JP2009177342A - Ultrasonic probe, ultrasonic diagnosis device, and method of manufacturing ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply and reliably making an upper surface conductive with a lower surface of each element of an acoustic matching layer. <P>SOLUTION: The ultrasonic probe includes: a plurality of piezoelectric bodies 21 arranged in two dimensional shape; a plurality of upper side electrodes 24 formed on the plurality of piezoelectric bodies 21; a plurality of non-conductive bodies 32 which are arranged on the plurality of the upper side electrodes 24, and respectively have wall faces formed by shaving both sides which are nearly parallel to the upper side electrodes 24 for at least one of four edge parts which are contained in a square pole, and perpendicular to the upper side electrodes 24; and a plurality of first conductive thin films 33 respectively formed on a plurality of wall faces. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe having a two-dimensional array structure, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe.

  In the one-dimensional array ultrasonic probe, the piezoelectric vibrator has a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a line. In general, the electrodes on the upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric vibrator are drawn from the ends of the piezoelectric vibrator. Various ideas have been made for drawing out the upper surface electrode. For example, there is a technique in which the upper and lower surfaces are made conductive by plating the side surfaces of a piezoelectric vibrator and electrically drawn from the lower surface by an FPC (flexible printed board). The signal extracted by the FPC is transmitted to the transmission / reception circuit via the probe cable.

  In general, the acoustic impedance of polyimide used as a base material for FPC is about 3 MRayl. The acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric vibrator is 30 MRayl or more. Therefore, an acoustic mismatch occurs when the FPC is directly joined to the piezoelectric vibrator. In order to alleviate this acoustic mismatch, there is a method in which an FPC is disposed on the upper surface of an acoustic matching layer having an acoustic impedance between 3 MRayl and 30 MRayl to electrically draw out the upper electrode.

  In the case of a specification in which three acoustic matching layers are added to the piezoelectric vibrator, an acoustic impedance suitable for the first acoustic matching layer is about 9 to 15 MRayl. The material having such acoustic impedance is a ceramic mainly composed of mica known as machinable ceramics. Machinable ceramics are non-conductive. A method is adopted in which the first acoustic matching layer using the non-conductive material is plated over the entire circumference, and the upper surface electrode of the piezoelectric body is electrically drawn out on the upper surface of the acoustic matching layer.

  By the way, in the three-layered two-dimensional array ultrasonic probe, the laminate of the plate-like piezoelectric body and the first and second acoustic matching layer members is cut into a lattice shape. By cutting, each acoustic matching layer is divided into a plurality of acoustic matching elements arranged two-dimensionally. Therefore, in the above-described method for extracting the upper surface electrode in which the periphery is plated, the acoustic matching elements other than the outside of the first acoustic matching layer are not electrically connected to each other.

  As another method of electrically drawing the upper surface electrode to the upper surface of the acoustic matching layer, a method of adding a conductor pattern to the side surface of the acoustic matching layer has been proposed. However, in this method, it is necessary to perform pattern addition processing for each column, which increases the cost due to an increase in the number of steps.

  An object of the present invention is to produce a two-dimensional array ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and an ultrasonic probe that can easily and surely connect the upper and lower surfaces of each element of an acoustic matching layer. It is to provide a method.

The ultrasonic probe according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of piezoelectric bodies arranged two-dimensionally,
A plurality of electrodes formed on the plurality of piezoelectric bodies, and both surfaces disposed on the plurality of electrodes and including at least one of four ridges included in the quadrangular column and perpendicular to the electrodes. A plurality of non-conductors each having a wall surface formed by being cut off, and a plurality of first conductive thin films respectively formed on the plurality of wall surfaces.

  An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that scans a subject with ultrasonic waves via an ultrasonic probe, wherein the ultrasonic probes are arranged in a two-dimensional manner. A plurality of piezoelectric bodies formed, a plurality of electrodes formed on the plurality of piezoelectric bodies, and at least one of four ridges disposed on the plurality of electrodes and included in a quadrangular prism and perpendicular to the electrodes A plurality of non-conductors each having a wall surface formed by notching over both surfaces substantially parallel to the electrode, and a plurality of first conductive thin films respectively formed on the plurality of wall surfaces Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment.

  In the method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe according to the third aspect of the present invention, a first interval is formed in a plate-like non-conductive member having a predetermined thickness along a vertical direction substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction. And forming a plurality of through holes at a second interval along a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction and the vertical direction, and forming a plurality of conductive properties on the inner surfaces of the formed through holes. Each thin film is formed.

  An ultrasonic probe manufacturing method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes a plate-like piezoelectric member having an electrode formed on a surface substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction, and a longitudinal direction substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction. A plurality of through holes provided at a second interval along a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction and the longitudinal direction at a first interval along the direction; A block is formed by joining, along the thickness direction, plate-like non-conductive members each having a conductive thin film formed on the inner surface thereof, and the cutting groove is formed in the through-hole. And the center of the two through holes adjacent to each other, cutting along the longitudinal direction at half the first interval and cutting along the transverse direction at half the second interval. Thus, a plurality of elements are formed.

  An ultrasonic probe according to a fifth aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements each having a plurality of piezoelectric bodies arranged two-dimensionally and a plurality of electrodes formed on the plurality of piezoelectric bodies, respectively. A plurality of acoustic matching elements disposed on the plurality of electrodes, each of the plurality of acoustic matching elements being disposed on the plurality of electrodes and having a cylindrical cavity region at the intersection. A non-conductor having a cross-shaped cutting groove formed thereon; and a conductive thin film formed on the inner surface of the cavity region.

  An ultrasonic probe according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes a piezoelectric vibrator in which cutting grooves provided in a lattice shape are formed, and a non-passage in which the cutting grooves are formed on the piezoelectric vibrator. An acoustic matching layer having conductivity, and the acoustic matching layer has a plurality of through holes penetrating the acoustic matching layer at a plurality of intersection positions of the cutting groove, and inner surfaces of the plurality of through holes. A first conductive thin film is formed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to conduct the upper and lower surfaces of each element of the acoustic matching layer easily and reliably.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an ultrasonic probe 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic probe 1 has a backing 10 as a sound absorbing material. The backing 10 is formed in a rectangular block shape, and a piezoelectric vibrator 20 is bonded to the upper surface of the backing 10 via a first flexible printed board (hereinafter referred to as FPC) (not shown). The first acoustic matching layer 30 is bonded to the upper surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 20, the second acoustic matching layer 40 is bonded to the upper surface of the first acoustic matching layer 30, and the second FPC 50 is bonded to the upper surface of the second acoustic matching layer 40. 3rd acoustic matching layer 60 is joined via. Although not shown, an acoustic lens is bonded to the upper surface of the third acoustic matching layer 60. Here, the stacking direction (thickness direction) of each member is defined as the Z axis, and the plane orthogonal to the Z axis is defined as the XY plane. The XY plane is defined by an X axis and a Y axis that are orthogonal to each other.

  The piezoelectric vibrator 20 that has received a drive pulse from a transmission circuit (not shown in FIG. 1) emits ultrasonic waves in the plus Z direction. The emitted ultrasonic wave is reflected by the subject. The reflected ultrasonic wave is received as an echo signal by the piezoelectric vibrator 20.

The piezoelectric vibrator 20 is formed of a piezoelectric ceramic, for example, PZT, whose acoustic impedance is 30 Mrayl (Mrayl = 10 ⁶ kg / m ² s) or more. The acoustic impedance of the polyimide that is the base material of the first FPC and the second FPC 50 is about 3 Mrayl. The first acoustic matching layer 30 is formed of a non-conductive material having an acoustic impedance of about 9 to 15 Mrayl, for example, a ceramic mainly composed of mica called machinable ceramic. The second acoustic matching layer 40 is formed of a conductive material having an acoustic impedance of about 4 to 7 Mrayl, such as carbon (isotropic graphite or graphite). The third acoustic matching layer 60 is formed of a non-conductive material having an acoustic impedance of about 1.8 to 2.5 Mrayl, for example, a resin. The acoustic impedance of the subject is approximately equal to the acoustic impedance of water, and is about 1.5 MRayl. Thus, the acoustic impedance of each acoustic matching layer 30, 40, 60 is the optimum acoustic impedance of the λ / 4 acoustic matching layer in the three-layer specification. As a result, the broadband characteristics of ultrasonic waves are possible.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which the second FPC 50 and the third acoustic matching layer 60 are removed from the ultrasonic probe 1 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe 1 has a two-dimensional array structure. The piezoelectric vibrator 20 includes a plurality of columnar piezoelectric elements 21 arranged at respective pitches in the X direction and the Y direction. Each piezoelectric element 21 includes, for example, a piezoelectric body 22 made of PZT, a planar lower electrode 23 formed on the lower surface of the piezoelectric body 22, and a planar upper electrode 24 formed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric body 22. Composed.

  The first acoustic matching layer 30 has a plurality of columnar first acoustic matching elements 31 arranged two-dimensionally. Each first acoustic matching element 31 is joined to each piezoelectric element 21. The first acoustic matching element 31 includes a non-conductive member (hereinafter referred to as a non-conductor) 32 such as a machinable ceramic processed into a columnar shape. The non-conductor 32 includes a wall surface (hereinafter referred to as a hole inner surface and a hole inner surface) formed by removing at least one of the four ridges included in the quadrangular prism and perpendicular to the upper electrode 24 over both surfaces substantially parallel to the electrode. Respectively). The non-conductor 32 is a seven-sided body having an upper and lower surface and five side surfaces substantially orthogonal to the upper and lower surfaces. One of the five side surfaces is a hole inner surface. The inner surface of the hole is not orthogonal to any of the adjacent side surfaces. The inner surface of the hole is curved toward the long axis of the non-conductor 32 (substantially parallel to the Z axis). Details of the first acoustic matching layer 30 will be described later.

  An intermediate plating layer 33 is formed on the inner surface of the hole by plating. The intermediate plating layer 33 is a conductive thin film, for example, a metal thin film. Due to the orthogonal relationship between the intermediate plating layer 33 and the upper electrode 24, scattering of ultrasonic waves by the intermediate plating layer 33 is kept to a minimum.

  A lower plating layer 34 is formed on the lower surface of the non-conductor 32 by plating, and an upper plating layer 35 is formed on the upper surface of the non-conductor 32. The lower plating layer 34 and the upper plating layer 35 are conductive thin films, for example, metal thin films.

  The upper and lower surfaces of each acoustic matching element 31 are electrically connected by the plated layers 33, 34, and 35. The intermediate plating layer 33 is formed to draw the upper electrode 24 to the upper surface of the first acoustic matching element 31. The lower plating layer 34 and the upper plating layer 35 are formed in order to improve the reliability and reliability of conduction between the upper and lower surfaces of the first acoustic matching element 31. In other words, if the upper and lower surfaces can be conducted only by the intermediate plating layer 33, the lower plating layer 34, the upper side, and the upper plating layer 35 are not necessary.

  Each of the plating layers 33, 34, and 35 is generally made of, for example, gold having good corrosion resistance with an electroless plating made of a material that can easily secure adhesion strength to inorganic materials such as copper plating, nickel, and chromium. It is formed by electrolytic plating. The plated layers 33, 34, and 35 can also be formed by a dry process such as sputtering or vapor deposition. The width (width in the X direction) of each of the plated layers 33, 34, and 35 is about 2 to 5 μm that can satisfy the reliability of connection, avoidance of an adverse acoustic effect, and free cutting ability for cutting.

  The second acoustic matching layer 40 includes a plurality of second acoustic matching elements 41 that are two-dimensionally arranged. The second acoustic matching element 41 is made of, for example, carbon having conductivity. Each second acoustic matching element 41 is joined to each first acoustic matching element 31.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a second FPC 50 is attached to the upper surface of the second acoustic matching layer 40. The second FPC 50 electrically draws out each upper surface electrode 24 independently through each lower plating layer 34, each intermediate plating layer 33, each upper plating layer 35, and each second acoustic matching element 41.

  Now, the details of the structure of the first acoustic matching layer 30 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an XY cross section of a part of the first acoustic matching layer 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the first acoustic matching layer 30 is formed with a grid-like cutting groove S formed at a cutting pitch PSX along the X axis and at a cutting pitch PSY along the Y axis. Yes. The plurality of first acoustic matching elements 31 are arranged with a cutting groove S therebetween. The cutting pitch PSX and the cutting pitch PSY may be equal or not equal. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the cutting pitch PSX and the cutting pitch PSY are equal (cutting pitch PS).

  As shown in FIG. 3, through holes H are formed at the intersections of the cutting grooves S. The through holes are arranged at a constant pitch (hereinafter referred to as a hole pitch) PH along the X axis and the Y axis. The intersection of the cutting grooves S and the center of the through hole H substantially coincide.

  Typically, the through hole H is formed such that one hole inner surface 36 is formed in each first acoustic matching element 31. That is, the through holes H are formed at every other intersection along the vertical direction (Y direction), the horizontal direction (X direction), and the oblique direction. In this case, the cutting groove S includes one that passes through the through hole H and one that passes through the center between adjacent through holes H. The hole pitch PH is approximately twice the cutting pitch PS. The through hole H is filled with resin except for a portion overlapping the cutting groove S.

  When the four acoustic matching elements 31 around the through hole H are regarded as one acoustic matching element unit 37, a substantially cross-shaped cutting groove having a through hole H at the intersection is formed in the acoustic matching element unit 37. Has been.

  The width WS of the cutting groove 90 is typically 30 to 50 μm. In order to form the hole inner wall 36 in each first acoustic matching element 31, the through hole diameter WH must be wider than the width of the cutting groove 90. Therefore, the through hole diameter WH is desirably 100 μm or more.

  When a 50 μm wide cutting groove 90 is formed in the 100 μm diameter through hole H, the width of the remaining portion of the through hole H that does not overlap the cutting groove 90 is 25 μm. Considering the positional deviation between the position of the through hole H and the position of the cutting groove 90 in the cutting process, it can be said that the width WS of the cutting groove 90 is a minimum necessary width.

  In order to avoid an adverse acoustic effect due to the formation of the through hole H, the area of the ultrasonic radiation surface (upper surface) of the first acoustic matching element 31 left by cutting is the same as that when there is no through hole. It is necessary to secure 90% or more of the area of the radiation surface of one acoustic matching element 31. In consideration of this, when the first acoustic matching element pitch PA is 400 μm and the width WS of the cutting groove 90 is 50 μm, the through-hole diameter WH is desirably 300 μm or less.

  From the above two viewpoints, the through-hole diameter WH is desirably in the range of 100 to 300 μm.

  By forming the through hole H at the intersection of the cutting grooves S, for example, the first acoustic matching element that is scraped off by the through hole H compared to the case where the through hole is formed at the center of the first acoustic matching element 31. The amount of 31 parts can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to minimize acoustic adverse effects such as sensitivity reduction and ultrasonic scattering due to the through hole H.

  The through hole formation pattern is not limited to the above formation pattern. For example, as shown in the head 4, in order to make the electrical connection between the upper and lower surfaces more reliable, at the two intersections of the cutting groove 90, two inner surfaces of the holes are formed in each first acoustic matching element 31. Alternatively, it may be formed at one place. Furthermore, through holes may be formed at all intersections.

  Next, the manufacturing process of the first acoustic matching layer 30 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of the manufacturing process of the first acoustic matching layer 30. First, as shown in FIG. 5, through holes (through holes) are formed in a non-conductor having a plate shape (hereinafter referred to as a non-conductor plate) 70 with a hole pitch PH along the X-axis and the Y-axis by drilling. H is formed. (Step S1). The central axis of the through hole H is substantially parallel to the Z axis. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of the non-conductive plate 70.

  The hole pitch PH is determined based on the width WA of the first acoustic matching element 31, the cutting pitch PS in the subsequent process, the certainty / reliability of conduction (that is, the number of through holes), and the like. For example, when the first acoustic matching element pitch PA is 400 μm and the width WS of the cutting groove 90 is 50 μm, the hole pitch PH is 900 μm. By forming the through hole H, a hole inner surface 71 is formed in the non-conductive plate 70.

  As a means for forming the through hole H, there are mechanical processing using a drill, laser processing, etching processing, water jet processing, and the like. In the laser processing and the etching processing, the hole inner surface 71 is inclined. In the water jet processing, the diameter of the through hole H becomes too large.

  In machining with a drill, the hole inner surface 71 is not inclined, and it is possible to form a circular through hole H having a diameter of 100 μm at the minimum. Therefore, machining with a drill is optimal for the through hole forming means of this embodiment.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the hole inner surface 71 is plated to form a first plating layer 72 (step S2). The first plating layer 72 reaches the upper and lower surfaces of the non-conductive plate 70.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper and lower surfaces of the non-conductive plate 70 on which the first plating layer 72 is formed are plated to form a second plating layer 73 and a third plating layer 74 (step S3). Thereby, the first acoustic matching plate 775 is completed. The plating layer forming step on the upper and lower surfaces is performed in order to improve the reliability and reliability of conduction with the upper electrode 24 of the piezoelectric vibrator 20. Therefore, the second plating layer 73 and the third plating layer 74 do not need to be formed if the reliability and reliability of conduction are not a problem.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the plate-like piezoelectric plate 25, the first acoustic matching plate 75, and the second acoustic matching plate 42 are joined to form a block 80 (step S4). The piezoelectric plate 25 includes a plate-shaped piezoelectric member 26, a lower electrode 27 formed on the lower surface of the piezoelectric member 26, and an upper electrode 28 formed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric member 26. The second acoustic matching plate 42 is formed using carbon or the like as a material. The piezoelectric plate 25 and the first acoustic matching plate 71 are joined in a direction in which the upper electrode 28 and the first plating layer 72 are substantially orthogonal.

  The bonding method is realized, for example, by applying an adhesive mainly composed of an epoxy resin to the bonding surface, and applying pressure and heating. As the adhesive, an adhesive mainly composed of an epoxy resin having good free-cutting properties and high hardness is preferable. In addition, you may use the 1st acoustic matching board 71 manufactured previously for the structure process of said block 80. FIG.

  As a result of adhesion, the through hole H is filled with an adhesive. The filled adhesive prevents the first plating layer 72 from peeling off by cutting in step S5. Moreover, in order to more reliably connect the upper and lower surfaces of the first acoustic matching element 31, a conductive filler may be mixed in an adhesive such as an epoxy resin. As the filler, for example, carbon powder (soot) having a very small particle diameter is preferable.

  Next, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 8, the block 80 is moved along the X axis at the cutting pitch PSX and along the Y axis so that the cutting groove S passes through the center between the through hole H and the adjacent through hole H. Along with the cutting pitch PSY, it is cut vertically and horizontally (step S5). By this cutting, the piezoelectric body plate 25, the first acoustic matching plate 75, and the second acoustic matching plate 42 are changed into the plurality of piezoelectric elements 21, the plurality of first acoustic matching elements 31, and the plurality of second acoustic matching elements 41, respectively. Divided. By cutting, the first plating layer 72 becomes the intermediate plating layer 33, the second plating layer 73 becomes the lower plating layer 34, and the third plating layer 74 becomes the upper plating layer 35. When the cutting is performed, the piezoelectric vibrator 40, the first acoustic matching layer 30, and the second acoustic matching layer 40 are completed. As a means for cutting, for example, a diamond blade having a blade width of 30 μm to 50 μm is suitable. The resin filled in the through hole H is also cut by the cutting process. After the cutting process, the portion of the through hole H that overlaps with the cutting groove S is not filled with resin, and the portion of the through hole H that does not overlap with the cutting groove S is filled with resin.

  The manufacturing method of the first acoustic matching layer 30 uses the method of the existing technology except for the determination of the cutting pitch according to the hole pitch PH and the adjustment of the cutting position. That is, by using the first acoustic matching plate 74 unique to the present embodiment, the piezoelectric vibrator 20, the first acoustic matching layer 30, and the second acoustic matching layer 40 are manufactured by low-cost machining using existing technology. It becomes possible to do.

  Next, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with the ultrasonic probe 1 will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 9, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 includes the ultrasound probe 1, a transmission circuit 112, a reception circuit 114, a signal processing circuit 116, and a display device 118 with a control circuit 110 as a center.

  The second FPC 50 of the ultrasonic probe 1 electrically extracts each upper electrode 24 independently. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second FPC for electrically extracting each upper electrode 24 independently. As shown in FIG. 10, the second FPC 50 includes a plurality of wirings 51 for electrically extracting the plurality of upper electrodes 24 independently of each other. The wiring 51 is made of ultrathin copper or the like. The second FPC 50 on which the plurality of wirings 51 are formed is pressure-bonded to the second acoustic matching layer 40 in accordance with the position of the cutting groove S. In this way, since it is possible to take signal leads independently from the individual upper surface electrodes 24, it is possible to reduce adverse acoustic effects. Therefore, the resolution of the generated image is improved. The lower electrode 23 and the upper electrode 24 are connected to the transmission circuit 112 or the reception circuit 114 via a probe cable.

  The transmission circuit 112 generates a drive signal for generating an ultrasonic wave, and supplies the generated drive signal to each piezoelectric element 21 to cause each piezoelectric element 21 to generate an ultrasonic wave. The receiving circuit 114 performs delay addition processing on the echo signals from the piezoelectric elements 21. The signal processing circuit 116 receives the echo signal from the receiving circuit 114 and generates B-mode image data and Doppler image data. Display device 118 displays the generated B-mode image or Doppler image.

  Rather than connecting the upper electrode 24 to the transmission circuit 112 or the reception circuit 114, an earth connection may be necessary. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 in this case. As shown in FIG. 11, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 includes an ultrasonic probe 1 ′, a transmission / reception circuit 120, a signal processing circuit 116, and a display device 118 with the control circuit 110 as a center.

  In the second FPC 50 of the ultrasonic probe 1 ′, an extremely thin copper-plated film is pressure bonded to the FPC base. Each upper electrode 24 is connected to the ground level via a probe cable. Each lower electrode 23 is connected to the transmission / reception circuit 120 via a probe cable.

  The transmission / reception circuit 120 generates a drive signal for generating an ultrasonic wave, and supplies the generated drive signal to each piezoelectric element 21 to cause each piezoelectric element 21 to generate an ultrasonic wave. In addition, the transmission / reception unit 5 performs a delay addition process on the echo signals from the piezoelectric elements 21.

  Although the second FPC 50 is bonded to the upper surface of the second acoustic matching layer 40, it is not necessary to be limited to this. For example, the second FPC 50 may be bonded to the upper surface of the first acoustic matching layer. Further, although three acoustic matching layers are used, two layers, one layer, or four or more layers may be used.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the plurality of through holes H are formed in the non-conductive plate, and the intermediate plating layer 33 is formed on the inner surfaces of the plurality of holes. Then, the non-conductive plate is cut so that each acoustic matching element 31 includes at least one intermediate plating layer 33 and divided into a plurality of acoustic matching elements 31. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the upper and lower surfaces of each element 31 of the acoustic matching layer 30 can be conducted easily and reliably.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the ultrasonic probe of FIG. 1 with a part cut away from the second FPC and a third acoustic matching layer. The figure which shows the XY cross section of a part of 1st acoustic matching layer of FIG. The figure which shows the flow of the manufacturing process of the 1st acoustic matching layer of FIG. The figure which shows the nonelectroconductive board which concerns on step S1 of FIG. The figure which shows the nonelectroconductive board which concerns on step S2 of FIG. The figure which shows the nonelectroconductive board which concerns on step S3 of FIG. The figure which shows the block which concerns on step S4 of FIG. The figure which shows the structure of an ultrasound diagnosing device provided with the ultrasound probe of FIG. The figure which shows the wiring on 2nd FPC which concerns on the ultrasonic diagnosing device of FIG. The figure which shows the structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device provided with the ultrasonic probe of FIG. 1 different from FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ultrasonic probe, 10 ... Backing, 20 ... Piezoelectric vibrator, 21 ... Piezoelectric element, 22 ... Piezoelectric body, 23 ... Lower electrode, 24 ... Upper electrode, 25 ... Piezoelectric board, 26 ... Piezoelectric member , 30 ... first acoustic matching layer, 31 ... acoustic matching element, 32 ... non-conductive member (non-conductor), 33 ... intermediate plating layer, 34 ... lower plating layer, 35 ... upper plating layer, 40 ... second Acoustic matching layer, 41 ... second acoustic matching element, 42 ... second acoustic matching plate, 50 ... second flexible printed plate (FPC), 51 ... wiring, 60 ... third acoustic matching layer, 70 ... non-conductive plate, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 80 ... Block, S ... Cutting groove, H ... Through-hole, 100 ... Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, 110 ... Control circuit, 112 ... Transmission circuit, 114 ... Reception circuit, 116 ... Signal processing circuit, 118 ... Display apparatus, 120 ... Transmission / reception circuit

Claims (18)

A plurality of piezoelectric bodies arranged two-dimensionally;
A plurality of electrodes formed on the plurality of piezoelectric bodies;
A plurality of wall surfaces each formed on the plurality of electrodes, each having a wall surface formed by cutting out at least one of four ridges included in the quadrangular column and perpendicular to the electrodes over both surfaces substantially parallel to the electrode. Non-conductors,
A plurality of first conductive thin films respectively formed on the plurality of wall surfaces;
An ultrasonic probe comprising: The non-conductor has an upper surface and a lower surface substantially parallel to the electrode, and five side surfaces substantially orthogonal to the upper surface and the lower surface,
The wall surface is one of the five side surfaces.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1. The plurality of acoustic matching elements have a predetermined thickness and are arranged with a grid-like cutting groove therebetween,
The cutting groove has a plurality of intervals at a first interval along a vertical direction substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction and at a second interval along a horizontal direction substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction and the vertical direction. Have an intersection,
A substantially cylindrical through hole having a diameter larger than the width of the cutting groove is formed at every predetermined number of intersection points along the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the diagonal direction among the plurality of intersection positions. And
The first conductive thin film is in contact with the through hole;
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3, wherein the through holes are formed at a ratio of ¼ or more of all the intersections of the cutting grooves.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the non-conductor is made of an inorganic material having an acoustic impedance of 9 to 15 MRayl.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the non-conductor is made of a ceramic whose main component is mica.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive thin film includes at least one component of nickel, chromium, copper, and gold.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a second conductive thin film is formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the non-conductor.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, wherein the second conductive thin film includes at least one material selected from nickel, chromium, copper, and gold.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3, wherein the diameter of the through hole is 0.1 to 0.3 mm.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3, wherein the through hole is filled with a resin except for a portion overlapping the cutting groove. In an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that scans a subject with ultrasound via an ultrasound probe,
The ultrasonic probe is
A plurality of piezoelectric bodies arranged two-dimensionally;
A plurality of electrodes formed on the plurality of piezoelectric bodies;
A plurality of wall surfaces each formed on the plurality of electrodes, each having a wall surface formed by cutting out at least one of four ridges included in the quadrangular column and perpendicular to the electrodes over both surfaces substantially parallel to the electrode. Non-conductors,
A plurality of first conductive thin films respectively formed on the plurality of wall surfaces;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: Further comprising a flexible printed board on which a plurality of wirings for electrically drawing out the plurality of electrodes are formed,
The plurality of electrodes include a transmission circuit that transmits a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe via the flexible printed board, a reception circuit that receives an echo signal from the ultrasonic probe, and at least a ground level Connected to one,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12. The flexible printed board is connected to the plurality of non-conductors or a plurality of conductors respectively joined to the top surfaces of the plurality of non-conductors.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13. A plate-like non-conductive member having a predetermined thickness has a first interval along a longitudinal direction substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction, and a lateral direction substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction and the longitudinal direction. Forming a plurality of through holes at a second interval along the
Forming a plurality of conductive thin films on the inner surfaces of the plurality of formed through holes,
Manufacturing method of ultrasonic probe. A plate-like piezoelectric member having an electrode formed on a surface substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction, and a first interval along the longitudinal direction substantially orthogonal to the thickness direction, the thickness direction and the longitudinal direction A plate-like non-conductive member having a plurality of through holes provided at a second interval along a lateral direction substantially orthogonal to each other, and a conductive thin film formed on the inner surface of each of the plurality of through holes; A block by joining along the thickness direction,
The configured block is arranged along the horizontal direction at a half interval of the first interval along the vertical direction so that a cutting groove passes through the center of the two through holes adjacent to the through hole. A plurality of elements are formed by cutting at half the second interval.
Manufacturing method of ultrasonic probe. A plurality of piezoelectric elements each having a plurality of piezoelectric bodies arranged two-dimensionally and a plurality of electrodes respectively formed on the plurality of piezoelectric bodies;
A plurality of acoustic matching elements disposed on the plurality of electrodes,
Each of the plurality of acoustic matching elements is
A non-conductive body disposed on the plurality of electrodes and having a substantially cross-shaped cutting groove having a cylindrical hollow region at an intersection portion; and
A conductive thin film formed on the inner surface of the cavity region;
An ultrasonic probe comprising: A piezoelectric vibrator in which cutting grooves provided in a lattice shape are formed;
A non-conductive acoustic matching layer provided on the piezoelectric vibrator and formed with the cutting grooves,
The acoustic matching layer is
Having a plurality of through holes penetrating the acoustic matching layer at a plurality of intersection positions of the cutting grooves,
A first conductive thin film is formed on the inner surfaces of the plurality of through holes.
Ultrasonic probe.

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