Jin Huang Huang

Different microstructures significantly affect the acoustic performance of MEMS capacitive microphones, particularly in key specifications of interest. This paper presents several microstructures, including rib-reinforced backplates, suspended diaphragms, and outer vent holes. Three MEMS microphone designs were implemented to analyze the impact of these microstructures. Equivalent circuit models corresponding to each design were constructed to simulate specifications such as sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and low corner frequency (LCF), which were validated through experimental measurements. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was also employed to calculate the acoustic damping of certain microstructures, the mechanical lumped parameters of the diaphragm, and the pre-deformation of the MEMS structure. A compressed air test (CAT) was conducted to evaluate the mechanical reliability of microphone samples. The results of simulations and measurements indicate that rib-reinforced backplates effectively improve microphone reliability, increasing the pass rate in CAT. Compared to fully clamped diaphragms, suspended diaphragms exhibit higher mechanical compliance, which enhances SNR performance but reduces AOP. Outer vent holes can achieve similar functionality to diaphragm vent holes, but their impact on improving AOP requires further design and testing.

This article presents a lumped-parameter model providing a deeper understanding of the compliant backplate in capacitive MEMS microphones. Some previous models simplify the backplate as stationary, whereas others treat it as vibrating. This work not only models the backplate as vibrating but also considers the coupling effect between the mechanical and electrical domains. The extended model allows for a more detailed analysis of how the microphone converts sound into an electrical signal. Specifically, the theoretical derivations using Lagrange equations show how backplate motion can impact the microphone’s performance. Analysis of the lumped-parameter model aligns well with the results of finite element analysis when the frequency is below the high-order resonance, validating the theoretical concepts. In particular, the model with electrical coupling of the vibrating backplate effectively captures the sensitivity dip resulting from the backplate resonance, unlike models lacking this coupling. The theoretical framework is also extended to the phenomenon of pull-in. A backplate that is overly compliant can narrow the operating frequency range and increase the likelihood of experiencing pull-in. Thus, there is a trade-off between optimizing the microphone’s acoustic performance and ensuring its mechanical robustness. This work provides valuable insights into navigating these trade-offs.

In this work, microspeaker frequency response was determined based on measurement and simulation. The vents after the rear chamber of the microspeaker were covered with ventilation cloths. Two types of ventilation cloths (acoustic cloths) are commonly used in electroacoustic products, non-woven and woven. Non-woven cloths (5 nos.) consist of irregular meshes and woven cloths (5 nos.) consist of regular meshes. The equivalent circuit model of the microspeaker was formulated by considering five types each of non-woven and woven ventilation cloths. The acoustic properties of the ventilation cloths were estimated from the measured frequency response of the microspeaker and by subsequent use of particle swarm optimization algorithm. Estimated value of the acoustic impedances of the ventilation cloths were used in an equivalent circuit model of the microspeaker for the simulated frequency responses and subsequently compared with the anechoic chamber measurements. Based on the results, the equivalent circuit adequately simulated the measured frequency response of the microspeaker and the estimations of the acoustic impedances of the ventilation cloths were in good agreement with the measured frequency responses of the microspeaker.

The computer-aided analysis of open-back headphone based on finite/bound element method, lumped parameter model, and transduction equations have been investigated for decades. In a serious attempt to reach the optimal design of headphone, various aspects of conceptualization, design, modeling, and simulation are investigated for improvement of headphone in this work. The standardized construction process of the three-dimensional image of the human ear to establish the open-back architecture for the headphone is given. For improving the sound pressure level response of the headphone, the parameter design method is proposed through the optimized dimension modification of special open-cavity structure. All results of studies of the simulated responses are compared with experimental data and have verified the veracity of the simulations. The present work has concluded the feasibility of adjusting the model and parameters for customizing the resulting response for headphone's varied applications.

Bearings play an important role in a high-speed spindle. Its characteristics are often influenced by speed and thermal effects. This paper presents an approach that combines an inverse method with a high-speed ball bearing model to determine the characteristics of a high-speed spindle bearing under constant preload in actual working conditions. With temperature distribution in the entire spindle obtained by the experimental inverse heat transfer model from the authors’ previous results, the change in bearing parameters is then calculated and subsequently replaced in the bearing model to analyze the change in bearing characteristics. As a result, thermal effects on a bearing’s dynamic contact angles, contact forces, contact stress, stiffness, and lubricant film thickness are presented. Moreover, analysis results indicate that a bearing’s stiffness and lubricant film thickness nonlinearly vary with the increase in speed, and the thermal effect significantly affects the lubricant film thickness. The results presented herein may be applied to develop a dynamic model for a high-speed spindle using a constant preload and provide useful information to avoid failure in lubrication.