Simulation Study of CMUT for Pressure Sensing Applications

Capacitive micromechanical ultrasonic transducers(CMUTs)have been widely studied because they can be used as substitutes for piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers in imaging applications.However,it is unclear whether and how CMUTs can be developed for sensors incorporating other functions.For instance,researchers have proposed the use of CMUTs for pressure sensing,but fundamental and practical application issues remain unsolved.This study explored ways in which a pressure sensor can be properly developed based on a CMUT prototype using a simulation approach.A three-dimensional finite element model of CMUTs was designed using the COMSOL Multiphysics software by combining the working principle of CMUTs with pressure sensing characteristics in which the resonance frequency of the CMUT cell shifts accordingly when it is subjected to an external pressure.Simultaneously,when subjected to pressure,the CMUT membrane deforms,thus the pressure can be reflected by the change in the capacitance.