JP2012083130A - Ultrasonic inspection method and ultrasonic inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately perform non-destructive inspection of the inside of an inspected object.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic inspection device 10 is used to transmit ultrasonic burst signals from a transmission section 11 to an inspected object 1 and reflection signals from the inside of the inspected object 1 to which the ultrasonic burst signals has been transmitted are received by a cantilever 12. Then, an echo time that is a time difference between transmission of the ultrasonic burst signals and reception of the reflection signals and the position of the cantilever 12 receiving the reflection signals are brought into correspondence with each other to be stored in a storage section 15 of the ultrasonic inspection device 10.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic inspection method and an ultrasonic inspection apparatus using ultrasonic waves.

  Mechanical damage such as breakage and breakage due to the use of a material is caused, for example, as a result of a reduction in mechanical strength due to a collection of minute defects inside the material. Therefore, in the inspection of the inside of the material, not only the macroscopic inspection for the voids and cracks but also the microscopic inspection for the micro defects becomes important.

  For such microscopic inspection inside the material, for example, a transmission electron microscope (TEM) or a scanning electron microscope (SEM) can be used. However, in a TEM or SEM, there are cases in which a material to be inspected or a structure or product using the material to be inspected cannot be inspected as it is.

  On the other hand, an ultrasonic flaw detection method using ultrasonic waves is known as one of non-destructive inspection methods for materials to be inspected. In the ultrasonic flaw detection method, a probe having one or a plurality of arranged transducers is used. The transducer of such a probe receives an ultrasonic signal inside the material to be inspected and receives a reflected signal from the inside of the material. Based on the relationship between the incident signal and the reflected signal, a gap inside the material is obtained. Inspect for cracks, defects, etc.

  In addition, as a method for measuring mainly the shape and physical properties of the material surface, a method using a scanning probe microscope (Scanning Probe Microscope) using a cantilever with a microprobe attached to the tip as a probe is known. .

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-311822 JP-A-6-323843 JP-A-9-159681 Special table 2009-511876

  The ultrasonic flaw detection method is one of the methods capable of inspecting a material part in a nondestructive manner. However, since a transducer of a certain size is used for the probe and a plurality of such transducers are used, the size and spatial resolution of the inspection area are almost determined by the type and number of transducers. come. For this reason, the microscopic inspection inside the material may not be performed with high accuracy.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic inspection method using an ultrasonic inspection apparatus having a transmitter that transmits an ultrasonic signal, a cantilever, and a storage unit. From a first step of transmitting an ultrasonic burst signal, a second step of receiving a reflected signal from the inspected body from which the ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted by the cantilever, and transmission of the ultrasonic burst signal There is provided an ultrasonic inspection method including a third step of storing the time difference until reception of the reflected signal and the position of the cantilever in association with each other in the storage unit.

  Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, a transmitter that transmits an ultrasonic burst signal to an object to be inspected, a cantilever that receives a reflected signal from the object to be inspected from which the ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted, There is provided an ultrasonic inspection apparatus including a storage unit that stores a time difference from transmission of an ultrasonic burst signal to reception of the reflected signal and a position of the cantilever in association with each other.

  According to the disclosed ultrasonic inspection method and ultrasonic inspection apparatus, it becomes possible to inspect the inside of the inspection object with high accuracy in a non-destructive manner.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the processing flow of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing in case two reflectors exist in a to-be-inspected body in 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of an example of the memory | storage method of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the acquisition method of the three-dimensional mesh which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of another example of the memory | storage method of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing in case two reflectors exist in a to-be-inspected body in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a computer.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus.
An ultrasonic inspection apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a transmission unit 11, a cantilever 12, a position control unit 13, a signal processing unit 14, and a storage unit 15.

  The transmitter 11 transmits an ultrasonic signal, here an ultrasonic burst signal, to the device under test 1. For the transmitter 11, for example, an ultrasonic transducer can be used. For example, the transmitter 11 can be provided in the cantilever 12 and the cantilever 12 can be used as a transmitter. Moreover, the transmission part 11 can also be used as a transmitter by itself, for example.

  The cantilever 12 is used as a receiver that receives a reflected signal (echo signal) that is returned from the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the transmitter 11 being reflected by a reflector present inside the device under test 1. For the cantilever 12, a tip provided with a minute probe of nanometer order, for example, is used. The reflected signal from the inspection object 1 is received by the cantilever 12 as a vibration signal of the surface of the inspection object 1.

  The position control unit 13 controls the position of the cantilever 12 (probe) with respect to the device under test 1 (position in the x, y, and z directions). The cantilever 12 is scanned over the inspection region of the inspection object 1 by the position controller 13.

  The signal processing unit 14 uses the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the transmission unit 11 and the reflected signal received by the cantilever 12, and calculates a time difference (echo time) from the transmission of the ultrasonic burst signal to the reception of the reflected signal. Ask. The signal processing unit 14 stores the obtained echo time in the storage unit 15 in association with the position of the cantilever 12 controlled by the position control unit 13 on the inspected object 1. For example, the signal processing unit 14 converts the obtained echo time into a distance (echo distance) using the propagation speed of the ultrasonic burst signal inside the inspected object 1, and then the inspected object of the cantilever 12. The data is stored in the storage unit 15 in association with the position on 1.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus.
The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 10 controls the cantilever 12 to a predetermined position on the inspection object 1, for example, a predetermined position on a predetermined inspection area, by the position control unit 13 (step S1). 1, an ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted from the transmitter 11 (step S2). The ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the transmitter 11 propagates into the inspection object 1 and is reflected by a reflector existing in the inspection object 1, such as a structure or a defect. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 10 receives this reflected signal as a vibration signal of the surface of the inspection object 1 by the cantilever 12 (step S3).

  In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 10, the signal processing unit 14 obtains an echo time that is a time difference between the transmission of the ultrasonic burst signal and the reception of the reflected signal (step S4). The signal processing unit 14 converts the obtained echo time or the obtained echo time into an echo distance, and stores it in the storage unit 15 in association with the position of the cantilever 12 on the inspected object 1 (step S5). ).

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 10 scans the cantilever 12 on the inspection region by the position control unit 13 to change the position of the entire inspection region of the inspection object 1 and executes the processes of steps S1 to S5 (step S6). .

  The echo time required by the signal processing unit 14 of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 10 is such that the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the transmission unit 11 propagates through the inspection object 1, is reflected by the reflector, and is received by the cantilever 12. It is the propagation time until The echo time changes in accordance with the distance between the reflector in the inspection object 1 and the cantilever 12 installed on the inspection object 1. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 10 accumulates the position of the cantilever 12 and the echo time measured when the cantilever 12 is at the position by changing the position of the cantilever 12 in the entire inspection area. Find the reflector distribution.

  As described above, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 10 receives the reflected signal from the inside of the inspection object 1 by the cantilever 12. Therefore, it is possible to measure the echo time up to a minute region about the size of the probe provided at the tip of the cantilever 12 on the surface of the inspection region of the inspection object 1. Since the echo time changes according to the distance between the reflector in the object to be inspected 1 and the cantilever 12, the position where the reflector can exist can be accurately determined by measuring the echo time using the cantilever 12 in this way. I can know better. By performing such reception of the reflected signal by the cantilever 12 and measurement of the echo time over the entire surface of the inspection region, it is possible to acquire the reflector distribution in the inspection region with high spatial resolution and high accuracy. become.

  Note that the inspection area of the inspection object 1 may be the entire inspection object 1 or a part thereof. The length of one side of each micro area that is received by the cantilever 12 on the surface of the inspection area can be a value obtained by dividing the actual size of one side of the inspection area by an arbitrary number (256, 512, 1024, etc.).

Hereinafter, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus and the ultrasonic inspection method using the ultrasonic inspection apparatus will be described in more detail.
First, the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment.
An ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a cantilever 101, a piezoelectric element 102, a position control unit 103, a laser irradiation unit 104, a light detection unit 105, and a difference detection unit 106. Further, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A includes a transmission unit 107, a function generation unit 108, an amplification unit 109, a signal processing unit 110, a storage unit 111, a display unit 112, a control unit 113, and an input unit 114 provided on the cantilever 101. Have.

  The cantilever 101 has one end (base side) fixed, and a tip 101a on the other end side (free end side), for example, is provided with a minute probe 101a of nanometer order. The cantilever 101 is used as a receiver that receives a reflected signal from the device under test 1. The piezoelectric element 102 is provided on the base side of the cantilever 101, and moves the cantilever 101 in the x, y, and z directions according to an input signal. The position control unit 103 controls an input signal to the piezoelectric element 102. The position control unit 103 and the piezoelectric element 102 control the position of the cantilever 101 (probe 101a) in the x, y, and z directions.

  The laser irradiation unit 104 irradiates the back surface of the cantilever 101 with laser light. The light detection unit 105 detects the laser beam reflected and reflected from the laser irradiation unit 104 on the back surface of the cantilever 101. For example, when the cantilever 101 is displaced up and down (z direction), the laser light moves up and down on the light detection unit 105. In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A exemplified here, the displacement (deflection) of the cantilever 101 is detected by such a so-called optical lever method. The difference detection unit 106 receives a detection signal from the light detection unit 105, which changes with the displacement of the cantilever 101, and generates a signal corresponding to the difference between the detection signals.

  A part of the signal generated by the difference detection unit 106 is fed back to the position control unit 103 so that the force between the probe 101a of the cantilever 101 and the surface of the inspection object 1 is kept constant. The position control unit 103 controls the position of the cantilever 101 in the z direction using the fed back signal.

  Transmitter 107 transmits an ultrasonic burst signal. In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100 </ b> A, the transmitter 107 is provided on the cantilever 101. For the transmitter 107, for example, an ultrasonic transducer can be used. The function generator 108 generates a waveform of an ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the transmitter 107. The amplification unit 109 amplifies the waveform generated by the function generation unit 108. The amplification factor in the amplification unit 109 may be variable. A waveform generated by the function generation unit 108 and amplified by the amplification unit 109 is input to the transmission unit 107, and an ultrasonic burst signal corresponding to the waveform is transmitted from the transmission unit 107.

  The ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the transmitter 107 is transmitted to the cantilever 101, and the cantilever 101 vibrates ultrasonically according to the ultrasonic burst signal. The ultrasonic vibration of the cantilever 101 is transmitted to the inspection object 1 and an ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted to the inspection object 1. That is, the cantilever 101 is used as a receiver that receives a reflected signal from the object 1 to be inspected, and is also provided with a transmitter 107 so as to transmit an ultrasonic burst signal to the object 1 to be inspected. Used.

  The signal processing unit 110 detects the signal generated by the difference detection unit 106, that is, the reflection signal from the inspected object 1 received by the cantilever 101. In addition, information on the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the cantilever 101 (transmitting unit 107) to the device under test 1 is transmitted to the signal processing unit 110. Here, the waveform (ultrasonic burst signal) generated by the function generation unit 108 is transmitted to the signal processing unit 110.

  The signal processing unit 110 performs a predetermined calculation using the information on the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the cantilever 101 and the information on the reflected signal received by the cantilever 101. Here, the signal processing unit 110 calculates an echo time that is a time difference between the transmission of the ultrasonic burst signal from the cantilever 101 and the reception of the reflected signal by the cantilever 101. Further, the signal processing unit 110 calculates an echo distance, which is a propagation distance of the ultrasonic burst signal, from the obtained echo time based on the propagation speed of the ultrasonic burst signal in the inspection object 1. Note that the propagation speed of the ultrasonic burst signal in the inspection object 1 can be set in advance from the input unit 114 described later, for example, according to the type of the inspection object 1 to be inspected. The set value of the propagation speed is stored in the storage unit 111 or the like of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, and the signal processing unit 110 uses the set value of the propagation speed stored in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A to return the echo distance. Is calculated.

  Further, the signal processing unit 110 acquires information related to the position of the cantilever 101 on the inspected object 1 from the position control unit 103, and stores the position of the cantilever 101 and the obtained echo distance in the storage unit 111 in association with each other. .

The display unit 112 displays the inspection result for the device under test 1 based on the information stored in the storage unit 111.
The control unit 113 controls processing operations of the position control unit 103, the function generation unit 108, the amplification unit 109, the signal processing unit 110, and the display unit 112.

From the input unit 114, for example, the control conditions of the position control unit 103 and the function generation unit 108 are input according to the type of the inspection object 1. Further, the set value of the propagation speed is input.
For example, from the input unit 114, the inspection area range of the inspection object 1 (scanning range of the cantilever 101 on the inspection object 1), the number of divisions of the inspection area (number of pixels), the scanning speed of the cantilever 101 (in one pixel) Conditions such as the stay time of the cantilever 101) are set. The position control unit 103 controls the position of the cantilever 101 on the inspection object 1 based on the condition.

  In addition, conditions such as the frequency, generation time, and generation timing (generation period) of the ultrasonic burst signal are set from the input unit 114. Based on the condition, the function generator 108 generates a predetermined ultrasonic burst signal at a constant generation cycle.

  The control conditions of the position control unit 103 and the function generation unit 108 are as follows: the reception of the reflected signal by the cantilever 101 is from when one ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted until the next ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted. It is preferable to set so as to be completed.

Next, a processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A having the above configuration will be described.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment.
First, in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, the cantilever 101 is installed on the object 1 to be inspected, and the control conditions of the position control unit 103 and the function generation unit 108 are further input from the input unit 114 and set. For example, as described above, conditions such as the range of the inspection area and the number of divisions (256 × 256 × 256, etc.), the scanning speed of the cantilever 101, and the like are input from the input unit 114, and the control conditions of the position control unit 103 are set. The In addition, conditions such as the frequency, generation time, and generation cycle of the ultrasonic burst signal are input from the input unit 114, and the control conditions of the function generation unit 108 are set.

  The frequency band of the ultrasonic burst signal can be in the range of, for example, several tens of kHz to several tens of MHz. However, in order to receive with high sensitivity by the cantilever 101, the resonance frequency of the cantilever 101 or the vicinity thereof. It is desirable to use the frequency of For example, prior to setting the frequency of the ultrasonic burst signal, the cantilever 101 is placed on the inspection object 1, the ultrasonic sweep signal is incident on the inspection object 1 at a low output, and the response amplitude of the cantilever 101 is measured. The frequency at which is the maximum, that is, the highest sensitivity frequency is found in advance.

  After setting each control condition, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A controls the position of the cantilever 101 on the inspection object 1 to a predetermined position (pixel) on the surface of the inspection area (scanning range) by the position control unit 103 (step). S10).

  Next, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A generates an ultrasonic burst signal by the function generator 108 (step S11). The ultrasonic burst signal generated by the function generation unit 108 is branched into two, and one of the signals is transmitted to the signal processing unit 110 (step S12). The other branched signal is amplified by the amplifier 109 and transmitted (incident) to the device under test 1 from the transmitter 107 via the cantilever 101 (step S13).

  After transmitting an ultrasonic burst signal from the cantilever 101 to the object 1 to be inspected, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A starts receiving a reflection signal from the inside of the object 1 to be inspected by the cantilever 101 (step S14). Reception of the reflected signal is detected by the signal processing unit 110 using the laser irradiation unit 104, the light detection unit 105, and the difference detection unit 106 for a certain period of time. As the fixed time, for example, the generation period of the ultrasonic burst signal, the stay time per pixel of the cantilever 101, and the like can be set.

  If the reception of the reflected signal is not detected by the cantilever 101 for a predetermined time (step S15), the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A proceeds to the process of step S19. If reception of a reflected signal is detected at a certain time (step S15), the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A detects the time difference between the reflected signal detected by the signal processing unit 110 and the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted at step S12. A certain echo time is obtained (step S16). Furthermore, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A uses the signal processing unit 110 to obtain an echo distance, which is a propagation distance of the ultrasonic burst signal in the inspection object 1, from the echo time (step S17).

  100 A of ultrasonic inspection apparatuses memorize | store the echo distance calculated | required in this way by the signal processing part 110 in the memory | storage part 111 in association with the position on the test | inspection area | region of the cantilever 101 when a reflected signal is received ( Step S18).

Here, it is assumed that two reflectors A and B exist at different locations in the inspection object 1.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when two reflectors exist in the body to be inspected in the first embodiment.

  In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100 </ b> A, an ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted from the cantilever 101 to the inspected object 1, and the reflected signal from each of the reflectors A and B is received by the cantilever 101. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, it is assumed that the reflector A is located closer to the cantilever 101 by the distance ΔL among the reflectors A and B. It is assumed that the propagation speed of the ultrasonic burst signal in the inspection object 1 is constant.

As shown in FIG. 5A, when an ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted from the cantilever 101, the ultrasonic burst signal is reflected by the reflectors A and B and received by the cantilever 101. At this time, the echo time from the transmission to reception of the ultrasonic burst signal by the cantilever 101 (the round-trip time of the ultrasonic burst signal between the cantilever 101 and each of the reflectors A and B) is the cantilever 101 and the reflectors A and B. It becomes time according to the distance. That is, as shown in FIG. 5B, since the reflector A is closer to the cantilever 101, the echo time Δt _A between the cantilever 101 and the reflector A is greater than the cantilever 101 and the reflector. It becomes shorter than the echo time Δt _B during _B.

  As in steps S10 to S17, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A transmits and receives an ultrasonic burst signal by the cantilever 101, obtains an echo time by the signal processing unit 110, and further obtains an echo distance. Then, as in step S18, the obtained echo distance is stored in association with the position of the cantilever 101 on the inspection area. In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, in order to store the echo distance and the position of the cantilever 101 in this manner, a storage area corresponding to each mesh of the three-dimensional mesh is prepared in the storage unit 111 (voxel ). Note that the number of meshes of the prepared three-dimensional mesh is set so as to exceed the number of inspection area divisions (number of pixels) that can be set in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a storage method of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment.
Assuming that there are two reflectors A and B in the inspected object 1, the reflected signal from each of the reflectors A and B is received by the cantilever 101 in response to the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the cantilever 101. The The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A obtains echo distances r _A1 and r _B1 for each reflected signal. Then, as shown in FIG. 6A, on the two-dimensional mesh M2 along the scanning direction of the cantilever 101 (x direction or y direction, x direction as an example), the position of the cantilever 101 is set as the center O ₁ . A semicircle whose radius is the obtained echo distances r _A1 and r _B1 is set. The score is added to the mesh (the storage area corresponding to the mesh) at the location corresponding to the semicircle. Here, the mesh to which the points are added corresponds to a portion in the inspection object 1 where the reflectors A and B may exist. In FIG. 6A, the mesh with the added points is painted out.

  In step S18, the echo distance is associated with the position of the cantilever 101 and stored in the storage unit 111 in this way. Then, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A scans the cantilever 101 by the position control unit 103, changes the position (pixel) of the cantilever 101 on the inspection region, and repeats the processes of steps S10 to S18 (step S19).

For example, the cantilever 101 is scanned in the x direction to change its position, an ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted at that position, the reflected signals from the reflectors A and B are received, and the echo distance r for each reflected signal. seek _A2, r _B2. Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, on the two-dimensional mesh M2 along the x direction, a semicircle having the position of the cantilever 101 as the center O ₂ and the obtained echo distances r _A2 and r _B2 as radii. The score is added to the mesh (storage area) at the location corresponding to the top. At this time, the score is further added to the mesh where the points have already been added, and a total of two points are stored. The mesh to which the points are added corresponds to a location in the inspection object 1 where the reflectors A and B may exist. In FIG. 6B, the mesh with the newly added score is shown by being painted, and the mesh with the further added score is hatched.

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100 </ b> A further scans the cantilever 101 in the x direction to change its position, and performs the same processing. After finishing the processing of the end position in the x direction, the cantilever 101 is scanned in the second direction (y direction or x direction, for example, the y direction) orthogonal to perform processing at that position, and thereafter in the x direction. The scanning is performed to change the position of the cantilever 101, and the process is repeated in the same manner. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, the two-dimensional mesh M2 along the x direction of the inspection region is accumulated in the y direction, and the three-dimensional mesh M3 is acquired.

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A thus performs the processing of steps S10 to S18 for the entire range (all pixels) on the inspection region of the object 1 to be inspected, and each mesh (stored) of the three-dimensional mesh for the inspection region. Information obtained by adding points to (region) is acquired. This information represents three-dimensional space information obtained by scoring points of the reflectors A and B in the inspection object 1 in a three-dimensional mesh. The mesh corresponding to the location of the reflectors A and B in the three-dimensional mesh has a high score.

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A uses such a three-dimensional mesh stored in the storage unit 111 to display the three-dimensional spatial information of the inspection region of the subject 1 on the display unit 112 (step S20). For example, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100 </ b> A converts a three-dimensional mesh into shading information or color information corresponding to the size of each mesh, and displays the information on the display unit 112. Thereby, the three-dimensional spatial information of the inspection region of the inspection object 1 is imaged.

  In step S18, when the echo distance is stored in the storage unit 111 in association with the position of the cantilever 101, a score is given to the mesh at a location on the semicircle centered on the position of the cantilever 101 and having the radius of the echo distance. The process of adding is described as an example. In addition, in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, it is possible to perform processing as shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of another example of the storage method of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 8, for convenience, individual meshes of the three-dimensional mesh M3 are not shown.
When the echo distance is associated with the position of the cantilever 101 and stored in the storage unit 111, as shown in FIG. 8, the mesh at a location corresponding to the hemisphere centered on the position of the cantilever 101 and having a radius of the echo distance is used. Points may be added.

For example, first, echo distances r _A1 and r _B1 at the position of a certain cantilever 101 are obtained. Then, as shown in FIG. 8A, on the three-dimensional mesh M3, the mesh at the corresponding location on the hemisphere with the position of the cantilever 101 as the center O ₁ and the echo distances r _A1 and r _B1 as the radius ( The score is added to the storage area. Next, the position control unit 103 scans the cantilever 101 in the first direction (for example, the x direction) to change the position, and obtain echo distances r _A2 and r _B2 at the position. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, on the three-dimensional mesh M3, a mesh corresponding to a hemisphere having the position of the cantilever 101 as the center O ₂ and the echo distances r _A2 and r _B2 as radii is formed. Add points.

  After performing the same processing up to the processing of the end position in the x direction, the cantilever 101 is scanned in the second orthogonal direction (for example, the y direction), the processing at that position is performed, and the scanning is further performed in the x direction. The position of the cantilever 101 is changed and the process is repeated in the same manner. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A thus performs processing on the entire range (all pixels) on the inspection region of the inspection object 1, and adds a score to the corresponding mesh of the three-dimensional mesh M3, thereby obtaining a three-dimensional inspection region. Get spatial information.

  In such processing, for each position (pixel) on the inspection region, the locations where the reflectors A and B may exist can be scored three-dimensionally. By repeating this process over the entire range on the inspection area, it is possible to increase the point information for specifying the location where the reflectors A and B can exist, and thus improve the detection accuracy of the reflectors A and B. Is possible.

  Here, the case where the reflectors A and B exist in the inspection object 1 has been described as an example. However, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A is used for the inspection object 1 whose reflector distribution is unknown, as described above. By executing the processing, it is possible to detect the reflector distribution of the inspection region in the inspection object 1.

The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A according to the first embodiment and the ultrasonic inspection method using the same have been described above.
In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, since the reflected signal is received using the cantilever 101, it is possible to obtain the echo distance by receiving the reflected signal up to a minute region about the size of the probe 101a provided at the tip. Therefore, the location where the reflector can exist can be accurately obtained from the echo distance. By collecting information obtained in such a minute region over the entire inspection region, it is possible to acquire the reflector distribution in the inspection region with high spatial resolution and high accuracy. According to the ultrasonic inspection method using the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, the inside of the inspection object 1 can be inspected with high accuracy in a non-destructive manner.

  In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, the spatial resolution can be changed by changing the range of the inspection region and the number of divisions. In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, since the cantilever 101 is used, for example, a spatial resolution on the order of nanometers to hundreds of microns can be realized. In the case of ultrasonic flaw detection using a probe such as a phased array with one or more transducers, the size and spatial resolution of the inspection area are largely determined by the type, number, and arrangement of transducers, and the applicable range Can be limited. On the other hand, according to the ultrasonic inspection method using the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A, the spatial resolution can be changed and versatility can be improved.

Next, a second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment.
In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100 </ b> B shown in FIG. 9, a transmitter 107 that transmits an ultrasonic burst signal is installed on the inspected object 1 separately from the cantilever 101 and is used as a transmitter. The cantilever 101 is used as a receiver. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B is different from the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100A described above in this respect.

  For example, an ultrasonic transducer can be used as the transmitter 107 (transmitter) of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B according to the second embodiment. The ultrasonic transducer can be fixed and installed on the object 1 via glycerin, silicon rubber, or the like.

A processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B having such a configuration will be described.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment.
In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B, first, the transmitter 107 and the cantilever 101 are installed on the object 1 to be inspected, and further, the control conditions of the position controller 103 and the function generator 108 are input from the input unit 114 and set. . For example, as described above, conditions such as the range of the inspection region and the number of divisions (256 × 256 × 256, etc.), the scanning speed of the cantilever 101, the frequency of the ultrasonic burst signal, the generation time, the generation cycle, etc. Is input and set. Prior to setting the frequency of the ultrasonic burst signal, for example, the highest sensitivity frequency of the cantilever 101 is found in advance.

  After setting each control condition, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B controls the position of the cantilever 101 on the inspection object 1 to a predetermined position (pixel) on the surface of the inspection area (scanning range) by the position control unit 103 (step). S30).

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B generates an ultrasonic burst signal by the function generator 108 (step S31). The ultrasonic burst signal generated by the function generation unit 108 is branched into two, and one of the signals is transmitted to the signal processing unit 110 (step S32). The other branched signal is amplified by the amplifier 109 and transmitted (incident) from the transmitter 107 to the device under test 1 (step S33).

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B starts receiving the reflected signal from the inspected object 1 by the cantilever 101 after the incidence of the ultrasonic burst signal from the transmitting unit 107 to the inspected object 1 (step S34). Reception of the reflected signal is detected by the signal processing unit 110 using the laser irradiation unit 104, the light detection unit 105, and the difference detection unit 106 for a certain period of time. As the fixed time, for example, the generation period of the ultrasonic burst signal, the stay time per pixel of the cantilever 101, and the like can be set.

  If the reception of the reflected signal is not detected within a certain time (step S35), the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B proceeds to the process of step S38. If reception of the reflected signal is detected at a certain time (step S35), the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B is the time difference between the reflected signal detected by the signal processing unit 110 and the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted at step S32. The echo time is obtained (step S36).

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B causes the signal processing unit 110 to store the obtained echo time in the storage unit 111 in association with the position of the cantilever 101 on the inspection region when the reflected signal is received (step S37).

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B scans the cantilever 101 with the position control unit 103, changes the position (pixel) of the cantilever 101 on the inspection region, and repeats the processing of steps S30 to S37 (step S38).

Here, it is assumed that two reflectors C and D exist at different locations in the inspection object 1.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram when there are two reflectors in the body to be inspected in the second embodiment.

  In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B, as shown in FIG. 11A, an ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted from the transmitting unit 107 to the device under test 1, and the reflected signals from the reflectors C and D are received by the cantilever 101. The The echo time required by the signal processing unit 110 of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B is transmitted from the transmitting unit 107, reflected by the reflectors C and D, and propagated by the ultrasonic burst signal until it is received by the cantilever 101. Time (Time Of Flight; TOF). The TOF varies depending on the positional relationship between the transmitter 107, the reflectors C and D, and the cantilever 101.

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B stores the echo time (TOF) obtained by the signal processing unit 110 in association with the position of the cantilever 101 on the inspection region. In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B, since the echo time and the position of the cantilever 101 are stored in association with each other in this way, the storage unit 111 corresponds to each mesh of a three-dimensional mesh as shown in FIG. A storage area is prepared.

  Assuming that there are two reflectors C and D in the inspected object 1, the cantilever 101 receives reflected signals from the reflectors C and D in response to the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the transmitter 107. The Now, it is assumed that the position of the transmitter 107 is fixed and the cantilever 101 is scanned in the first direction (x direction or y direction, x direction as an example).

For example, at the position P ₁ of a certain cantilever 101, the processing of steps S31 to S36 is executed to obtain the echo time t ₁ . In step S37, points are added to the mesh (storage area) at the location corresponding to the position P ₁ and the echo time t ₁ on the two-dimensional mesh M2 along the x direction. Next, the cantilever 101 is scanned to the position P ₂ , the processes of steps S31 to S37 are performed, the echo time t ₂ is obtained, and the two-dimensional mesh M2 along the x direction corresponds to the position P ₂ and the echo time t ₂ . The score is added to the mesh (storage area) at the location to be performed. Such processing is first performed by scanning the cantilever 101 in the x direction and repeating the set number of pixels in the x direction.

When the position of the transmitter 107 is fixed and the cantilever 101 is scanned in the x direction in this way, the echo time becomes shorter as the cantilever 101 and the reflector C approach each other, and the echo time becomes shorter as the cantilever 101 and the reflector C move away from each other. Becomes longer. Similarly, the echo time becomes shorter as the cantilever 101 and the reflector D approach each other, and the echo time becomes longer as the cantilever 101 and the reflector D move away from each other. The two-dimensional mesh M2 along the x direction obtained by the processes of steps S31 to S38 is information reflecting such a situation. That is, in the example of FIG. 11B, when the cantilever 101 is at the positions P ₅ and P ₁₂ , the distance between the cantilever 101 and the reflectors C and D is the shortest.

  After acquiring the two-dimensional mesh M2 along the x direction in this way, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B scans the cantilever 101 in the second direction (y direction or x direction, y direction as an example), and steps S31 to S31. The process of S38 is repeated for the x direction. Thereby, the two-dimensional mesh M2 along the x direction of the inspection region is accumulated in the y direction, and a three-dimensional mesh for the entire inspection region is acquired. In the case of the inspected object 1, finally, a three-dimensional mesh is obtained in which the mesh corresponding to the location where the reflectors C and D are present is the apex, and the added meshes are arranged in a generally inverted conical shape. Is done.

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B uses the display unit 112 to display information regarding the reflector distribution in the inspection region of the inspection object 1 using the three-dimensional mesh of the storage unit 111 acquired in this way (step S39). .

  For example, when adding a score to the mesh corresponding to the position of the cantilever 101 and the obtained echo time, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B adds the score so that the shorter the echo time, the higher the score. Alternatively, the score is evenly added to the mesh corresponding to the position of the cantilever 101 and the obtained echo time, and after acquiring the three-dimensional mesh, the score is reassigned so that the score of the mesh corresponding to the short echo time becomes higher. . The three-dimensional mesh that has been scored in this way is converted into shading information or color information corresponding to the size of the score of each mesh and displayed on the display unit 112. Thereby, the inspection area | region of to-be-inspected object 1 can be imaged three-dimensionally.

  Further, the position in the x and y directions of the reflector existing in the inspection object 1 is determined from the position of the apex of the three-dimensional mesh (the position of the cantilever 101) in which the meshes with the added points are arranged in an inverted cone shape. be able to. Furthermore, the position of the reflector in the z direction can be determined from the echo time corresponding to the mesh at the apex, the position of the cantilever 101, and the position of the transmitter 107. In step S39, based on the three-dimensional mesh acquired as described above, the reflector distribution in the device under test 1 can be imaged as three-dimensional spatial information.

  Even when transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic burst signal at different locations on the inspected object 1 as in the second embodiment, by using the cantilever 101 for reception, the inside of the inspected object 1 can be High-resolution, high-precision, non-destructive inspection can be performed.

  Here, the case where the position of the transmitting unit 107 is fixed and the cantilever 101 is scanned on the inspection region to obtain a three-dimensional mesh indicating the relationship between the position of the cantilever 101 and the echo time has been described as an example.

  In addition, the position of the cantilever 101 is fixed, the transmitter 107 is scanned over the inspection area, a three-dimensional mesh indicating the relationship between the position of the transmitter 107 and the echo time is acquired, and the information is also added to be inspected. The inspection area of the body 1 may be inspected. When the transmitter 107 is scanned in this manner, for example, the transmitter 107 such as an ultrasonic transducer having an arbitrary size can be used. Further, if a cantilever different from the cantilever 101 used as a receiver is used as a transmitter, it is effective from the viewpoint of performing high-precision inspection with high spatial resolution.

Next, an example in which a cantilever is used for outgoing calls will be described as a third embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the third embodiment.
An ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C illustrated in FIG. 12 includes a cantilever 121 for transmission (second cantilever) in addition to the cantilever 101 for reception.

  Like the receiving cantilever 101, the transmitting cantilever 121 is provided with a piezoelectric element 122 and a position control unit 123. The piezoelectric element 122 moves the transmitting cantilever 121 in the x, y, and z directions in accordance with the input signal. The position control unit 123 controls an input signal to the piezoelectric element 122. The position control unit 123 and the piezoelectric element 122 control the position of the transmitting cantilever 121 (probe) in the x, y, and z directions on the inspection region of the inspection object 1. The position control unit 123 is controlled by the control unit 113 according to the control conditions input from the input unit 114. In addition, here, in order to control the z-direction position during scanning of the cantilever 121, the laser irradiation unit 124, the light detection unit 125, and the difference detection unit 126 are provided on the transmission cantilever 121 side as well as the reception cantilever 101 side. Provided.

  The transmitting cantilever 121 is provided with a transmitting unit 107 such as an ultrasonic transducer. When the ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted from the transmitting unit 107, the cantilever 121 is ultrasonically vibrated, and the probe is inspected from the probe. An ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted (incident) to the body 1. That is, the cantilever 121 is provided with the transmitter 107 and is used as a transmitter that transmits an ultrasonic burst signal to the device under test 1. The position control unit 123 controls the position of the cantilever 121 used as the transmitter in the x, y, and z directions.

The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C is different from the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B described above in this respect.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the third embodiment.

In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C, the same process can be performed up to the process of step S38 in FIG.
That is, in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C, first, the receiving cantilever 101 and the transmitting cantilever 121 are installed on the inspected object 1, and the position control units 103 and 123 and the function generating unit 108 are further connected from the input unit 114. Control conditions are input and set.

  After setting each control condition, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C causes the position control units 103 and 123 to set the positions of the cantilevers 101 and 121 on the inspection object 1 to predetermined positions (pixels) on the surface of the inspection area (scanning range). Control (step S50).

  In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C, the function generator 108 generates an ultrasonic burst signal (step S51). Then, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C transmits a part to the signal processing unit 110 (step S52), a part thereof is amplified by the amplification unit 109, and is transmitted from the transmission unit 107 to the device under test 1 via the cantilever 121 ( (Step S53).

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C starts receiving a reflection signal from the inside of the inspection object 1 by using the cantilever 101 (step S54). If the reception of the reflected signal is not detected within a predetermined time (step S55), the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C proceeds to the process of step S58. If the reception of the reflected signal is detected at a certain time (step S55), the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C sets an echo time that is a time difference between the detected reflected signal and the transmitted ultrasonic burst signal by the signal processing unit 110. Obtained (step S56).

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C causes the signal processing unit 110 to store the obtained echo time in the storage unit 111 in association with the position of the cantilever 101 when the reflected signal is received (step S57). The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C scans the cantilever 101 with the position control unit 103 while the position of the cantilever 121 is fixed, changes the position (pixel) of the cantilever 101 on the inspection region, and repeats the processing of steps S50 to S57. (Step S58). The processing in steps S57 and S58 can be executed according to the example described in FIG.

  When the scanning of the cantilever 101 is completed in the entire inspection area, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C executes a process of fixing the receiving cantilever 101 at a predetermined position and scanning the transmission cantilever 121 on the inspection area. When the cantilever 121 is scanned (step S59), the process returns to step S50, and the processes after step S50 are repeatedly executed until the scanning of the cantilever 121 is completed in the entire inspection region.

  However, when the position of the cantilever 101 is fixed and the cantilever 121 is scanned as described above, in step S57, the echo time obtained in step S56 is associated with the position of the cantilever 121 and stored in the storage unit 111. Thereby, a two-dimensional mesh similar to that shown in FIG. 11B and a three-dimensional mesh for the entire inspection region are acquired.

  After the scanning of the cantilever 121 is completed for the entire inspection region (step S59), the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C performs aperture synthesis processing on the information stored in the storage unit 111 by the signal processing unit 110 (step S60). That is, a convolution operation is performed by an aperture synthesis method using information on a three-dimensional mesh obtained by scanning the cantilever 101 and information on a three-dimensional mesh obtained by scanning the cantilever 121. Information after the aperture synthesis process is stored in the storage unit 111.

Then, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C displays information on the reflector distribution in the inspection area of the inspection object 1 after the aperture synthesis process by the display unit 112 (step S61).
If information on the three-dimensional mesh obtained by scanning the cantilevers 101 and 121 is used in this way, the amount of information used for obtaining the reflector distribution can be increased, and the spatial resolution is higher and the accuracy is higher. It is possible to acquire and display 3D image information.

  The aperture synthesis method, which is a kind of convolutional operation, is often applied to systems that are difficult to use with the scanning imaging method. For example, the processing performance of a probe having a plurality of relatively large transducers such as a phased array can be obtained. Used to improve. The aperture synthesis method is effective in improving the measurement time lag in scanning and low azimuth resolution. As in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C, if the transmission and reception of the cantilever are controlled by scanning, and the echo time is measured by dividing the time and added to the storage unit 111, the synergy between the scanning method and the aperture synthesis method The effect is demonstrated. Therefore, for example, precise three-dimensional image information with a spatial resolution of submicron or less can be acquired.

  As in the third embodiment, by using the cantilevers 121 and 101 for transmission and reception, the inside of the inspection object 1 can be inspected with high spatial resolution with high accuracy and nondestructiveness.

  Note that a single cantilever can be used as the transmission cantilever 121 of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C according to the third embodiment, and a cantilever type probe card having a plurality of cantilevers can also be used. . In that case, a plurality of cantilevers of the probe card are installed on the inspected object 1, and an ultrasonic burst signal is sequentially transmitted from each cantilever. Then, for each ultrasonic burst signal, the time difference from the reflected signal received by the receiving cantilever 101 installed at a predetermined position on the inspection object 1, that is, the echo time is obtained. Thereby, the same processing as when a single cantilever for transmission is scanned can be realized.

  Similarly to the cantilever 101 for reception of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100C, a cantilever type probe card having a plurality of cantilevers can be used in addition to a single cantilever. In that case, a plurality of cantilevers of the probe card are installed on the inspected object 1, and the reflected signal of the ultrasonic burst signal transmitted from the transmitting cantilever from the inside of the inspected object 1 is transmitted to the probe card. The signal is received by each cantilever, and the echo time is obtained for each reflected signal. Thereby, the same processing as when scanning a single cantilever for reception can be realized.

  In addition, when such a cantilever type probe card having a plurality of cantilevers is used for both transmission and reception, the amount of information used for obtaining the reflector distribution can be further increased, and the inspection accuracy can be improved. It becomes possible.

A cantilever probe card having a plurality of cantilevers can be similarly applied to the cantilever 101 of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 100B according to the second embodiment.
In the above description, the case where the reception of the reflected signal by the cantilever 101 is detected by the optical lever method is exemplified. However, the vibration of the cantilever 101 itself is directly converted into an electric signal, and is detected by a self-detection method. Also good.

The processing functions of the ultrasonic inspection apparatuses 100A, 100B, and 100C can be realized using a computer.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a computer.

  In the ultrasonic inspection apparatuses 100A, 100B, and 100C, the whole is controlled by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 of the computer 200. For example, the processing of the control unit 113 is realized using the CPU 201, and the processing of the position control units 103 and 123, the function generation unit 108, the amplification unit 109, the signal processing unit 110, and the display unit 112 is controlled. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 202 connected to the CPU 201 via the bus 208 temporarily stores at least part of an OS (Operating System) program and application programs to be executed by the CPU 201. The RAM 202 stores various data necessary for processing by the CPU 201.

  A hard disk drive (HDD) 203 stores an OS program, application programs, and various data. For example, the HDD 203 is used as the storage unit 111.

  A monitor 301 is connected to the graphic processing device 204, and the graphic processing device 204 displays an image on the screen of the monitor 301 in accordance with a command from the CPU 201. For example, the processing of the display unit 112 is realized using the graphic processing device 204 and the monitor 301.

  A keyboard 302 and a mouse 303 are connected to the input interface 205, and the input interface 205 transmits a signal transmitted from the keyboard 302 and the mouse 303 to the CPU 201. For example, the processing of the input unit 114 is realized using the input interface 205, the keyboard 302, and the mouse 303.

  The optical drive device 206 reads data from an optical disc 304 such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), DVD-RAM, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), CD-R (Recordable) / RW (ReWritable), Write.

The communication interface 207 is connected to the network 400 and transmits / receives data to / from other computers or communication devices via the network 400.
In addition, a program describing processing contents of functions that the control unit 113 of the ultrasonic inspection apparatuses 100A, 100B, and 100C should have is provided. By executing the program on a computer, the above processing functions are realized on the computer. The program describing the processing content can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium (magnetic storage device, optical disk, magneto-optical recording medium, semiconductor memory, etc.).

  As described above, according to the ultrasonic inspection apparatus and the ultrasonic inspection method using the ultrasonic inspection apparatus, the structure (reflector distribution) inside the inspected object can be obtained with high spatial resolution, high accuracy, and non-destructiveness. It becomes possible to inspect. In addition, since the cantilever is used, it is possible to use this ultrasonic inspection apparatus as an SPM and inspect the physical properties distribution such as density and viscoelasticity together with the structure inside the object to be inspected.

  Further, in an inspection using a phased array as a probe, the spatial resolution is almost determined by the size and the number of transducers arranged in the probe, and the applicable range may be limited. On the other hand, in the above-described ultrasonic inspection apparatus and ultrasonic inspection method, the spatial resolution can be changed by changing the scanning range of the cantilever and the number of divided pixels, and the versatility can be improved.

  Furthermore, the above-described ultrasonic inspection apparatus can be reduced in size relatively easily due to its configuration, can be carried, and can be applied to various inspection objects both indoors and outdoors. For example, the present invention can be applied to curved inspection objects such as airframes and pipes and inspection objects that are difficult to carry out during operation. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to inspected objects in which a plurality of inspection objects are spatially dispersed. In addition, as in the above-described ultrasonic inspection apparatus and ultrasonic inspection method, it is one of the advantages that transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals can be performed on one side of the object to be inspected. For example, when inspecting an internal defect of a pipe, a transmission method inspection method requires a jig for sandwiching an object to be inspected. In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus and the ultrasonic inspection method using the reflection method, Thus, an internal defect can be inspected with a simpler configuration.

Regarding the embodiment described above, the following additional notes are further disclosed.
(Appendix 1) An ultrasonic inspection method using an ultrasonic inspection apparatus having a transmitter that transmits an ultrasonic signal, a cantilever, and a storage unit,
A first step of transmitting an ultrasonic burst signal from the transmitter to an object to be inspected;
A second step of receiving, by the cantilever, a reflected signal from the inspected body from which the ultrasonic burst signal has been transmitted;
A third step of associating the time difference from the transmission of the ultrasonic burst signal to the reception of the reflected signal and the position of the cantilever in the storage unit;
An ultrasonic inspection method comprising:

(Additional remark 2) The ultrasonic inspection method of Additional remark 1 characterized by changing the position of the said cantilever and performing said 1st process, said 2nd process, and said 3rd process.
(Supplementary Note 3) Further includes a fourth step of associating and storing the position of the transmitter and the time difference in the storage unit,
The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 2, wherein the position of the transmitter is changed, and the first step, the second step, and the fourth step are executed.

(Additional remark 4) The said cantilever has a function of the said transmitter, The ultrasonic inspection method of Additional remark 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.
(Supplementary note 5) The ultrasonic inspection method according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 3, wherein a second cantilever is used for the transmitter.

(Supplementary Note 6) The storage unit has a storage area corresponding to each mesh of a three-dimensional mesh,
When storing in the storage unit, the score is stored in the storage area corresponding to the mesh at a position corresponding to the time difference and the position corresponding to the time difference. The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 5.

  (Additional remark 7) The ultrasonic inspection method of Additional remark 6 further including the process of performing opening synthetic | combination processing using the position of the said transmitter and the said cantilever, and the score of each said memory area.

(Additional remark 8) The said ultrasonic inspection apparatus has a display part,
The ultrasonic inspection method according to appendix 6, further comprising a step of converting and displaying the score of each storage area into information corresponding to the score by the display unit.

(Supplementary note 9) a transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic burst signal to an object to be inspected;
A cantilever that receives a reflected signal from the inspected body from which the ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted;
A storage unit that associates and stores a time difference from transmission of the ultrasonic burst signal to reception of the reflected signal and a position of the cantilever,
An ultrasonic inspection apparatus comprising:

(Supplementary note 10) The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to supplementary note 9, further comprising a first position control unit that controls the position of the cantilever.
(Additional remark 11) The ultrasonic inspection apparatus of Additional remark 10 characterized by further including the 2nd position control part which controls the position of the said transmitter.

(Supplementary note 12) The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to supplementary note 9 or 10, wherein the cantilever has a function of the transmitter.
(Supplementary note 13) The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to any one of supplementary notes 9 to 11, wherein a second cantilever is used for the transmitter.

(Supplementary Note 14) The storage unit has a storage area corresponding to each mesh of a three-dimensional mesh,
Any one of Supplementary notes 9 to 13, wherein the storage unit stores a score in the storage area corresponding to the mesh at a position corresponding to the time difference and the position stored in association with the time difference. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to Crab.

  (Supplementary note 15) The ultrasonic examination apparatus according to supplementary note 14, further comprising a display unit that converts and displays the score of each storage area into information corresponding to the score.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inspected object 10,100A, 100B, 100C Ultrasonic inspection apparatus 11,107 Transmission part 12,101,121 Cantilever 13,103,123 Position control part 14,110 Signal processing part 15,111 Storage part 101a Probe 102, 122 Piezoelectric elements 104, 124 Laser irradiation unit 105, 125 Photodetection unit 106, 126 Difference detection unit 108 Function generation unit 109 Amplification unit 112 Display unit 113 Control unit 114 Input unit M2 2D mesh M3 3D mesh 200 Computer 201 CPU
202 RAM
203 HDD
204 Graphic Processing Device 205 Input Interface 206 Optical Drive Device 207 Communication Interface 208 Bus 301 Monitor 302 Keyboard 303 Mouse 303 Optical Disk 400 Network

Claims (7)

An ultrasonic inspection method using an ultrasonic inspection apparatus having a transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic signal, a cantilever, and a storage unit,
A first step of transmitting an ultrasonic burst signal from the transmitter to an object to be inspected;
A second step of receiving, by the cantilever, a reflected signal from the inspected body from which the ultrasonic burst signal has been transmitted;
A third step of associating the time difference from the transmission of the ultrasonic burst signal to the reception of the reflected signal and the position of the cantilever in the storage unit;
An ultrasonic inspection method comprising:   The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the cantilever is changed, and the first step, the second step, and the third step are executed. A fourth step of associating and storing the transmitter position and the time difference in the storage unit;
The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 2, wherein the position of the transmitter is changed, and the first step, the second step, and the fourth step are executed. The storage unit has a storage area corresponding to each mesh of a three-dimensional mesh,
2. When storing in the storage unit, the score is stored in the storage area corresponding to the mesh at a position corresponding to the time difference and the position corresponding to the time difference. The ultrasonic inspection method according to any one of items 1 to 3. A transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic burst signal to the object to be inspected;
A cantilever that receives a reflected signal from the inspected body from which the ultrasonic burst signal is transmitted;
A storage unit that associates and stores a time difference from transmission of the ultrasonic burst signal to reception of the reflected signal and a position of the cantilever,
An ultrasonic inspection apparatus comprising:   The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the cantilever has a function of the transmitter.   The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a second cantilever is used for the transmitter.

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