IEEE Microsystems Boston Tech Talk: “Systems Based on Ultrasonic MEMS: Commercialization and Future Directions” with Professor David Horsley

Speaker: Prof. David Horsley

Talk: “Systems Based on Ultrasonic MEMS: Commercialization and Future Directions”

Date & Time: Tuesday, 12th March, 6 – 8pm (Eastern Time)

Location:

Northeastern University – Innovation Campus, Burlington
147 S. Bedford Street
Building 5 Conference Hall
Burlington, MA 01803

Please RSVP at your earliest convenience. This will be an in-person meeting.

Agenda:

6 – 6:45pm: Networking Dinner
6:45pm – 7:45pm: Tech Talk

Abstract:
The increasing maturity of thin-film piezoelectric materials and the MEMS manufacturing ecosystem has enabled the rapid development of sensor systems based on piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs). In this talk, I will describe work by my research group over the last decade to develop and commercialize PMUT-based systems for consumer electronics applications, starting with air-coupled PMUTs used for time-of-flight (ToF) range-finding and human presence sensing. These ToF sensors were commercialized by my startup, Chirp Microsystems (now part of TDK), and are used today in various products such as smart-locks, robot vacuum cleaners, and laptops. We subsequently developed an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor based on the monolithic integration of PMUTs with CMOS that is used for biometric authentication in consumer products today. A common feature of the ToF sensor and the fingerprint sensor is that they are systems that combine MEMS, integrated circuits, and algorithms. The ability to realize a complete ultrasonic system on chip (SoC) opens new research opportunities in areas such as portable medical imaging systems for point-of care ultrasound (POCUS) as well as wearable ultrasonic devices.

Speaker Bio:
David A. Horsley is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University, where he is co-director of the Institute for NanoSystems Innovation (NanoSI), and an Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where he is co-director of the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC). Dr. Horsley co-founded several deep-tech companies, most recently Chirp Microsystems (now part of TDK InvenSense), a manufacturer of MEMS-based ultrasonic sensors. Dr. Horsley was Co-Chair of the 2016 IEEE Sensors Conference, Co-Chair of the 2017 Transducers Research Foundation Napa Microsystems Workshop, and Co-Chair of the 2020 IEEE MEMS Conference. Dr. Horsley is an IEEE Fellow, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, is a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s CAREER Award, the UC Davis Outstanding Junior Faculty Award, the 2016 NSF I/UCRC Association’s Schwarzkopf Award for Technological Innovation, and the 2018 East Bay Innovation Award. He has authored or co-authored over 200 scientific papers and holds over 30 patents.