Air-coupled PMUTs array with residual stresses:experimental tests in the linear and non-linear dynamic regime

The mechanical characterization of a 4×4 air-coupled array of Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers(PMUTs)is pre-sented.The experimental campaign consists of three set of experi-mental tests,namely:topography measurements,small signal dynamic measurements,and vibrometry in the non-linear dynamic regime.The behavior of three different kinds of PMUT are reported.They differ according to the thermo-electrical treatment that has been applied to the piezoelectric material.The presence of the fabrication induced residual stresses is investigated and the treat-ment effect is evaluated in terms of the initial deflected configura-tion.The results reported in this paper represent an experimental mechanical investigation useful for the design of PMUT structures with advanced functionalities in the linear and non-linear regime.