EP2254353A2 - Dispositif auditif avec transducteur acoustique et procédé de fabrication d'un transducteur acoustique - Google Patents

Dispositif auditif avec transducteur acoustique et procédé de fabrication d'un transducteur acoustique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2254353A2
EP2254353A2 EP10159349A EP10159349A EP2254353A2 EP 2254353 A2 EP2254353 A2 EP 2254353A2 EP 10159349 A EP10159349 A EP 10159349A EP 10159349 A EP10159349 A EP 10159349A EP 2254353 A2 EP2254353 A2 EP 2254353A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fingers
sound
field
hearing
hearing apparatus
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP10159349A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP2254353B1 (fr
EP2254353A3 (fr
Inventor
Tom Weidner
Christian Weistenhöfer
Thorsten Albach
Alexander Sutor
Reinhard Lerch
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sivantos Pte Ltd
Original Assignee
Friedrich Alexander Univeritaet Erlangen Nuernberg FAU
Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Friedrich Alexander Univeritaet Erlangen Nuernberg FAU, Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd filed Critical Friedrich Alexander Univeritaet Erlangen Nuernberg FAU
Priority to EP10159349.9A priority Critical patent/EP2254353B1/fr
Publication of EP2254353A2 publication Critical patent/EP2254353A2/fr
Publication of EP2254353A3 publication Critical patent/EP2254353A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2254353B1 publication Critical patent/EP2254353B1/fr
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R15/00—Magnetostrictive transducers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R17/00—Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/10—Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
    • H04R1/1058—Manufacture or assembly
    • H04R1/1075—Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2201/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones covered by H04R1/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2201/003—Mems transducers or their use
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/604—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of acoustic or vibrational transducers

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a hearing device with a sound transducer for generating an airborne sound.
  • the sound transducer comprises a field generating device for generating an electric or magnetic field and an emitting device for generating an airborne sound.
  • the term hearing device is understood in particular to mean a hearing device. In addition, however, the term includes other portable acoustic devices such as headsets, headphones and the like.
  • Hearing aids are portable hearing aids that are used to care for the hearing impaired.
  • different types of hearing aids such as behind-the-ear hearing aids (BTE), hearing aid with external receiver (RIC: receiver in the canal) and in-the-ear hearing aids (IDO), e.g. Concha hearing aids or canal hearing aids (ITE, CIC).
  • BTE behind-the-ear hearing aids
  • RIC hearing aid with external receiver
  • IDO in-the-ear hearing aids
  • ITE canal hearing aids
  • the hearing aids listed by way of example are worn on the outer ear or in the ear canal.
  • bone conduction hearing aids, implantable or vibrotactile hearing aids are also available on the market. The stimulation of the damaged hearing takes place either mechanically or electrically.
  • Hearing aids have in principle as essential components an input transducer, an amplifier and an output transducer.
  • the input transducer is usually a sound receiver, z. As a microphone, and / or an electromagnetic receiver, for. B. an induction coil.
  • the output transducer is usually used as an electroacoustic transducer, z. As miniature speaker, or as an electromechanical transducer, z. B. bone conduction, realized.
  • the amplifier is usually integrated in a signal processing unit. This basic structure is in FIG. 1 shown using the example of a behind-the-ear hearing aid. In a hearing aid housing 1 for carrying behind the ear are one or more microphones 2 to Built-in sound recording from the environment.
  • a signal processing unit 3 which is also integrated in the hearing aid housing 1, processes the microphone signals and amplifies them.
  • the output signal of the signal processing unit 3 is transmitted to a loudspeaker or earpiece 4, which outputs an acoustic signal.
  • the sound is optionally transmitted via a sound tube, which is fixed with an earmold in the ear canal, to the eardrum of the device carrier.
  • the power supply of the hearing device and in particular the signal processing unit 3 is effected by a likewise integrated into the hearing aid housing 1 battery. 5
  • a listener is an electroacoustic transducer. With it it is possible to convert an electrical audio signal into an acoustic airborne sound. In the context of hearing devices, the aim is to develop the smallest possible handset, which can then be worn comfortably on the ear or even in the ear canal. It is therefore desirable to provide a loudspeaker which is not larger than a few millimeters and whose volume is only a few cubic millimeters. From the publication DE 10 2007 030 744 A1 Such a micro-speaker is known, which is provided in the form of a microchip.
  • Such a microchip is an integrated circuit in which electronic components are formed on a carrier substrate.
  • the components are formed from layers of different materials which are applied one after the other onto the carrier substrate during the production of the microchip and then partially removed, for example by an etching or pickling process, in order to form the desired structures of the components.
  • electromechanical actuators can also be formed in the same way on a carrier substrate.
  • a corresponding microchip is then called a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS - micro e-lectro-mechanical system).
  • the micro-speaker described in the document has a plate which is suspended in two places in a frame.
  • the plate is further coated with a magnetostrictive material.
  • the plate together with the magnetostrictive layer forms an emitting device for generating an airborne sound.
  • a field generating device consisting of a coil and a coil core
  • a magnetic field can be generated. When this field penetrates the magnetostrictive layer, it deforms according to the magnetostrictive effect. Since the layer adheres to the plate, thereby arise in the plate mechanical stresses through which the plate is arched.
  • the disk By changing the magnetic field in response to an electrical audio signal, the disk is correspondingly vibrated. It then acts like a membrane and emits an airborne sound into the environment.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a sound transducer for a hearing device, which can be formed as a miniature loudspeaker and by means of which an acoustic signal with a low distortion can be generated.
  • the object is achieved by a hearing device according to claim 1.
  • the object is also achieved by a method according to claim 15.
  • Advantageous developments of the hearing device according to the invention are given by the dependent claims.
  • a sound transducer with a field-generating device and an emitting device is provided.
  • the field generating device can be an electric or a magnetic Create field.
  • the emitter has a plurality of fingers penetrated by the field of the field generator.
  • a finger here means a structure that has a long, flat and narrow shape. Such a finger is a self-supporting structure, which is held only on a narrow side. Figuratively speaking, a finger can be compared to a tine of a comb.
  • each tine or finger can be changed in the hearing device according to the invention by the field of the field generating device. As a result, a sound can be generated by means of the emitting device.
  • the sound generation is based on the following principle:
  • the shape of each finger depends on the electrical or magnetic field penetrating the respective finger.
  • the fingers curl, so that freely movable ends of the fingers are deflected, for example, in the direction of the narrowest extent of the fingers.
  • the fingers can be set in a weaving motion, so that the freely movable ends swing back and forth.
  • sound waves can be generated which propagate in the environment and are thus emitted by the emitting device.
  • the fingers thus form actuators of the radiation device.
  • a sound is generated in the air by means of the fingers. But it can also be a sound in water or in a bone generated.
  • an acoustic property in particular the natural vibration behavior, can be determined particularly simply and accurately by appropriate dimensioning of the individual fingers.
  • At least one of the fingers is formed from at least two layers arranged in parallel. At least one of these layers is deformable by the inverse piezoelectric effect or by the magnetostrictive effect.
  • a deformable layer is referred to herein as an active layer.
  • the other layer can be z. B. may be a passive layer that does not significantly deform by itself when penetrated by an electric or magnetic field. By arranging and connecting, for example, a passive layer with the field deformable active layer, these two layers can be bent by a field across the plane of the layers.
  • Such a shaped finger is similar in function to a bimetal, with a bimetal naturally curving in response to a temperature.
  • At least one finger has two layers, which can be deformed by the inverse piezoelectric or magnetostrictive effect.
  • the finger thus has at least two active layers.
  • the layers can then be formed such that a force can be generated in opposite directions with them.
  • one of the two layers can be used to generate a force by which the finger is curved in one direction.
  • the other layer can then be trained to create a restoring force by which the finger is curved in the opposite direction.
  • the layers may also be such that they can be deformed by fields of different types.
  • a layer with a hole is preferably provided, over which the fingers are arranged.
  • the freely movable ends of the fingers can then swing freely in the air.
  • the emitting device has a membrane which covers the fingers. This results in the advantage that no air can flow through between the individual fingers and thus an acoustic short circuit in the emission device is avoided.
  • the membrane is preferably formed of polyethylene (PET).
  • PET polyethylene
  • a membrane made of PET is particularly flexible, so that a force that is additionally necessary when deforming the fingers in order to deform the membrane, is particularly low.
  • Another advantageous development of the hearing device according to the invention results if two rows of fingers arranged parallel to one another are provided in the emitting device. These two rows can then be arranged in a plane opposite each other, so that it is possible to provide a sufficiently large area for sound generation, in which fingers for generating the sound are deflected synchronously in dependence on the electrical audio signal. As a result, the multiplicity of fingers can advantageously be operated together for the purpose of jointly generating sound waves.
  • fingers of different lengths are provided. This allows fingers with different natural frequencies, d. H. with different mechanical natural vibration behavior, be provided. This provides the advantage that the acoustic properties of the emitting device can be determined by adjusting the lengths of individual fingers.
  • two equal-length fingers are arranged opposite each other.
  • the advantage also results here that for different strengths of field always a small distance between the freely movable finger ends results to each other and thus very little air can flow past the two finger ends.
  • the field-generating device has a permanent magnet. This makes it possible to determine a shape of the fingers, ie their curvature, in the event that there is no acoustic signal by which the field is determined becomes. By means of the permanent magnets can thus be adjusted advantageously an operating point of the emission device.
  • the sound transducer is designed as a micro-electro-mechanical system. This results in the advantage that the sound transducer can be made particularly small.
  • the field-generating device has a flat coil. Then, the field generating device can advantageously be provided as a microchip.
  • the field-generating device is formed at least partially as a first microchip and the emitting device as a second microchip.
  • the sound transducer is formed by connecting the two microchips.
  • the two microchips can be produced independently of each other so that a manufacturing process for the field device on the one hand and the emitting device on the other hand can be optimized especially for the requirements imposed on the respective devices. At the same time, the manufacturing processes can also be simplified without impairing the quality of one of the two devices.
  • the two microchips can be provided particularly flat and with a particularly small number of layers. It is also possible to provide a particularly large resonance space for the emitting device by arranging the two microchips in the emitting device correspondingly far apart from each other.
  • permanent magnets can be arranged between the two microchips.
  • the sound transducer has a plurality of fingers for generating a sound.
  • a substrate is first provided.
  • a protective layer is arranged, wherein a shape of the fingers is determined by a profile of an edge of the protective layer.
  • a means for dissolving the substrate is applied to the front side and to a back side of the substrate.
  • the advantage of the method according to the invention is that an emitting device of a sound transducer for the hearing device according to the invention can thus be produced as a microchip.
  • a support substrate having layers for forming the fingers disposed thereon may be provided.
  • the carrier substrate preferably consists of silicon with the crystal orientation ⁇ 100>.
  • the indication of the crystal orientation here corresponds to the notation commonly used in connection with the production of microchips.
  • the carrier substrate may, for example, be a wafer with the corresponding orientation.
  • the protective layer is then preferably arranged such that a longitudinal axis of the respective fingers is arranged at an angle of 45 ° to the crystal axes of the carrier substrate.
  • the protective layer may be formed of a photoresist.
  • a photoresist can be exposed in areas by means of a lithography mask and then washed out by means of a suitable solution so that only the protective layer serving as the protective layer remains with the desired shape on the substrate.
  • the front side of the substrate can then be covered together with the protective layer in a further step become.
  • a means for dissolving the substrate is applied to a back side of the substrate, so that a hole is formed in the substrate at the rear side.
  • the cover is removed on the front side so that the protective layer and in particular also those areas of the substrate not covered by the protective layer are exposed.
  • a means for dissolving the substrate is applied to the front side of the substrate.
  • this step there is then a breakthrough between the front and the back, wherein the shape of the through hole is determined by the protective layer.
  • the fingers are formed as freestanding structures in the substrate.
  • the method according to the invention can also be developed in accordance with the further developments of the hearing device according to the invention. Then, the advantages explained in connection with the developments of the hearing device according to the invention also result.
  • FIG. 2 In a perspective view, a finger 10 is shown, which is designed as a self-supporting structure in a microchip 12.
  • the microchip 12 is shown here only in part, which is indicated by curved lines of weakness.
  • the finger 10 is in the form of a long, flat, narrow tine, ie, the finger 10 has a larger dimension along an x-axis than along a y-axis, the two dimensions again being larger than a dimension along a z-axis are.
  • the directions are in FIG. 2 and in the other figures by a coordinate system indicated. The specified directions are identical between the individual figures.
  • a sound can be generated in the audible range by deflecting a freely movable end 14 of the finger 10 in the direction of the smallest extension of the finger 10, ie along the z-axis.
  • Corresponding deflection directions 16, 16 ' are in FIG. 2 indicated by arrows.
  • the finger 10 is an actuator for generating an airborne sound in response to a field passing through it.
  • the finger 10 must oscillate back and forth at a correspondingly high frequency.
  • the finger 10 is formed of two layers 18, 20. At least one of the layers 18, 20 is an active layer made of a material which is deformable by the inverse piezoelectric effect or the magnetostrictive effect. For the in FIG. 2 For example, assume that layer 18 is such an active layer. For deforming the finger 10, only a corresponding field has to be generated that penetrates the layer 18.
  • a field-generating device may, for example, comprise an arrangement of two electrically conductive plates between which an electric field can be generated. For generating a magnetic field, a coil may be used.
  • the layer 18 is formed of a magnetostrictive material. If a magnetic field is generated in an environment of the finger 10, which penetrates the finger 10, the layer 18 can then be caused to expand, for example, along the x-axis. The layer 18 and the layer 20 are firmly connected. In the event that the layer 20 does not change its length in the same way as the layer 18, a mechanical stress is formed in the finger 10, by which the finger 10 is curved, thereby deflecting the freely movable end 14 in the direction 16 ' becomes. By rapidly changing the magnetic field, sound waves can thus be generated by means of the finger 10, which are radiated by the finger 10 mainly along the z-axis.
  • the layer 20 may also be formed of an active material.
  • one layer extends at a certain magnetic field, while the other is shortened.
  • microchips 22, 24 which form components of a sound transducer.
  • the two microchips 22 and 24 are micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS).
  • MEMS micro-electro-mechanical systems
  • a carrier substrate of the microchips 22 and 24 may be formed of silicon (Si).
  • Two rows 26, 28 of fingers 10 arranged parallel to one another are formed on the carrier substrate of the microchip 22 from further layers. From the fingers 10 are in FIG. 3 only two provided with a reference numeral.
  • the fingers 10 of the microchip 22 are in principle configured in the same way as in FIG FIG. 2 shown fingers.
  • the fingers 10 are arranged in the xy plane. In the example shown, they can be bent by the magnetostrictive effect about an axis parallel to the y-axis, so that free ends of the fingers 10 are deflected in the positive or negative z-direction.
  • a hole 30 is formed, from which in FIG. 3 a course of a hole bounding wall of the carrier substrate is indicated.
  • a soft magnetic core 32 is arranged on the carrier substrate of the microchip 24 .
  • the spool core 32 has two pedestals 34 about which windings of flat coils 36 extend.
  • the coils 36 can over in FIG. 3 Not shown supply lines are coupled to a signal processing unit, through which an electrical audio signal can be generated. By the electrical audio signal can then be generated by means of the coils 36, a magnetic alternating field.
  • the flat coils 36 and cylindrical coils may be provided. It is also possible to provide multiple, stacked flat coils with more than one layer of turns and layers of inter-turn insulation.
  • the soft magnetic core 32 may be formed of a nickel-iron alloy (NiFe).
  • NiFe nickel-iron alloy
  • the soft magnetic core 32 and the coils 36 may be made by a sputtering process and / or by electroplating.
  • FIG. 4 a transducer 38 is shown, consisting of the two in FIG. 3 shown microchips 22 and 24 is formed.
  • the sound transducer 38 is in FIG. 4 shown in cross section.
  • Between the two microchips 22 and 24 are two permanent magnets 40.
  • the microchips 22 and 24 and the permanent magnets 40 may be connected to each other by an adhesive.
  • the permanent magnets 40 generate a permanent magnetic field.
  • This permanent magnetic field forms an offset magnetic field, which penetrates the fingers 10 in a rest position when no current flows through the coils 36.
  • an operating point for the sound transducer 38 is fixed. This is related to FIG. 6 explained in more detail.
  • the fingers 10 are curved by the permanent magnetic field of the permanent magnets 40 in such a way that they have a desired shape in the rest position.
  • an additional magnetic field is generated, which is guided by the core 32 and directed to the fingers 10.
  • the fingers 10 then change their shape as a function of the magnetic field.
  • the free ends of the fingers 10 are deflected along the z-axis. If an alternating magnetic field is generated by means of the coils 36, the field strength of which changes according to an audio signal, the result for the fingers 10 is a corresponding, forced oscillation.
  • By swinging the fingers 10 then sound waves are generated.
  • a gap between the microchip 22 and the microchip 24 forms a resonance chamber 42. The generated sound is through the hole 30 in the carrier substrate of the microchip 22 to FIG. 4 radiated down below.
  • the permanent magnets 40 may be provided as separate components. They may also be formed by forming highly permeable hard magnetic layers by means of a MEMS technology on one of the two microchips 22, 24, wherein the layers are magnetized during manufacture of the microchip in such a way that they act as permanent magnets.
  • FIG. 5 It is shown how fingers for generating sound can be arranged in an emitting device.
  • FIG. 5 is in six subfigures FIGS. 5a to 5f divided. In the individual sub-figures, an arrangement a) to f) is shown by fingers, ie FIG. 5a shows arrangement a), etc. In the following, reference is not made to the individual sub-figures, but directly on the arrangements shown therein a) to f).
  • the representation of the fingers agrees with that representation, as they are in the microchip 22 in FIG. 3 you can see.
  • the length of each finger ie its dimension along the x-axis, is in the in FIG. 5 shown examples between 0.5 and 5 mm. Between each two fingers there is a gap 44.
  • Each of the long narrow fingers for generating sound has a mechanical natural frequency, with which he springs back and forth, once he was deflected and then no external force acts on him.
  • two fingers are arranged offset from one another or fingers of different lengths are arranged next to each other, so that the gaps 44 extending between the individual fingers are shorter than in the case of the arrangement a). This increases an acoustic resistance of the arrangements.
  • fingers of different lengths are provided.
  • the fingers with different lengths also have different natural frequencies.
  • a frequency characteristic of the respective arrangement is adapted in the arrangements c) to f) such that a micro-loudspeaker with a specific transmission behavior can be provided with these arrangements.
  • a desired frequency characteristic is specifically effected for a specific audio band.
  • two fingers of equal length are arranged opposite each other.
  • respective longitudinal axes of two equally long fingers are arranged parallel to one another and the fingers are arranged one behind the other along the direction of their longitudinal extent.
  • the fingers are facing each other with their freely movable ends.
  • the fingers may be covered with a foil or membrane so that the entire arrangement of the fingers is covered with a closed layer. The membrane then closes the gaps 44 so that no air can flow past the fingers.
  • a graph 48 is shown by which a dependence of a deflection A of a finger on a field strength H of a magnetic field penetrating the finger is shown.
  • the finger is part of an emitting device of a sound transducer.
  • the field can be generated with a corresponding field generating device of the sound transducer.
  • the deflection A can be determined, for example, as the amount of a distance between two positions, which occupies a certain point on the finger in space, when the field has a field strength of zero on the one hand and a certain field strength H on the other hand.
  • the deflection A is standardized in such a way that the largest possible deflection results in a value of one.
  • the magnetostrictive effect is not linear and shows in some areas a nearly quadratic dependence of the deflection A on the magnetic field strength H. However, it is desirable to have as linear a dependence as possible-at least for small changes in H.
  • FIG. 7 Figure 4 is a compilation of examples a) to c) of how fingers 10 ', 10 ", 10"' may be formed of different layers.
  • FIG. 7 is there, much like FIG. 5 , in part figures FIGS. 7a to 7c divided, where 7a Example a) shows, etc. In the following, reference will again be made directly to the respective example and not to the figure showing the example.
  • the fingers 10 ', 10 ", 10"' are actuators that can be deformed by the magnetostrictive effect.
  • the fingers 10 ', 10 ", 10"' each have an active layer 54, which is formed of an alloy of iron and cobalt (FeCo).
  • a carrier substrate 22 ' is formed of silicon (Si).
  • the fingers 10 ', 10 ", 10"' each have a passive layer 56 ', 56 ", 56"'.
  • the passive layer 56 'of the fingers 10' is formed of silicon dioxide (SiO 2).
  • the passive layer 56 ' is located between the carrier substrate 22' and the active layer 54.
  • Cr chromium
  • the support substrate 22 'and the active layer 54 are bonded together at each of the fingers 10 "by a thin layer of chromium ..
  • the material SU8 has advantageous properties in terms of insulation and mechanical and chemical properties.
  • a layer of SU8 as a passive layer further has the advantage that the material is more flexible than silicon oxide. It can also be applied to the active layer 54 in a simple manner by spinning.
  • the fingers 10 "' are formed in the same manner as in example a.
  • the fingers 10"' are covered with a film or membrane 58.
  • the membrane 58 may be formed of polyethylene (PET), for example.
  • PET polyethylene
  • Another difference between the examples a) and c) is that in the example c) the fingers 10 "'have a greater distance 60 from each other, yet an acoustic short circuit in the generation of sound waves is nevertheless prevented by the membrane 58.
  • FIG. 7 It is also shown how the fingers 10 ', 10 ", 10"' project over a hole 30 of the carrier substrate 22 '.
  • the freely movable ends of the fingers 10 ', 10 ", 10"' are free to oscillate about the hole 30 along the z-axis.
  • the hole 30 may be formed in the carrier substrate 22 'by an anisotropic etch process or pickling process. Regardless of whether an acid, brine or other chemical solution is used as the dissolving agent in this process, it is referred to as etching.
  • An example of such a process is a two-stage anisotropic etching using potassium hydroxide (KOH).
  • the carrier substrate 22 ' may be provided by a silicon wafer be.
  • orientation of the carrier substrate 22 ' preferably ⁇ 100> is selected.
  • the lithographic masks for the fingers preferably have an orientation of 45 ° with respect to the crystal axes.
  • the entire substrate consisting of the layers 22 ', 56', the chromium layer and the layer 54 on a front side 62, ie on the side of the layer 54, covered and the etchant on a back side 64, ie on the side of the carrier substrate 22 ', applied.
  • the etchant then dissolves the carrier substrate, resulting in the hole 30.
  • the cover is removed on the front and the etchant is also applied to the front 62.
  • a breakthrough then occurs in the substrate, so that the self-supporting structures of the fingers 10 'are formed.
  • the examples show how sound waves can be generated using long, narrow fingers made using microsystems technology.
  • By arranging the fingers close to each other, with an array of a plurality of fingers sound waves in the audio frequency range can be generated in a similar manner as with a closed diaphragm.
  • By using long and narrow fingers as actuators particularly large deflections of the actuators can be achieved by means of the piezoelectric or magnetostrictive effect.
  • Another advantage that results from providing single fingers is that each finger has a mechanical natural frequency that depends on its length. It is thus possible to manufacture a micro-speaker by providing fingers of different lengths, in which a frequency characteristic can be adjusted by setting the individual lengths of the fingers in a desired manner. For a single membrane speaker this is not so easy.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Micromachines (AREA)
  • Audible-Bandwidth Dynamoelectric Transducers Other Than Pickups (AREA)
  • Piezo-Electric Transducers For Audible Bands (AREA)
  • Details Of Audible-Bandwidth Transducers (AREA)
EP10159349.9A 2009-05-19 2010-04-08 Dispositif auditif avec transducteur acoustique et procédé de fabrication d'un transducteur acoustique Active EP2254353B1 (fr)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP10159349.9A EP2254353B1 (fr) 2009-05-19 2010-04-08 Dispositif auditif avec transducteur acoustique et procédé de fabrication d'un transducteur acoustique

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP09160640 2009-05-19
EP10159349.9A EP2254353B1 (fr) 2009-05-19 2010-04-08 Dispositif auditif avec transducteur acoustique et procédé de fabrication d'un transducteur acoustique

Publications (3)

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EP2254353A2 true EP2254353A2 (fr) 2010-11-24
EP2254353A3 EP2254353A3 (fr) 2013-10-23
EP2254353B1 EP2254353B1 (fr) 2017-07-05

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US (1) US8345904B2 (fr)
EP (1) EP2254353B1 (fr)
DK (1) DK2254353T3 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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EP3675522A1 (fr) * 2018-12-28 2020-07-01 Sonion Nederland B.V. Haut-parleur miniature essentiellement sans fuite acoustique

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CN102413410A (zh) * 2011-12-16 2012-04-11 江苏贝泰福医疗科技有限公司 数字式助听器
CN111314829B (zh) * 2019-11-22 2021-04-02 武汉大学 一种具有声管的mems压电超声换能器
CN112235701A (zh) * 2020-11-16 2021-01-15 无锡杰夫电声股份有限公司 一种骨传导式扬声器
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WO2018215669A3 (fr) * 2017-05-26 2019-01-24 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Transducteur acoustique micromécanique
CN111034223A (zh) * 2017-05-26 2020-04-17 弗劳恩霍夫应用研究促进协会 微机械声音换能器
JP2020522178A (ja) * 2017-05-26 2020-07-27 フラウンホッファー−ゲゼルシャフト ツァ フェルダールング デァ アンゲヴァンテン フォアシュンク エー．ファオ マイクロメカニカル音響変換器
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EP4247006A3 (fr) * 2017-05-26 2023-12-27 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Transducteur acoustique micromécanique
EP3675522A1 (fr) * 2018-12-28 2020-07-01 Sonion Nederland B.V. Haut-parleur miniature essentiellement sans fuite acoustique
US11049484B2 (en) 2018-12-28 2021-06-29 Sonion Nederland B.V. Miniature speaker with essentially no acoustical leakage

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EP2254353B1 (fr) 2017-07-05
US8345904B2 (en) 2013-01-01
DK2254353T3 (da) 2017-10-23
EP2254353A3 (fr) 2013-10-23

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