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    CMOS-compatible metasurface piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers for enhanced ultrasonic transmission

    Zepeng Wu1, Shicheng Zhao1, Qiaozhen Zhang1,2,*, Yicheng Wang3, Feifei Wang1, Dongdong Gong3, Feihong Bao4,†, Ying Cheng2,‡, and Xiaojun Liu2

    • 1College of Information, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200233, People’s Republic of China
    • 2Department of Physics, MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Jiangsu Physical Science Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China
    • 3Hefei Pilotage Microsystem Integration Co., Ltd., Hefei 230000, People’s Republic of China
    • 4Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou 313001, People’s Republic of China

    • *Contact author: zhangqz@shnu.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: baofh@csj.uestc.edu.cn
    • ‡Contact author: chengying@nju.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 034033 – Published 10 March, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3fll-bmnz

    Abstract

    Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs) hold great promise for applications ranging from medical imaging to range finding, yet their widespread adoption is hindered by low transmitting sensitivity. To address this limitation, we introduce a metasurface-integrated pMUT featuring a grooved hub-and-spoke structure, fabricated on an SiO2/Pt/PZT/Pt/SiO2/Si multilayer stack. In this design, the SiO2 vibration layer is strategically deposited above a patterned lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin film with the precisely microfabricated geometry, a configuration that simultaneously enhances energy transduction and mitigates stress-induced performance deterioration. Experimental measurements validate the efficacy of the design, showing an increase in the electromechanical coupling coefficient from 0.68% to 2.95%. The device achieves a transmitting sensitivity of 0.71 Pa/V at 10 cm, representing a 2.36-fold improvement over conventional designs. Furthermore, the integrated stress-relieving grooves ensure exceptional wafer-scale uniformity, confining resonant frequency deviations to within 4% across an 8-in. wafer. These results, combined with a silicon-based CMOS-compatible fabrication process that emphasizes simplicity and cost-effectiveness, establish the proposed meta-pMUT as a highly viable and competitive technology for the commercialization of next-generation ultrasonic systems.

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