PMUT Technology Landscape 2026 — PatSnap Eureka
Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer Landscape 2026
PMUTs have reached a commercial inflection point, driven by demand in fingerprint sensing, medical imaging, and proximity detection. This landscape maps 60+ retrieved patent and literature records from 2005 to 2025.
PMUT Innovation: From Thin-Film Membranes to System Integration
Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (PMUTs) are diaphragm-like thin-film flexural transducers formed on silicon substrates that vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies when a piezoelectric layer between electrodes is excited by alternating voltage. Unlike bulk piezoelectric transducers, PMUTs benefit from high-yield batch microfabrication, higher capacitance, lower electrical impedance, and direct compatibility with low-voltage CMOS electronics.
Among retrieved records, the field spans several active sub-domains: piezoelectric material selection including PZT, AlN, Sc-AlN, ZnO, LiNbO₃, and lead-free compounds; membrane and structural design covering circular, square, I-shaped, and beam-membrane coupled diaphragms; electrode architecture from single to patterned dual and asymmetric configurations; and 1-D and 2-D array integration with through-wafer vias and system-in-package implementations.
The earliest foundational work in retrieved records dates to 2005–2006, when PZT/Si PMUTs first designed for acoustic imaging were demonstrated as bi-stable energy scavengers. The 2009–2013 cluster introduced TWV-enabled composite arrays, patterned-electrode architectures, and multi-frequency ultra-wide-bandwidth pMUT families. The 2015–2019 period saw commercialization-oriented development, with stress-relief membrane designs and PMUT/CMUT hybrid dual-mode devices entering the patent record.
In retrieved records, InvenSense, Inc. appears in at least 18 distinct patent documents, making it the most prolific single assignee in this dataset. Fujifilm Dimatix accounts for at least 8 documents, and Exo Imaging at least 7, with the remaining filings distributed among STMicroelectronics, TRS Technologies, SINTEF TTO AS, Qualcomm, and academic institutions.
PMUT Patent Clusters and Filing Trends in Retrieved Records
Four major technology clusters define PMUT innovation in the retrieved dataset: stress management and membrane structural engineering, electrode architecture and bandwidth engineering, resonant frequency tuning and multi-mode operation, and array integration and system-in-package architectures.
PMUT Technology Cluster Document Distribution (Dataset Snapshot)
In this dataset, stress management and membrane engineering is the most heavily documented cluster, with InvenSense and Chirp Microsystems filings spanning 2016–2025 accounting for the largest share of retrieved records in that sub-domain.
↗ Click bars to explorePMUT Filing Activity by Era — Retrieved Records Timeline
In this dataset, the 2020–2025 era shows the highest filing concentration, reflecting deepening system integration activity by InvenSense and Exo Imaging, with 2015–2019 representing the prior peak of commercialization-oriented development.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey PMUT Application Areas Across Medical, Consumer, and Industrial Markets
Retrieved records map PMUT technology deployment across six primary application domains, from high-density medical imaging arrays to air-coupled proximity sensing and implantable energy harvesting, each reflecting distinct frequency, material, and integration requirements.
Medical Imaging and Diagnostics
Medical ultrasound is the most intensively patented PMUT application domain in this dataset. Thin ceramic PZT dual- and multi-frequency pMUT arrays operating at 1–8 MHz with up to 2,520 elements on a 10 mm-diameter chip have been demonstrated for endoscopic photoacoustic imaging. Exo Imaging’s thermocompression bonding integration family targets handheld ultrasound exploiting ≤10V drive, and a 32-element PZT phased array PMUT has been designed for transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation and neuromodulation at low voltage.
Medical UltrasoundBiometrics and Consumer Electronics
Fingerprint recognition under displays and gesture detection are cited explicitly as target applications in multiple retrieved patents. Qualcomm’s EP patent (2021) lists biometric sensor systems, fingerprint sensing, gesture detection, microphones, and speakers as primary use cases. AlN-based pMUTs with 2.82 MHz resonance and 20×20 array configurations on 2×2 mm² footprints are identified as biometric sensing candidates, and InvenSense’s multi-mode PMUT/CMUT and PMUT/SAW devices target integration into mobile device substrates.
Consumer BiometricsProximity Sensing and Ranging
Air-coupled PMUTs for time-of-flight ranging appear across multiple retrieved literature records. AlN-on-Si square diaphragm PMUTs demonstrated detection range up to 140 cm using a single transmit-receive pair. A system-in-package integrating a 4×8 PMUT matrix with an interface IC operated at 1.5 MHz for ultrasonic ranging, and metal-foil-based PMUTs operating at approximately 30 kHz harmonic resonance were demonstrated for millimeter-scale range-finding.
Proximity SensingImplantable Devices and Energy Harvesting
A MEMS-based broadband piezoelectric ultrasonic energy harvester (PUEH) using PZT diaphragm arrays demonstrated power density up to 3.75 µW/cm² at 1 mW/cm² input intensity for powering implantable biomedical devices. Early bi-stable PZT/Si pMUT devices from 2005–2006 explored mechanical-to-electrical energy scavenging from the same membrane structures used for acoustic sensing, establishing the dual-use potential of PMUT platforms.
Energy HarvestingKey Patent Assignees in PMUT Technology — Retrieved Records Snapshot
In retrieved records, InvenSense, Inc. appears in at least 18 distinct patent documents across US, WO, and EP jurisdictions, making it the most prolific single assignee in this dataset. Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc. accounts for at least 8 documents, and Exo Imaging, Inc. for at least 7, with additional filings from STMicroelectronics, TRS Technologies, SINTEF TTO AS, Qualcomm, and academic institutions in retrieved records.
Top PMUT Assignees by Document Count in Retrieved Records (Dataset Snapshot)
↗ Click bars to exploreInvenSense, Inc.
InvenSense appears in at least 18 distinct patent documents in retrieved records spanning US, WO, and EP jurisdictions, with filings from 2017 through 2025. Its portfolio covers membrane stress management (including the 2021 low-stress-sensitivity PMUT and the 2025 controlled residual stress pending application), resonant frequency tuning (2020–2025), dual-electrode devices, PMUT/CMUT and PMUT/SAW dual-mode operation, and EMI reduction architectures — representing a deliberate IP enclosure strategy around PMUT manufacturing and system integration.
United StatesExo Imaging, Inc.
Exo Imaging accounts for at least 7 records in retrieved records, with filings in US, WO, IN, and AU jurisdictions spanning 2019 through 2025. Its continuation family covers thermocompression, eutectic, and solder bonding for direct pMUT-to-ASIC integration enabling ≤10V drive without high-voltage intermediary electronics, explicitly targeting handheld ultrasound imaging. The 2022 WO filing on harmonic electrode geometries extends its coverage to imaging bandwidth enhancement for point-of-care applications.
United StatesFive Directional Signals in PMUT Innovation (2022–2025)
Based on the most recent filings in this dataset (2022–2025), five directional signals are identifiable: residual stress as a controllable design variable, lead-free piezoelectric materials substitution, multi-modal transduction on a single die, harmonic electrode architectures for imaging bandwidth, and Chinese commercial entrants filing directly in the US patent system.
Residual Stress as a Design Variable
InvenSense’s PMUT with Controlled Residual Stress and Patterning (US, pending, April 2025) and the Apparatus and System for Tuning the Resonant Frequency (US, February 2025) treat membrane residual stress not as a defect to minimize but as a controllable parameter to shape vibration modeshapes and SNR. This represents a maturation from passive stress relief to active stress engineering and is the most recent filing cluster in the retrieved dataset.
Lead-Free Piezoelectric Materials Wave
The PMUT based on NBBT lead-free piezoelectric single-crystal thin film (published 2023) responds to regulatory pressure on lead-containing materials (RoHS). Sc-doped AlN films modeled in 2022 achieve 2.86× emission sensitivity improvement over conventional AlN at 30% Sc doping, and lithium niobate-based PMUTs from Northeastern University (2023) collectively signal a materials substitution wave. PZT dominates current commercial PMUT filings, but NBBT, Sc-AlN, and LiNbO₃ appear predominantly in academic literature with limited patent coverage in this dataset.
PMUT vs. CMUT: Key Architectural and Performance Dimensions
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | PMUT (Piezoelectric MUT) | CMUT (Capacitive MUT) |
|---|---|---|
| Actuation Mechanism | Piezoelectric layer between electrodes excited by alternating voltage | Electrostatic force between parallel conductive plates |
| Drive Voltage | ≤10V drive achievable via direct pMUT-ASIC bonding (Exo Imaging) | Typically requires higher bias voltage for gap-closing actuation |
| Hybrid Mode Capability | PMUT/CMUT dual-mode on same membrane (InvenSense, 2017); PMUT/SAW dual-mode (InvenSense, 2023) | Capacitive mode is native; piezoelectric mode requires additional layers |
| Material Options | PZT, AlN, Sc-AlN, ZnO, LiNbO₃, NBBT, PMN-PT single crystals | No piezoelectric layer required; relies on conductive membrane and gap geometry |
| CMOS Compatibility | Direct compatibility with low-voltage CMOS electronics; wafer-scale batch fabrication | Gap control requires precision etch; high-voltage CMOS interface common |
| EMI Management | Dedicated EMI reduction architectures patented (InvenSense, 2019–2022) | N/A — not addressed in retrieved PMUT dataset records |
| Frequency Range | ~30 kHz (haptics) to 20+ MHz (high-frequency NDT); 7.43 MHz demonstrated for AlN NDT | N/A — not detailed in retrieved records |
| IP Landscape | InvenSense holds 18+ documents in retrieved records; Fujifilm Dimatix 8+; Exo Imaging 7+ | CMUT-specific filings not the focus of retrieved dataset |
Frequently Asked Questions: PMUT Technology and Patents
Retrieved records identify PZT (lead zirconate titanate), aluminum nitride (AlN), scandium-doped AlN (Sc-AlN), zinc oxide (ZnO), lithium niobate (LiNbO₃), and lead-free compounds including sodium bismuth titanate–barium titanate (NBBT) and PMN-PT single crystals as active PMUT piezoelectric materials.
In retrieved records, InvenSense, Inc. (a TDK subsidiary) appears in at least 18 distinct patent documents across US, WO, and EP jurisdictions, covering membrane stress management, resonant frequency tuning, dual-mode operation, EMI reduction, and dual-electrode devices.
Exo Imaging’s thermocompression bonding integration family explicitly targets ≤10V drive for pMUT-ASIC co-integrated systems, eliminating the need for intermediary high-voltage electronics required by bulk piezoelectric and CMUT arrays.
InvenSense’s 2025 pending filing on PMUT with Controlled Residual Stress and Patterning treats membrane residual stress as a controllable parameter to define vibration modeshapes and improve SNR, representing a shift from passive stress relief (first introduced by Chirp Microsystems in 2016) to active stress engineering.
Retrieved records cover medical imaging (including endoscopic photoacoustic imaging and transcranial focused ultrasound), fingerprint sensing and gesture detection, air-coupled proximity ranging (up to 140 cm demonstrated), ultrasound haptics (0.227 Pa at 70 Vpp at 40 kHz), implantable energy harvesting (up to 3.75 µW/cm²), and non-destructive testing.
Based on retrieved records, NBBT lead-free single-crystal thin film (2023), Sc-doped AlN achieving 2.86× sensitivity improvement over conventional AlN at 30% Sc doping (modeled 2022), and LiNbO₃-based PMUTs (Northeastern University, 2023) are identified as candidates. However, these materials appear predominantly in academic literature with limited patent coverage in this dataset, suggesting an open IP frontier.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.