respective portion of the thin-film piezoelectric stack. Each PMUT has a cavity, the respective portion of the thin-film piezoelectric stack, and first and second PMUT electrodes. Each PMFE has the respective portion of the thin-film piezoelectric stack, and first and second PMFE electrodes. Each PMFE is configured to output voltage signals between the PMFE electrodes in accordance with a time-varying strain at the respective portion of the piezoelectric layer resulting from a low-frequency mechanical deformation.