Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
  • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
  • B06B1/06—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction
  • B06B1/0607—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using multiple elements
  • B06B1/0622—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using multiple elements on one surface
  • B06B1/0629—Square array
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
  • A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
  • A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
  • A61B8/4494—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N7/00—Ultrasound therapy
  • A61N7/02—Localised ultrasound hyperthermia
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
  • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
  • B06B1/0207—Driving circuits
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R19/00—Electrostatic transducers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N7/00—Ultrasound therapy
  • A61N2007/0052—Ultrasound therapy using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B2201/00—Indexing scheme associated with B06B1/0207 for details covered by B06B1/0207 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
  • B06B2201/20—Application to multi-element transducer
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B2201/00—Indexing scheme associated with B06B1/0207 for details covered by B06B1/0207 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
  • B06B2201/70—Specific application
  • B06B2201/76—Medical, dental

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to non-intrusive imaging systems and/or probes for imaging internal tissue, bones, blood flow, or organs of human or animal body or other objects of interest, such as a toy or a shipment package, and displaying the images.
• Such systems and/or probes typically require transmission of a signal into the body and the receiving of an emitted or reflected signal from the body part being imaged.
• transducers that are used in an imaging system are referred to as transceivers and some of the transceivers are based on photo- acoustic and/or ultrasonic effects.
• the transceivers are used for imaging, but are not necessarily limited to imaging.
• the transceivers can be used in medical imaging, flow measurements in pipes, speaker and microphone arrays, lithotripsy, localized tissue heating for therapeutics, or highly intensive focused ultrasound (HIFU) for surgery, to name a few examples.
• Conventional ultrasound transducers are typically built from bulk piezoelectric (PZT) material and typically require very high voltage pulses to generate transmission signals, typically 100 V or more. This high voltage can result in high power dissipation, since the power consumption/dissipation in the transducers is proportional to the square of the drive voltage.
• the conventional ultrasound probes in use for medical imaging typically use PZT material or other piezo ceramic and polymer composites. Probes typically house the transducers and some other electronics with means to cause an image to be displayed on a display unit.
• the conventional bulk PZT elements for the transducers To fabricate the conventional bulk PZT elements for the transducers, one can simply cut a thick piezoelectric material slab into large rectangular shaped PZT elements. These rectangular shaped PZT elements are very expensive to build, since the manufacturing process involves precisely cutting of the rectangular shaped thick PZT or ceramic material and mounting on substrates with precise spacing. Further, the impedance of the transducers is much higher than the impedance of the transmit/receive electronics for the transducers. [0004] In the conventional systems, the transmit/receive electronics for the transducers often are located far away from the probe, requiring micro-coax cables between the transducers and electronics. In general, the cables need to have a precise length for delay and impedance matching, and, quite often, additional impedance matching networks are required for efficient connection of the transducers through the cables to the electronics.
• MUTs capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers
• pMUTs piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers
• the present disclosure provides an ultrasound device which may be comprised of multiple transducer chips interconnected into an array.
• the transducer chips may encompass a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) component that is in communication with an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).
• the ASIC chip may be coupled to the many ultrasound elements of the said MEMS component and be electrically interconnected with a control chip either through a wirebond assembly or a through silicon via (TSV) packaging.
• TSV through silicon via
• the transducer chips may be assembled on an array with a separation distance that may be less than operating ultrasound wavelength, which may cause an overlap of the imaging aperture, which may lead to an increase in both imaging area and lateral resolution.
• the present disclosure provides an ultrasound device for use with various types of imaging.
• the ultrasound device may comprise a circuitry substrate and a plurality of transducer chips coupled to the circuitry substrate.
• the circuitry substrate may comprise a metallic substrate such as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
• each transducer chip may comprise a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) component that may include a plurality of ultrasound elements closely packed with one another, an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that may be operatively coupled to the plurality of ultrasound elements of said MEMS component, and a control unit that may be electrically coupled to each ASIC of the plurality of transducer chips for control thereof.
• MEMS microelectromechanical systems
• ASIC Application-Specific Integrated Circuit
• at least two transducer chips of the plurality of transducer chips may be placed on the circuitry substrate with a separation distance that may be less than an operational wavelength of the ultrasound elements of the MEMS components of said at least two transducer chips.
• an ultrasound device comprises a circuitry substrate, and a plurality of transducer chips coupled to the circuitry substrate.
• each transducer chip comprises a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) component including a plurality of ultrasound elements closely packed with one another, and an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) operatively coupled to the plurality of ultrasound elements of said MEMS component.
• the ultrasound device comprises a control unit electrically coupled to each ASIC of the plurality of transducer chips for control thereof, wherein at least two transducer chips of the plurality of transducer chips are placed on the circuitry substrate with a separation distance of less than an operational wavelength of the ultrasound elements of the MEMS components of said at least two transducer chips.
• the ultrasound device comprises the circuitry substrate comprises a standard Printed Circuit Board (PCB) or a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (Flex Board).
• PCB standard Printed Circuit Board
• Flex Board Flexible Printed Circuit Board
• said Flex Board has a curvature that is fixed.
• said Flex Board has a curvature that is changing to conform in real time to a target surface for imaging.
• the transducer chip has a specific operational wavelength. In some embodiments, the separation distance between any adjacent transducer chips is optimized for the specific operational wavelength of the adjacent transducer chips. In some embodiments, the separation distance between said at least two transducer chips is 20pm or less. In some embodiments, the at least two transducer chips are placed on the circuitry substrate in a coplanar manner. In some embodiments, the at least two transducer chips are placed on the circuitry substrate in a curved manner. In some embodiments, a first transducer chip of the plurality has one or more operating frequencies independent from those of a second subsequent transducer chip of the plurality.
• the separation distance between adjacent ultrasound elements within any transducer chip is optimized for the specific operational wavelength of the transducer chip.
• the ultrasound device may comprise one or more acoustic lenses coupled to the plurality of transducer chips.
• the one or more acoustic lenses comprises a first acoustic lens coupled to a first transducer chip and a second acoustic lens coupled to a second transducer chip, and wherein the first and second acoustic lenses have curvatures.
• each transducer chip is coupled to the circuitry substrate by a three-dimensional interconnection mechanism.
• the three-dimensional interconnection mechanism comprises a wirebond.
• the three-dimensional interconnection mechanism comprises a Through-Silicon Via (TSV) through the full thickness of the ASIC in said transducer chip.
• the control unit has a three-dimensional interconnection mechanism that couples said control unit to the circuitry substrate.
• the control unit is coupled to the circuitry substrate.
• the control unit is coupled to a PCB separated from the circuitry substrate.
• said control unit coordinate independent and synchronized operations of the plurality of transducer chips with timing control.
• said ultrasound device assembly comprises a two-dimensional configuration using TSV.
• a lens elevation is at most 200 pm above the MEMS surface, enabled by said TSV.
• said TSV has an inductance level less than lOpH. In some embodiments, said TSV is a TSV-last assembly. In some embodiments, said TSV-last assembly has a diameter of at least 35pm. In some embodiments, said TSV-last assembly has a pad size of at least 20pm greater than the diameter. In some embodiments, said TSV-last assembly has a pitch of at least 15 pm greater than the pad size. In some embodiments, in said TSV-last assembly has a depth ratio of at most 3: 1 to the diameter. In some embodiments, said TSV is a TSV-mid assembly. In some embodiments, said TSV-mid assembly has a diameter of at least 2pm.
• said TSV-mid assembly has a pad size of at least 10pm greater than the diameter. In some embodiments, said TSV-mid assembly has a pitch of at least 20pm greater than the pad size. In some embodiments, said TSV-mid assembly has a depth ratio of at most 10: 1 to the diameter.
• one or more of the MEMS components comprises a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (pMUT). In some embodiments, one or more of the MEMS components comprises a capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (cMUT). In some embodiments, the operational wavelength of the MEMS components of said at least two transducer chips is in a range from 0.1mm to 3mm.
• FIG. I shows an imaging system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary ultrasonic imager according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 3 Al shows a side view of an exemplary Transducer chip in curved arrangement according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 3 A2 shows a side view' of an exemplary Transducer chip in planar arrangement according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 3B shows a simplified top view of an exemplary MEMs die according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross sectional view 7 of an ultrasound element according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. SA shows a top view of a flip-chip assembled ultrasound element dice on a CMOS wafer according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 5B shows a cross sectional view of the flip-chip assembly in FIG. 5, taken along the direction 5-5, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of the singulated flip-chip assembly that includes a MFMS die and a CMOS die according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 7 shov/s a cross sectional view of a MEMS-CMOS assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view' of a MEMS -CMOS assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional view of a MEMS-CMOS assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 10 shows an exemplar,' schematic diagram of a MEMS-CMOS assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG . 11 shows a top view of a Transducer Chip array assembly using TSV according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 12 shows a top view of a Transducer Chip array assembly wirebond according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 13 shows a top view of a Transducer Chip array assembly with a control chip on a separated Printed Circuit Board (PCB), according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• PCB Printed Circuit Board
• FIG. 14 shows a top view of a Transducer Chip array assembly with variable spacing between adjacent ultrasound elements, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• ranges include the range endpoints. Additionally, every sub range and value within the range is present as if explicitly written out.
• the term “about” or “approximately” may mean within an acceptable error range for the particular value, which will depend in part on how the value is measured or determined, e.g., the limitations of the measurement system. For example, “about” may mean within 1 or more than 1 standard deviation, per the practice in the art. Alternatively, “about” may mean a range of up to 20%, up to 10%, up to 5%, or up to 1% of a given value. Where particular values are described in the application and claims, unless otherwise stated the term “about” meaning within an acceptable error range for the particular value may be assumed.
• the pMLiTs/cMLiTs (Ultrasound Element) and transducer assemblies/packages may be used for imaging internal organs of a human/ animal body as well as other therapeutic applications where ultrasonic beams are used to heat tissue for healing or focus high power ultrasonic beams for micro surgery.
• the ultrasound elements and transducer assemblies/packages may also be used for ultrasonic tomography applications.
• the manufacturing cost of Ultrasound Elements may be reduced by applying modern semiconductor and wafer processing techniques.
• thin film piezoelectric layer may be spun on or sputtered onto semiconductor wafers and later patterned to create piezoelectric transducers that each have two or more electrodes.
• each ultrasound element may be designed to have the ability to emit or receive signals at a certain frequency range.
• piezoelectric element ultrasound element, piezoelectric sensor, piezoelectric transducer, piezoelectric transceiver, and unit pixel are used interchangeably.
• FIG . 1 shows a schematic diagram of an imaging system 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the system 100 may include: an imaging device (or shortly imager) 120 that generates and transmits pressure waves 122 toward an internal organ 112, such as the heart, lungs, or kidneys, in a transmit mode/process and receives pressure waves reflected from the internal organ; and a computing device (or, shortly device) 102 that sends and receives signals to the imager through a communication channel 130 and/or a cable 131.
• the internal organ 112 may reflect a portion of the pressure waves 122 toward the imager 120, and the imager 120 may capture the reflected pressure waves and generate electrical signals in a receive mode/process.
• the imager 120 may communicate electrical signals to the device 102 and the device 102 may display images of the organ or target on a display/screen 104 using the electrical signals.
• the imager 120 may encapsulate the device 102, and the imager 120 may communicate the electrical signals internally to the device 102 and the device 102 may display images of the organ or target on a display/screen 104 using electrical signals
• the imager 120 may be used to perform one dimensional imaging, also known as A-Scan, two-dimensional imaging, also known as B scan, three-dimensional imaging, also sometimes referred to as C scan, four dimensional imaging, and Doppler imaging. Also, the imager may be switched to various imaging modes under program control. In some embodiments, the imager 120 may be handheld or have another form factor, such as a sensor patch.
• the imager 120 may be used to get an image of internal organs of an animal, too.
• the imager 120 may also be used to determine direction and velocity of blood flow in arteries and veins as in Doppler mode imaging and also measure tissue stiffness.
• the pressure wa ve 122 may be acoustic waves that can travel through the human/animal body and be reflected by the internal organs, tissue or arteries and veins.
• the imager 120 may be a portable device and communicate signals through the communication channel, either wirelessly 130 (using a protocol, such as 802.11 protocol) with the device 102.
• Lite device 102 may be a mobile device, such as cell phone or iPad, or a stationary computing device that can display images to a user.
• more than one imager may be used to develop an image of the target organ.
• the first imager may send the pressure waves toward the target organ while the second imager may receive the pressure waves reflected from the target organ and develop electrical charges in response to the received waves.
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary imager 120 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the imager 120 may be the same as the imager 120. It is noted that the imager 120 may have more or less than the components shown in FIG. 2.
• the imager 120 may be an ultrasonic imager.
• the imager 201 may include: a ’Transducer chip(s) 210 for transmitting and receiving pressure waves; a coating layer 212 that operates as a lens for setting the propagation direction of and/or focusing the pressure waves and also functions as an acoustic impedance interface between the Transducer chip and the human body 110; a control unit 202, such as ASIC chip (or, shortly ASIC), for controlling the Transducer chip(s) 210 and coupled to the Transducer chip 210 by bumps; Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) 214 for controlling the components of the imager 120; a circuit/ s) 215, such as Analogue Front End (AFE), for processing/conditioning signals; an acoustic absorber layer 203 for absorbing waves that are generated by the Transducer chips 21.0 and propagate toward the circuit 215, a communication unit 208 for communicating data with an external device, such
• AFE Analogue Front End
• the device 102 may have a di splay /screen.
• the display may not be included in the imager 120.
• the imager 120 may receive electrical power from the device 102 through one of the ports 216. In such a case, the imager 120 may not include the battery 206. It is noted that one or more of the components of the imager 120 may be combined into one integral electrical element. Likewise, each component of the imager 120 may be implemented in one or more electrical elements.
• the user may apply gel on the skin of the human body 110 before the body 110 makes a direct contact with the coating layer 212 so that the impedance matching at the interface between the coating layer 212 and the human body 110 may be improved, i.e., the loss of the pressure wave 122 at the interface is reduced and the loss of the reflected wave travelling toward the imager 120 is also reduced at the interface.
• the Transducer chips 21.0 may be mounted on a (circuitry) substrate and may be attached to an acoustic absorber layer. This layer absorbs any ultrasonic signals that are emitted in the reverse direction, which may otherwise be reflected and interfere with the quality of the image.
• the coating layer 212 may be only a flat matching layer just to maximize transmission of acoustic signals from the transducer to the body and vice versa. Beam focus is not required in this case, because it can be electronically implemented in control unit 202.
• the imager 120 may use the reflected signal to create an image of the organ 112 and results may be displayed on a screen in a variety of format such as graphs, plots, and statistics shown with or without the images of the organ 112.
• control unit 202 such as ASIC, may be assembled as one unit together with the Transducer chips. In other embodiments, the control unit 202 may be located outside the imager 120 and electrically coupled to the Transducer chip 210 via a cable.
• the imager 120 may include a housing that encloses the components 202-215 and a heat dissipation mechanism for dissipating heat energy generated by the components.
• FIG. 3 Al and FIG. 3A2 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary transceiver array having three Transducer chips 210 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the packages may be on a planar arrangement, as depicted in FIG. 3A2, or on a curved arrangement, as depicted in FIG. 3 Al.
• the packages may be assembled with spacing that is less than the operating ultrasound wavelength, which typically ranges from 5 um - 100 p.m, such as 5 p.m, 20 pm, or 100 gm, between at least two Transducer chips 210.
• a coplanar assembly may be used on a planar surface, as depicted in FIG. 3 A2, and on a curved surface a curved assembly, as depicted in FIG.
• the coplanar assembly may require coplanarity (vertical difference in surface levels of adjacent transducer chips) that is less than the operating ultrasound wavelength, such as 15pm.
• the curved assembly as depicted in FIG. 3A1 may be used for multiple possible probe structures, such as a wristband or patch.
• FIG. 3B shows a top view of an individual Transducer chip 210 that includes one or more ultrasound elements 302 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the Transducer chip 210 may include a transducer substrate 304 and one or more ultrasound elements 302 arranged on the transducer substrate 304.
• the transducer substrate 304 may comprise a metallic substrate, such as silicon.
• the transducer chip 210 may be assembled in such a way that the spacing between the edge column or rows on at least 2 transducer chips 210 is equal to a multiple, such as 2, of spacing between the respective columns or rows on the other transducer chip 210.
• this transducer chip 210 structure may simply image reconstruction.
• the Ultrasound Element array 302 may be formed on a wafer and the wafer may be diced to form multiple Transducer chips 210. This process may reduce the manufacturing cost since the Transducer chips 210 may be fabricated in high volume and at low cost.
• the diameter of the wafer may range 6 - 12 inches (150mm - 300mm) and many Ultrasound Elements arrays may be batch manufactured.
• the integrated circuits for controlling the Ultrasound Element array 3(12 may be formed in an ASIC chip so that the Ultrasound Element array 302 may be connected to the matching integrated circuits in close proximity, preferably within I um - 20 pm if metal wafer boding, such as Au- Au, Al-Al or Cu-Cu, is implemented, for example, or preferably within 25 pm - 100 um if solder-based bonding is implemented, for example.
• the Transducer chip 210 may have 1024 Ultrasound Elements 302 and be connected to a matching ASIC chip that has the appropriate number of circuits for driving the 1024 Ultrasound Elements 302.
• FIG. 3B shows a top view of an exemplary MEMS die 300 included in the Transducer chip 210 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the MEMS die 300 may include a transducer substrate 304 and one or more Ultrasound Elements 302 arranged in one dimensional array or two dimensional array on the transducer substrate 304.
• the Ultrasound Element 302 may be formed on a wafer and the wafer may be diced to form the MEMS die 300. This process may reduce the manufacturing cost since the MEMS die 300 may be fabricated in high volume and at low cost. In embodiments, the diameter of the wafer may range 6-12 inches and many ultrasound elements array s may be batch manufactured on each wafer. Further, in embodiments, as discussed below, the integrated circuits for controlling the Ultrasound Elements 302 may be formed in a CMOS wafer/die (such as an ASIC chip) so that the Ultrasound Elements 302 may be connected to the matching integrated circuits in close proximity, preferably within 25 pm-100 pm. In embodiments, a Bipolar Complementary' Metal Oxide Semiconductor (BICMOS) or any other suitable process may be used instead of CMOS wafer/die.
• CMOS Bipolar Complementary' Metal Oxide Semiconductor
• each ultrasound element 302 may have any suitable shape such as, square, rectangle, and circle, so on.
• two or more ultrasound elements may be connected to form a larger pixel element.
• the two dimensional array of ultrasound elements 302 may be arranged in orthogonal directions.
• a column of N ultrasound elements 302 may be connected electrically in parallel. Then, this line element may provide transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals similar to those achieved by a continuous ultrasound element that is about N times longer than each element.
• the shape of an ultrasound element of a given width may need to be very tall.
• a Line element of a conventional design may be 280 pm in width and 8000 pm tall, while the thickness may be 10 - 1000 gm.
• the composite structure i.e. the line element
• the composite structure may act as one line element with a center frequency that comprises the center frequencies of all the element pixels. In modern semiconductor processes, these center frequencies match well to each other and have a very small deviation from the center frequency of the line element.
• each ultrasound element 302 may have a different center frequency.
• the ultrasound elements 302 have one or more suspended membranes that are associated with them and vibrate at a center frequency when exposed to stimulus at that frequency and behave like resonators. There is a selectivity associated with these resonators, known as a Q factor.
• Q may be usually designed to be low (close 1-3 or thereabouts) and achieved by a combination of design of the pixels and loading applied to the pixels in actual use.
• the loading may be provided by application of a layer of RTV/Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or other matching material layers to the top face of the ultrasound elements, where the loading may facilitate closer impedance matching between the transducer surface emitting and receiving the pressure waves and the human body part being imaged.
• PDMS Polydimethylsiloxane
• the low Q and the well matched center frequency may allow the line element to essentially act like a line imaging element with substantially one center frequency.
• each ultrasound element 302 may be spaced 100-250 um from each other center to center. Further to simplify, say they are square in shape. Now, let's say, to mimic a conventional line element, a column of the ultrasound elements 302 may be connected to each other. For example, 24 ultrasound elements 302 in a column may create a line element of roughly 6 mm in length, with each element being 0.25 mm in width. In embodiments, this connection may be achieved at wafer level using a metal interconnect layer, or connected in parallel using circuits in control unit 202.
• the ultrasound elements 302 may include a scaled down thin piezoelectric layer, and the piezoelectric layer may have a thickness in the order of 1 urn or less.
• FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross sectional diagram of the exemplar/ ultrasound element 302, taken along the direction 4-4 in FIG. 3B, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the ultrasound element 302 may be disposed on a membrane layer 434 that is supported by a substrate 430.
• a cavity 432 may be formed in the substrate 430 to define a membrane, i.e., the substrate 430 and the membrane 434 may be formed of a monolithic body.
• the membrane layer 434 may be formed by depositing SiO2 on the substrate 430.
• one or more ultrasound elements 302 may be disposed on a membrane. In alternative embodiments, each ultrasound element 302 may be disposed on a separate membrane.
• the ultrasound element 302 may include a piezoelectric layer 410 and a first (or bottom) electrode (O) 402 that is electrically connected to a signal conductor (O) 404.
• the signal conductor (O) 404 may be formed by depositing TiO? and metal layers on the membrane layer 434.
• the piezoelectric layer 410 may be formed by the sputtering technique or by the Sol Gel process.
• a second electrode (X) 406 may be grown above the piezoelectric layer 410 and electrically connected to a second conductor 408.
• a third electrode (T) 412 may be also grown above the piezoelectric layer 410 and disposed adjacent to the second conductor 412 but electrically isolated from the second conductor (X) 408.
• the second electrode (X) 406 and third electrode (T) 412 (or, equivalently, two top electrodes) maybe formed by depositing one metal layer on the piezoelectric layer 410 and patterning the metal layer.
• the projection areas of the electrodes 402, 406 and 412 may have any suitable shape, such as square, rectangle, circle, and ellipse, so on.
• the first electrode (O) 402 may be electrically connected to the conductor (O) 404 using a metal, a via and interlayer dielectrics. In embodiments, the first electrode (O) 402 may be in direct contact with the piezoelectric layer 410.
• the third conductor (T) 414 may be deposited or grown on the other side of the piezoelectric layer 410 with respect to the first electrode (O) 402. More information on steps for fabricating the ultrasound element 302 may be found in the U.S. issued patent. Ser. No. US 1 1 ,058,396 82, entitled “LOW VOLTAGE, LOW POWER MENIS TRANSDUCER WITH DIRECT INTERCONNECT CAPABILITY,” filed on Nov. 29, 2017, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
• the piezoelectric layer 410 may include at least one of PZT. KNN, PZ 1 -N. PMN-Pt, AIN, Sc .AIN, ZnO, PVDF , and LiNiCE materials.
• an ultrasound element of the MEMS die 390 may include other suitable number of top electrodes.
• the ultrasound element may include only one top electrode (e.g. X electrode).
• the ultrasound element may include more than two top electrodes. More information on the number of top electrodes and electrical connections to the top electrodes may be found in the U.S. issued patent Ser No. 11,058,396 B2, [0068]
• FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram and, as such, does not illustrate the detailed structure of an ultrasound element.
• an electrical pad may be disposed between one end of the conductor (X) 408 and the electrode (X) 406.
• the MEMS die 3(19 may include ultrasound elements that have different structures from the ultrasound element 302.
• each ultrasound element in the M EMS die 399 may have only one top electrode.
• the ultrasound element 302 is one of several types of ultrasound elements that can be included in the MEMS die 300.
• FIG. 5 A shows a top view of a flip-chip assembly 500 that includes multiple MEMS dice (or a MEMS wafer) 504 mounted on a CMOS wafer 502 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 5B shows a cross sectional view of the flip-chip assembly 500, taken along the direction 5-5, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the MEMS dice 504 may be mounted on the -CMOS wafer 502 by metal bumps or pillars 596.
• the CMOS wafer 502 may include an ASIC for controlling the Ultrasound Elements in the MEMS dice 504.
• the pitch between bumps or pillars 506 may range between1-200 um, enabling a high-density interconnects applicable to the MEMS dice having a large array of Ultrasound Elements.
• the MEMS dice 594 with large number of Ultrasound Elements may be used for two-, three-, and four-dimensional imaging.
• the MEMS wafer 504 may be bound to the ASIC.
• the MEMS dice 594 may be bonded to the ASIC dice through the MEMS bumping 506.
• the MEMS dice 504 may be fabricated onto components of the ASIC.
• FIG. 6 show 7 s a cross sectional view 7 of a singulated flip-chip assembly that includes a MEMS die 610 mounted on a CMOS die 618 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the MEMS die 610 may be similar to the MEMS die 504.
• a MEMS wafer having multiple MEMS dice may be fabricated and diced into single chips.
• a CMOS wafer having multiple ASIC chips may be fabricated and diced into single chips.
• a MEMS die 610 may be mounted on a CMOS die 618 by multiple bumps or pillars 616.
• a single MEMS die may be mounted on the CMOS wafer.
• the flip-chip assembly may be created by die-on-die, die-on-wafer, or wafer-on- wafer bonding.
• a wafer-to-v/afer bonding process may result in the yield multiplication effect, i.e., the integrated (assembled) die yield may be a product of the MEMS wafer yield multiplied by CMOS wafer yield.
• a known good die-on-die bonding process or a knowm good die on known good wafer site bonding process may eliminate die yield multiplication effect, that may exist when die MEMS wafer is bound to the CMOS wafer.
• FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view' of a MEMS-CMOS assembly 700 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the MEMS-CMOS assembly 700 may include: a MEMS die 702; a CMOS die 704 electrically coupled to the MEMS die by bump or pillars 712, and a package 706 secured to the CMOS die by an adhesive layer 710.
• the CMOS die 704 may be electrically coupled to the package 706 by one or more wires 70S.
• the tips of each wire 70S may be coupled to the CMOS die 704 and package 706 by a wire bonding technique.
• the MEMS die 702 may include an array of Ultrasound Elements 720, where each Ultrasound Elements may be similar to the Ultrasound Elements 400 in FIG. 4.
• each Ultrasound Elements 720 may include a membrane 722 formed on a substrate 726 and a stack of layers 728 that include a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and one or more top electrodes.
• the membrane 722 may be formed by etching a cavity in the substrate 726, i.e., a monolithic body may be etched to form a cavity so that the non-etched portion becomes the substrate and the etched portion defines the membrane.
• the membrane 722 may be formed of different material than the substrate 726.
• the MEMS die 702 may include one or more membranes 722.
• portions of the MEMS die 702 may be directly attached to the bumps 712 to provide electrical connection to CMOS die 704.
• at least one metal layer may be deposited on the bottom surface of the MEMS die and patterned to thereby form electrical connections (such as wires and/or traces), where some of the electrical connections may be in direct contact with the bumps 712 for electrical communication with the CMOS die 704.
• a conductor which may be similar to the conductor (O) 404, may be an electrical wire (or trace) formed by depositing and patterning a metal layer on the bottom surface of the MEMS die 702.
• the impact may generate a shock in the order of 10,000 g, which may shear the bumps or pillars 712.
• the space between the MEMS die 702 and the ('MOS die 704 may be £5 lied with underfill material 730 that may reduce the external stress impact and protect the components, such as bumps 712, that are sensitive to impact stress.
• the underfill material 730 may reduce the external stress impact and protect the components, such as bumps 712, that are sensitive to impact stress.
• the underfill material 730 may reduce the external stress impact and protect the components, such as bumps 712, that are sensitive to impact stress.
• the underfill material 730 may reduce the external stress impact and protect the components, such as bumps 712, that are sensitive to impact stress.
• the underfill material 730 may reduce the external stress impact and protect the components, such as bumps 712, that are sensitive to impact stress.
• the underfill material 730 may mechanically secure the MEMS die 702 to the CMOS die 704.
• the underfill material 730 may additionally have acoustic damping properties to absorb the pressure wave that passes through the underfill material 730.
• the Ultrasound Elements 720 may be electrically coupled to the bumps or pillars 712 by suitable electrical conductors (such as 404, 408 and 414).
• the electrical connections may include metal traces (and vias) formed on the bottom surface of the membrane 722 and on the stack of layers 728.
• the CMOS die 704 may include electrical circuits for sensing and driving the Ultrasound Elements 720 so that the Ultrasound Elements may generate pressure waves during the transmit mode/process and develop electrical charge during the receive mode/process.
• the driving circuit in the CMOS die 704 may send electrical pulses to the Ultrasound Elements 720 via the bumps 712 and, in response to the pulses, the Ultrasound Elements may vibrate the membrane 722 in the vertical direction to generate pressure waves 730.
• the pressure waves reflected from the target organ may deform the membrane 722, which in turn develop electrical charges in the Ultrasound Elements 720.
• the electrical charges may be sent to the electrical circuits in the CMOS die 704 via the bumps 712 for further processing.
• the adhesive material 730 may be formed of acoustic damping material that may absorb the undesirable pressure waves and dissipate into heat energy.
• the package 706 may connect electrical signals to/frorn the CMOS die 704 by one or more wires 708.
• the ASIC site of the CMOS die 704 may be somewhat larger than MEMS die 704 to enable wire bonding between the ASIC site and package 706.
• FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of a MEMS-CMOS a ssembly 800 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the MEMS-CMOS assembly 800 may include: a MEMS die 892, a CMOS die 804 electrically coupled to the MEMS die by bump or pillars 812; a package 806 secured to the CMOS die ⁇ 04 by an adhesive layer 810; and one or more wires 808 that may electrically couple the package 806 to the CMOS die 804.
• the MEMS die 802, CMOS die 804, and the package 806 may be similar structures and functions as their counterparts in the MEMS-CMOS assembly 700.
• the membrane 822 may generate pressure waves during the transmit mode, and a portion of the pressure wave may propagate toward the CMOS die 804.
• the MEMS-CMOS assembly 800 may include a seal ring 832 that may be disposed around the perimeter of the MEMS die 802, and the space 830 enclosed by the seal ring may be kept in vacuum or in very low pressure, reducing/blocking propagation of the pressure waves through the space.
• the space 830 may be filled with inert gas or air at a preset pressure, preferably low 7 er than the atmospheric pressure.
• the cover layer 824 may be disposed around a side of the MEMS die 802 that faces the human body.
• the cover layer 824 may function as an impedance matching layer between the MEMS die ⁇ 02 and the human body to enhance the acoustic impedance matching at the interface and also as a protection mechanism provides protection against external impact/shock, and prevents the MEMS die from directly touching the human skin to thereby provide protection against wear and tear.
• FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional view of a MEMS -CMOS assembly 900 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the MEMS-CMOS assembly 900 is similar to the MEMS assembly 709, with the difference that the CMOS die 904 may be electrically coupled to the package 906 by Through-Silicon Via (TSV) 914 and bumps or pillars or pads 916.
• TSV Through-Silicon Via
• the TSV 914 may be formed in the CMOS die 904 by suitable wafer processing techniques, such as etching through holes and depositing/fdling the holes with electrically conducting material.
• the TSV 914 may be either a TSV-last or a TSV-mid structure.
• the TSV-last or TSV-mid structure may have an .ASIC with the TSV 914 under the bumps or pillars or pads 916.
• the TSV-last structure may have a diameter of at least 35pm and a pad size of at least the TSVlast diameter plus 20pm
• the TSV-mid structure may have a diameter of at least 2um, and a pad size of at least the TSV-mid diameter in addition to 10pm.
• the TSV pitch and depth may depend on which TSV structure used, such as TSV-mid or TSV-last.
• a 2-dimensional configuration of multiple MEMS-CMOS assembly 900 may be enabled by TSV 914.
• the additional bumps or pillars or pads 916 may be formed on the CMOS die 904 or package 906, providing electrical connection between CMOS die 904 and package 906.
• the package 906 may communicate electrical signals to the CMOS 904 through the TSV 914 and bumps or pillars or pads 916.
• the adhesive layer 910 may be formed of acoustic damping material so that the pressure waves may be absorbed and dissipated into heat energy.
• the MEMS-CMOS assembly 900 may also have the TSV 914 connect to an electrode on one side of die CMOS die 904 to the opposite side, connecting to the ASIC.
• a cover layer which is similar to the cover layer ⁇ 24, may be disposed around the MEMS die 902, as shown in FIG. 8.
• the MEMS assembly 900 may include a seal ring, which is similar to the seal ring 832, so that the space enclosed by the seal ring may be kept in vacuum to prevent the pressure waves from propagating toward the CMOS die 904.
• the space between the MEMS die 902 and the CMOS 904 die may be filed with an underfill material that is similar to the material 730.
• FIG. 10 shows an exemplary schematic diagram of a MEMS-CMOS assembly (or shortly assembly) 1000 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• die MEMS die 1002 and CMOS die (or ASIC chip) 1004 may be similar to the MEMS die 702 ( ⁇ 02 and 902) and CMOS die 704 (804 and 904), respectively.
• the electronics for driving piezoelectric transducers is typically located far away from the piezoelectric transducers and are connected to the piezoelectric transducers using a coax cable.
• the coax cable increases parasitic loading, such as additional capacitance, on die electronics, and die additional capacitance causes more heat and loss of electrical power.
• the transmit driver or drivers (or equivalently circuits) 1012 a- 1012 n may be connected directly to ultrasound elements (or equivalently pixels) 1006 a-1006 trH (or collectively 1006) using a low impedance two dimensional (2D) interconnect mechanism (as indicated by an arrow 1020), such as Cu pillars or solder bumps 1032 (which may be similar to the bumps 712, 812, or 912), or wafer bonding or similar approaches.
• 2D two dimensional
• the circuits 1012 upon integrating the MEMS die 1002 to the CMOS die 1004, the circuits 1012 may be located less than 100 p.m vertically (or so) away from the ultrasound elements 1006.
• any conventional device for impedance matching between driver circuits 1012 and ultrasound elements 1006 may not be required, further simplifying design and increasing power efficiency of the assembly 1000. Impedance of the circuits 1012 may be designed to match the requirement of the ultrasound elements 1006.
• each ultrasound element may be coupled to a corresponding driving circuit by more than three bumps if the ultrasound element has more than two top electrodes. Furthermore, as discussed below, each ultrasound element may be coupled to a corresponding driving circuit by less than three bumps.
• FIG. 10 shows an exemplary' connection mechanism between a MEMS die and a CMOS die.
• each of the ultrasound elements 1006 may have three leads represented by X, T, and O.
• the leads from each of the ultrasound elements may be electrically connected to a corresponding one of the circuits 1012 located in the CMOS die 1004 by the bumps 1032.
• a line of ultrasound elements, such as 1006 n+ 1-1006 n+i may be electrically coupled to one common circuit 1012 n.
• the transmit driver circuit 1012 n may include one transmit driver that generates transmit signals to the ultrasound elements during the transmit mode.
• connecting traces on MEMS or ASIC may be fabricate using thick metal, e.g., 10 pm, instead of typical metallization on the order of 1 gm.
• the control unit 1042 may have capability to configure the ultrasound elements, either horizontally or vertically in a two dimensional pixel array, configure their length and put them into transmit or receive or poling mode or idle mode.
• the control unit 1042 may perform the poling process after the MEMS die 1002 is combined with the CMOS die 1004 by the bumps 1032.
• the control unit 1042 may perform coordinated or independent operation with timing control after the MEMS die 1002 is combined with the CMOS die 1004 by the bumps 1032. More information on the assembly 1000 may be found in the U.S. issued patent Ser. No. 10,835,209 B2, entitled “CONFIGURABLE ULTRASONIC IMAGER,” filed on Nov. 29, 2017, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
• At least one metal layer may be deposited on a surface of the MEMS die 1002 and patterned to thereby form electrical wires (or traces) 1034, where some of the electrical wires may be in direct contact with the bumps 1032 for electrical communication with the CMOS die 1004.
• the electrical wires 1034 may be also used to communicate signals between the ultrasound elements 1006.
• at least one metal layer may be deposited on a surface of the CMOS die 1004 and patterned to thereby form electrical wires (or traces) 1036, where some of the electrical wires may be in direct contact with the bumps 1032 for electrical communication with the MEMS die 1002.
• the electrical wires 1036 may be also used to communicate signals between the electrical components in the CMOS die 1.004.
• multiple metal layers and vias may be deposited and patterned on the MEMS die and/or CMOS die to form multiple layers of electrical wires (traces).
• the MEMS die 1002 and CMOS die 1004 may be manufactured separately and combined to each other by a 2D interconnect technology, such as metal interconnect technology using bumps 1032.
• the interconnect technology may eliminate the low yield multiplication effect of wafer to wafer integration, lowering the yield of components.
• the MEMS die in FIG. 10 may have similar structures and functions as the MEMS die in FIGS. 7-9, and the CMOS die in FIG. 10 may have similar structures and functions as the MEMS die in FIGS. 7-9.
• FIG. 11 shows a top view 7 of a Transducer Chip array assembly using TSV 1100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the MEMS die 1150 and ASIC chip (or CMOS die) 1140 may be similar to the MEMS die 702 (802 and 902) and CMOS die 704 (804 and 904), respectively.
• the Transducer Chip assembly 1100 maybe coordinated by a Control Chip 1110.
• the Control Chip 1110 may be used to control the multiple Transducer Chips 1120 for coordinated or independent operation with timing control (e.g. synchronization).
• the Transducer Chip 1120 may be comprised of a MEMS die 1150 and an ASIC chip 1140 and may be interconnected with the PCB 1130.
• the PCB 1130 may be a rigid circuit board. In Some cases the PCB 1130 may be a flexible circuit board, enabling a curved imaging area) 1130. In embodiments, the Control Chip 1110 may be interconnected to the frontside or the backside of the PCB 1130.
• FIG. 12 shows a top view of a Transducer Chip array assembly wirebound 1200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the MEMS die 1250 and ASIC chip (or CMOS die) 1240 may be similar to the MEMS die 702 (802 and 902) and CMOS die 704 (804 and 904), respectively.
• the Transducer Chip assembly 1200 may be coordinated by a Control Chip 1210.
• the Control Chip 1210 may be used to control the multiple 'Transducer Chips 1220 for coordinated or independent operation with timing control (e.g. synchronization).
• the Transducer Chip 1220 may be comprised of a MEMS die 1250 and an ASIC chip 1240 and may be interconnected with the PCB 1230.
• the Control Chip 1210 may be interconnected through wires to the frontside or the backside of the PCB 1230.
• using TSV to interconnect the Transducer Chip array assembly 1100 may allow for multiple Transducer Chips 1110 to be assembled next to each other seamlessly in any 2-dimensional array. In embodiments, this seamless connection may significantly increase and improve dimensionality, as compared to the embodiment described in FIG. 12.
• the embodiment as described in FIG. 12 may only be able to form a seamless assembly of transducer chips in one direction, whereas the embodiment as described in FIG. 11 may be able to form seamless assembly of transducer chips in multiple directions.
• the individual Transducer Chip arrays may be quality controlled before assembling the array, while the embodiment in FIG. 12, may require the array to be assembled before quality can be assessed.
• using TSV to interconnect the Transducer Chip array assembly 1100 may allow for thinner lens elevation, especially around the edge of the lens, as compared to the embodiment as described in FIG. 12 (where wirebond loop height and its clearance from lens surface may set a minimum of lens elevation), which may lead to a lower attenuation and a more continuous wavelength (CW) that may be required for several forms of imaging.
• using TSV to interconnect the Transducer Chip array assembly 1100 may allow for higher operating frequencies, as compared to the embodiment as described in FIG. 12, because the use of TSV instead of a wirebound assembly may lead to lower inductance, and consequently increased operational efficiency.
• using TSV to interconnect the Transducer Chip array assembly 1100 may allow greater operation uses, by decreasing the amount of spacing required within a transducer chip array as compared to the embodiment as described in FIG. 12.
• the decrease in spacing may allow for imaging apertures to overlap, increasing the total imaging area of a single frame coherent image and increasing lateral resolution (lateral resolution is inversely proportional to active aperture size).
• the increase in imaging area and lateral resolution may allow the imaging system to be formed as a cylinder-shaped probe or a large patch with a curved ultrasound imaging area.
• the large patch with a curved ultrasound imaging area may allow the transducer chip array to have either a fixed or changing curvature to conform to the imaged surface in real time.
• the ultrasound device may have the control unit coupled to a separated PCB.
• the separated PCB may apart from the circuitry substrate.
• the separated PCB can house the control chip alone, or may also house multiple control chips, separated from the PCB housing the multiple transducer chips.
• FIG. 13 shows a top view of a Transducer Chip array assembly 1300 with a control chip on a separated Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 1340, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the control chip 1320 may be coupled to the separated PCB 1340.
• the MEMs 1310 and the ASIC 1330 may be coupled to a separate Circuitry Substrate 1.350.
• the Circuity Substrate 1350 may comprise a metallic substrate, such as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
• the Separated PCB 1340 and the control chip 1320 may be connected to the MEMs 1310, the ASIC 1330, and the Circuitry Substrate 1350. via an Interconnection Mechanism 1360.
• the separated PCB 1340 may be a rigid structure. In some cases, the separated PCB 1340 may be a flexible structure. In some embodiments, the Circuitry Substrate 1350 may be a rigid structure. In some cases, the Circuitry Substrate 1350 may be a flexible structure. In some embodiments the Interconnection Mechanism 1360 may comprise a cable, wire, or an electrical communicable material.
• the transducer chip may have a specific operational wavelength.
• the separation distance between adjacent transducer chips may be a different value from one another. This separation distance value may be optimized for the specific operational wavelength of the adjacent transducer chips around the separation distance.
• the operational wavelength may be relatively large, such as greater than 3 mm.
• the separation distance between the adjacent transducer chips and the spacing between the adjacent ultrasound elements within one transducer chip may be much larger than when at high frequency. In some cases, this may make the assembly of transducer chip array and the ultrasound elements much easier to manufacture.
• FIG. 14 shows a top view 7 of a Transducer Chip array assembly 1400 with variable spacing between adjacent ultrasound elements 1450, according to embodiments of die present disclosure.
• MEMs 1 1410 may be comprised of a different spacing between adjacent ultrasound elements 1450 than either MEMs 2 1420 or MEMs 3 1430.
• MEMs 1 1410 and MEMs 2 1420 may comprise of the same spacing between adjacent ultrasound elements 1450 while MEMs 3 1430 has a different spacing between the ultrasound elements 1450,
• MEMs2 1420 and MEMs 3 1430 may comprise the same spacing between the adjacent ultrasound elements 1450, while MEMs 1 1410 has a different spacing between the ultrasound elements 1450.
• the MEMs 1 1410, MEMs 2 1420, and MEMs 3 1430 may be interconnected with the ASIC 1440 and coupled to the Circuitry Substrate 1460.
• the Circuity Substrate 1460 may comprise a metallic substrate, such as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
• the Circuitry Substrate 1460 may comprise of a rigid PCB.
• the Circuity Substrate 1460 may comprise of a flexible PCB.
• the variable spacing between adjacent ultrasound elements 1450 may allow for optimization for the specific operational wavelength of the adjacent transducer chip array 1400. In some embodiments, the separation distance between the adjacent ultrasound elements 1450 may be larger at lower frequency than at higher frequency.

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