Microphones with rigidly supported piezopolymer membranes

Piezoelectric microphones are described which utilize a rigidly supported, curved polyvinylidene fluoride membrane. The microphones can be designed with a resonance frequency of about 5 kHz and a sensitivity of −55 to −60 dBV per N/m2. The harmonic distortion is typically below 1% for sound‐pressure levels up to 100 dB. Advantages of these microphone structures are the well‐defined geometry of the membrane, good mechanical and thermal stability, and the possibility of varying the membrane tension and introducing damping by the membrane support.