{{Short description|MEMS-based piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers}} '''Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers''' ('''PMUT''') are [[MEMS]]-based [[piezoelectric]] [[ultrasonic transducer]]s. Unlike bulk piezoelectric transducers which use the thickness-mode motion of a plate of [[piezoelectric]] [[ceramic]] such as [[PZT]] or [[single-crystal]] [[PMN-PT]], PMUT are based on the flexural motion of a thin membrane coupled with a thin piezoelectric film, such as [[PVDF]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Trolier-McKinstry|first=Susan|author-link=Susan Trolier-McKinstry|author2=P. Muralt|date=January 2004|title=Thin Film Piezoelectric for MEMS|journal=Journal of Electroceramics|volume=12|issue=1–2|page=7|doi=10.1023/B:JECR.0000033998.72845.51|s2cid=108579867|url=http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/89109 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Hajati|first=Arman|title=Three-dimensional micro electromechanical system piezoelectric ultrasound transducer|journal=Applied Physics Letters|year=2012|volume=101|issue=25|page=253101|doi=10.1063/1.4772469|bibcode=2012ApPhL.101y3101H |url=http://apl.aip.org/resource/1/applab/v101/i25/p253101_s1|display-authors=etal|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Muralt|first=Paul|title=Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers based on PZT thin films|journal= IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control|date=December 2005|volume=52|issue=12|pages=2276–2288|doi=10.1109/TUFFC.2005.1563270|pmid=16463493|s2cid=24177361|url=http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/89133 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Qiu|first=Yongqiang|title=Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducer (PMUT) Arrays for Integrated Sensing, Actuation and Imaging|journal=Sensors|year=2015|volume=15|issue=4|pages=8020–41|doi=10.3390/s150408020|pmid=25855038|pmc=4431219|bibcode=2015Senso..15.8020Q |display-authors=etal|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Brown|first=Lewis|title=Design Considerations for Piezoelectric Polymer Ultrasound Transducer|journal= IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control|date=November 2000|volume=47|issue=6|pages=1377–1396|doi=10.1109/58.883527|pmid=18238684|s2cid=43756472}}</ref>
In comparison with bulk piezoelectric ultrasound transducers, PMUT can offer advantages such as increased [[bandwidth (signal processing)|bandwidth]], flexible geometries, natural [[acoustic impedance]] match with water, reduced voltage requirements, mixing of different [[resonant frequencies]] and potential for integration with supporting electronic circuits especially for miniaturized high frequency applications.
== References == {{reflist}}
== See also == * [[CMUT]], a similar technology based on capacitance
[[Category:Ultrasound]] [[Category:Transducers]]