Simulation Driven Optimization of PMUT Packaging
This project presents a simulation-driven, evolutionary design framework for rapidly optimizing acoustic horn packaging geometry for piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs), with the objective of maximizing pressure amplitude at a prescribed standoff distance. Our framework integrates open-source MATLAB k-Wave acoustic simulations, a parametrized generalized ellipsoidal formulation capable of generating arbitrary three-dimensional horn geometries, and a custom genetic algorithm–based shape optimization strategy. Using this approach to maximize the pressure amplitude at 4mm away from the PMUT surface, we report, the highest in current literature, a ~5.15× increase in peak pressure amplitude relative to a bare pMUT operating under identical driving conditions. This result was achieved from an optimized, modular 3D-printed horn structure that integrates seamlessly with the commercial TDK CH101 pMUT packaging. This result establishes a new performance benchmark for acoustically packaged pMUTs and demonstrates the effectiveness of evolutionary, full-wave simulation–based optimizations for versatile and open-source ultrasonic acoustic pressure amplitude enhancement. I'll be presenting this work at Hilton Head 2026!
