An Experimental Study of the Acoustic Field of a Single-Cell Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducer (PMUT)

Abstract

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers (PMUTs) have gained popularity in the past decade as acoustic transmitters and receivers. As these devices usually operate at resonance, they can deliver large output sound pressures with very low power consumption. This paper explores the influence of the transmitter's packaging on the radiated acoustic field in air. We run simplified axisymmetric numerical models to observe the change in the acoustic field and directivity with respect to the device's package dimensions. The simulations demonstrate a notable change in the directivity of transmitter based on the size of the baffle. Experimental measurements are carried out to validate the simulations, which can prove useful in designing packages for transmitters to meet application specific requirements.