Roy Kaustav, Lee Joshua En-Yuan, Lee Chengkuo
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117583 Singapore.
Center for Intelligent Sensor and MEMS (CISM), National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117608 Singapore.
Microsyst Nanoeng. 2023 Jul 21;9:95. doi: 10.1038/s41378-023-00555-7. eCollection 2023.
Thin-film PMUTs have been important research topics among microultrasound experts, and a concise review on their research progress is reported herein. Through rigorous surveying, scrutinization, and perception, it has been determined that the work in this field began nearly 44 years ago with the primitive development of functional piezoelectric thin-film materials. To date, there are three major companies commercializing thin-film PMUTs on a bulk scale. This commercialization illustrates the extensive contributions made by more than 70 different centers, research institutes, and agencies across 4 different continents regarding the vast development of these devices' design, manufacturing, and function. This review covers these important contributions in a short yet comprehensive manner; in particular, this paper educates readers about the global PMUT outlook, their governing design principles, their manufacturing methods, nonconventional yet useful PMUT designs, and category-wise applications. Crucial comparison charts of thin-film piezoelectric material used in PMUTs, and their categorically targeted applications are depicted and discussed to enlighten any MEMS designer who plans to work with PMUTs. Moreover, each relevant section features clear future predictions based on the author's past knowledge and expertise in this field of research and on the findings of a careful literature survey. In short, this review is a one-stop time-efficient guide for anyone interested in learning about these small devices.
薄膜压电微机电系统超声换能器（PMUTs）一直是微超声领域专家们重要的研究课题，本文将对其研究进展进行简要综述。通过严格的调研、审查和洞察，确定该领域的工作始于近44年前功能性压电薄膜材料的初步发展。迄今为止，有三家主要公司在大规模商业化生产薄膜PMUTs。这种商业化体现了来自四大洲70多个不同的中心、研究机构和代理机构在这些器件的设计、制造和功能的巨大发展方面所做出的广泛贡献。本综述以简短而全面的方式涵盖了这些重要贡献；特别是，本文向读者介绍了全球PMUT的前景、其主要设计原则、制造方法、非传统但实用的PMUT设计以及按类别划分的应用。文中描绘并讨论了PMUTs中使用的薄膜压电材料的关键比较图表及其分类目标应用，以启发任何计划使用PMUTs的微机电系统设计师。此外，每个相关章节都基于作者在该研究领域的过往知识和专业技能以及仔细的文献调研结果给出了明确的未来预测。简而言之，本综述是任何对了解这些小型器件感兴趣的人的一站式高效指南。
