Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a newly developed high resolution microscopy technique which is capable of mapping forces near surfaces or, by means of these forces, the topography of the surface itself. In one mode of operation, AFM can resolve individual atoms on both conducting and insulating surfaces. A crucial component for the AFM is a flexible force-sensing cantilever stylus, whose properties should include, among other things: a sharp tip, a low force constant, and a high mechanical resonance frequency. These requirements can be met by reducing the size of the cantilever stylus through microfabrication techniques and employing novel methods to construct a sharp tip. Presented here are a number of microfabrication processes for constructing cantilever styli with properties ideal for the AFM. These fabrication processes include (1) a method for producing thin film SiO2 or Si3N4 cantilevers without tips, (2) a method for producing Si3N4 cantilevers with integrated pyramidal tips formed by using an etch pit on the (100) surface of Si as a mold, (3) a method for producing SiO2 cantilevers with conical tips formed by a combination of isotropic and anisotropic plasma etching of a small Si post, and (4) a method for producing SiO2 cantilevers with integrated tetrahedral tips formed by anisotropically etching a corner of a small Si post to a sharp point. Each of these processes uses a (100) Si wafer as a substrate and relies on conventional batch fabrication techniques. The quality (i.e., sharpness) of the tips produced by the above methods matches or exceeds that of conventional tips used in the AFM or scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Alternative methods for producing tips by evaporation of material through an orifice or by selective chemical vapor deposition of W metal into a pyramidal etch pit in Si have been demonstrated, but these methods have not yet been successfully used in cantilever assemblies.

Imaging technologies that simultaneously provide anatomical, functional, and molecular information are emerging as an attractive choice for disease screening and management. Since the 1980s, transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) has been routinely used to visualize prostatic anatomy and guide needle biopsy, despite limited specificity. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) provides functional and molecular information at ultrasonic resolution based on optical absorption. Combining the strengths of TRUS and PAI approaches, we report the development and bench-to-bedside translation of an integrated TRUS and photoacoustic (TRUSPA) device. TRUSPA uses a miniaturized capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array for simultaneous imaging of anatomical and molecular optical contrasts [intrinsic: hemoglobin; extrinsic: intravenous indocyanine green (ICG)] of the human prostate. Hemoglobin absorption mapped vascularity of the prostate and surroundings, whereas ICG absorption enhanced the intraprostatic photoacoustic contrast. Future work using the TRUSPA device for biomarker-specific molecular imaging may enable a fundamentally new approach to prostate cancer diagnosis, prognostication, and therapeutic monitoring.

Touchscreen sensors are widely used in many devices such as smart phones, tablets, and laptops with diverse applications. We present the design, analysis, and implementation of an ultrasonic touchscreen system that utilizes the interaction of transient Lamb waves with objects in contact with the screen. It attempts to improve on the existing ultrasound technologies, with the potential of addressing some of the weaknesses of the dominant technologies, such as the capacitive or resistive ones. Compared with the existing ultrasonic and acoustic modalities, among other advantages, it provides the capability of detecting several simultaneous touch points and also a more robust performance. The localization algorithm, given the hardware design, can detect several touch points with a very limited number of measurements (one or two). This in turn can significantly reduce the manufacturing cost.

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) have great potential to compete with traditional piezoelectric transducers in therapeutic ultrasound applications. In this paper we have designed, fabricated and developed an acoustic lens formed on the CMUT to mechanically focus ultrasound. The acoustic lens was designed based on the paraxial theory and made of silicone rubber for acoustic impedance matching and encapsulation. The CMUT was fabricated based on the local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) and fusion-bonding. The fabricated CMUT was verified to behave like an electromechanical resonator in air and exhibited wideband response with a center frequency of 2.2 MHz in immersion. The fabrication for the acoustic lens contained two consecutive mold castings and directly formed on the surface of the CMUT. Applied with ac burst input voltages at the center frequency, the CMUT with the acoustic lens generated an output pressure of 1.89 MPa (peak-to-peak) at the focal point with an effective focal gain of 3.43 in immersion. Compared to the same CMUT without a lens, the CMUT with the acoustic lens demonstrated the ability to successfully focus ultrasound and provided a viable solution to the miniaturization of the multi-modality forward-looking endoscopes without electrical focusing.