A transducer microusiné is a Transducteur (i.e. a system able to convert energy Acoustique into electrical energy and conversely) manufactured according to technologies of the Microsystème S.

The microusinés transducers typically have dimensions about 10 to 100 Micron S and are in general assembled in great number to constitute intended transducers, for example, with the Non destructive testing, the Medical imagery or with detectors of presence.

Advantages

Compared with traditional transducers, such as those based on the Piezoelectricity, the microusinés transducers, being based on technologies silicon, present qualities of weak marginal production costs (the development of a model is expensive, but the production is cheap), of a good repeatability of production, an easy integration with components Microélectroniques and of course the possibility of reducing dimensions.

Various technologies

The microusinés transducers are classified according to the physical principle used for electromechanical conversion. One distinguishes as follows:

• the cMUT (capacitive DROVE) which use the electrostatic force in device with face parallels (each transducer is thus a variable capacity). They need a biasing continue and are strongly non-linear.
• the pMUT (piezoelectric DROVE) which use small elements piézo and generally work in mode of inflection.
• the mMUT (Magnetostrictive DROVE) which rest on the Magnétostriction.