JP2016092439A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic probe capable of suppressing vibration generated at a relay board.SOLUTION: The ultrasonic probe includes an acoustic element, an integrated circuit, a relay board 5 and an attenuation section 503. The acoustic element transmits and receives a supersonic wave. The integrated circuit executes data processing concerning an ultrasonic wave transmitted and received by the acoustic element. The relay board 5 is positioned between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit and relays electrical connection between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit. The attenuation section 503 is provided at the relay board 5 and attenuates vibration caused by an ultrasonic wave.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an ultrasonic probe.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an ultrasonic probe, an acoustic element that performs ultrasonic transmission / reception on an integrated circuit by providing an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) in the ultrasonic probe for high performance and miniaturization. A structure in which (element group) is arranged is known. In the ultrasonic probe having such a structure, a relay substrate (also called an interposer) is provided between the integrated circuit and the acoustic element, or a relay substrate (also called an interposer) is provided between the integrated circuit and the acoustic element. Manufactured by connecting method. Here, in the method of directly connecting the integrated circuit and the acoustic element, the structure is simple and further miniaturization is possible. However, the arrangement interval of the acoustic elements (element pitch) and the corresponding arrangement interval on the integrated circuit side Therefore, it is necessary to manufacture a dedicated integrated circuit for each ultrasonic probe, and the development and components of the integrated circuit are costly.

  On the other hand, in the method of connecting via the relay board, the structure is complicated, but by utilizing the degree of freedom of rewiring (for example, changing the pitch) in the relay board, it is possible to connect between various ultrasonic probes. The integrated circuit can be shared, and the cost for development and parts of the integrated circuit can be reduced. For example, when an integrated circuit and an acoustic element are connected via a relay board, the integrated circuit is mounted on the relay board by a reflow method. Then, acoustic elements such as a piezoelectric vibrator and an acoustic matching layer are stacked on the relay substrate, and element division is performed.

Here, since the relay substrate serves as the base of the acoustic element, mechanical stability is important. For example, since the reflow temperature when an integrated circuit is mounted by the reflow method reaches about 250 ° C., it is important that the relay substrate has a small deformation with respect to the temperature. It is also important that the relay substrate has a high accuracy of the shape to be produced. Therefore, the relay substrate is formed with, for example, alumina (aluminum oxide) or a ceramic material such as SiO ₂ as a main component. In the relay substrate, a conductive material for electrically connecting the integrated circuit and the acoustic element is provided inside or on the surface. Here, as the conductive material, for example, tungsten, molybdenum, gold, silver, copper, or the like is used.

JP 2013-243668 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic probe that makes it possible to reduce vibration generated in a relay substrate.

  The ultrasonic probe according to the embodiment includes an acoustic element, an integrated circuit, a relay substrate, and an attenuation unit. The acoustic element transmits and receives ultrasonic waves. The integrated circuit executes data processing related to ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the acoustic element. The relay board is disposed between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit, and relays electrical connection between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit. The attenuation unit is provided on the relay substrate and attenuates vibrations caused by the ultrasonic waves.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment is connected. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a problem related to the prior art. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a simulation result using a relay board according to the related art. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the relay board according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a modification according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a relay board according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a modification according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating a modification according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modification example according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a simulation result using the relay board according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the relay board according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a structure of a conductive material according to the third embodiment.

(First embodiment)
First, the overall configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment is connected will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1000 to which an ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment is connected. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1000 according to the first embodiment includes an apparatus main body 200 and an ultrasonic probe 100.

  The apparatus main body 200 is an apparatus that supplies a signal for driving the ultrasonic probe 100 and generates an ultrasonic image based on a received reflected wave. The apparatus body 200 is connected to an input device, a monitor, and the like, receives various requests from the operator of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1000, and displays various information.

  The input device includes, for example, a trackball, a switch, a button, a mouse, a keyboard, and the like, receives various setting requests from an operator of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1000, and receives various setting requests (for example, the apparatus main body 200). , A request for setting a region of interest, an instruction for setting image quality conditions, etc.)

  The monitor displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for an operator of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1000 to input various setting requests using the input device, and displays an ultrasonic image generated in the apparatus main body 200. Or

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic probe 100 includes a connection terminal 10, a connector 20, a connection mechanism 30, a cable 40, and an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50. The connection terminal 10 is a terminal for connecting a signal line for transmitting / receiving a transmission signal to / from an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 to be described later and a reception signal from the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 to the apparatus main body 200. The connection terminal 10 has various shapes corresponding to the type of the apparatus main body 200.

  The connector 20 accommodates the cable 40 and secures the ultrasonic probe 100 to the apparatus main body 200 to ensure electrical connection. The connection mechanism 30 secures the electrical connection between the ultrasonic probe 100 and the apparatus main body 200 by fixing the connector 20 to the apparatus main body 200. The connection mechanism 30 is, for example, a handle or a knob. The connection mechanism 30 switches between a locked state in which the connector 20 is fixed to the apparatus main body 200 and an unlocked state in which the connector 20 can be detached from the apparatus main body 200.

  The cable 40 is a cable for transmitting and receiving signals between an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 and an apparatus main body 200 described later. For example, the cable 40 has a plurality of signal lines. The signal line is connected to the apparatus main body 200 via the connection terminal 10.

  The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 generates an ultrasonic wave based on a signal supplied from the apparatus main body 200, receives a reflected wave from the subject, and converts it into a reception signal. Here, it is assumed that the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 according to the present embodiment includes acoustic elements such as piezoelectric vibrators and acoustic matching layers arranged in a two-dimensional matrix. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a one-dimensional array probe in which acoustic elements are one-dimensionally arranged in the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the inside of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50. The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 illustrated in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the example illustrated in FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 includes a ground electrode 1, an acoustic element 2, a bump 3, a substrate (for example, FPC: Flexible Printed Circuits) 4, and a relay substrate (interposer). 5, an integrated circuit (for example, ASIC) 6, and a back material (backing material) 7.

  In the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50, as shown in FIG. 2, the acoustic element 2 and the relay board 5 are connected, and the relay board 5 and the integrated circuit 6 are connected via the bumps 3, whereby the acoustic element 2 and The integrated circuit 6 is connected via the relay substrate 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the acoustic element 2 includes an acoustic matching layer 201, a piezoelectric vibrator (for example, PZT: lead zirconate titanate) 202, and an intermediate layer (for example, tungsten carbide) 203, Send and receive ultrasound. In the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 according to the present embodiment, an acoustic element group in which acoustic elements in which the acoustic matching layer 201, the piezoelectric vibrator 202, and the intermediate layer 203 are stacked is arranged in a two-dimensional matrix is formed. .

  The acoustic matching layer 201 alleviates the mismatch of acoustic impedance between the piezoelectric vibrator 202 and the subject. The piezoelectric vibrator 202 generates an ultrasonic wave based on a transmission signal supplied from the integrated circuit 6 described later, receives a reflected wave from the subject, and generates a reception signal. The intermediate layer 203 prevents ultrasonic waves from propagating backward from the piezoelectric vibrator 202.

  The relay substrate 5 is disposed between the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 and relays electrical connection between the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6. For example, the relay substrate 5 includes a conductive material that electrically connects the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6, and the conductive material is a circle that penetrates the surface on the acoustic element side and the surface on the integrated circuit side of the relay substrate 5. It is formed in a columnar shape, a prismatic shape, or a cylindrical shape.

  The integrated circuit 6 is, for example, an ASIC, and executes data processing related to ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the acoustic element 2. For example, the integrated circuit 6 generates a transmission signal based on a signal (for example, a signal related to ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions) supplied from the apparatus main body 200, and supplies the generated transmission signal to the piezoelectric vibrator 202. Further, for example, the integrated circuit 6 receives the reception signal generated by the piezoelectric vibrator 202 and adds the received reception signal in a predetermined unit to reduce the number of reception signals transmitted to the apparatus main body 200 to a predetermined number. To do. The backing material 7 prevents backward ultrasonic propagation by absorbing ultrasonic attenuation backward from the piezoelectric vibrator 3.

Thus, in the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment, the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 are connected via the relay substrate 5. Here, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment is formed so as to be able to reduce the vibration generated in the relay substrate 5. As described above, the relay substrate 5 is formed mainly of alumina or a ceramic material such as SiO _{2 in} order to improve mechanical stability. Since ceramic materials have low acoustic damping, vibrations generated by acoustic elements (vibrations generated by piezoelectric transducers that could not be absorbed and absorbed by the intermediate layer) are not attenuated in the relay substrate according to the prior art, and are localized. Will be.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a problem related to the prior art. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a relay board 510 according to the prior art. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the relay substrate 510 according to the related art includes a base material 511 formed of alumina and conductive materials 512a to 512c formed of copper (Cu). Such a relay substrate 510 is disposed between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit, and performs electrical connection. Here, in the conventional relay substrate 510, a lateral vibration is generated in which the vibration that is generated by the piezoelectric vibrator and cannot be attenuated and absorbed by the intermediate layer is transmitted in the base material. For example, in the conventional relay board 510, as shown in FIG. 3B, the vibration propagated in the direction of the arrow 60 through the conductive material 512b is transmitted in the direction of the arrow 61 and the arrow 62 in the base material 511. Lateral vibration (hereinafter referred to as unnecessary vibration) occurs.

  Thus, when unnecessary vibration propagates in the lateral direction, reception signals transmitted by the adjacent conductive material 512a and conductive material 512c may be affected. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a simulation result using the relay substrate 510 according to the related art. Here, FIG. 4 simulates a situation in which an ultrasonic signal transmitted from one acoustic element propagates in water and a reflected wave reflected by a reflector is received by an adjacent element. In FIG. 4, the horizontal axis indicates time “Time (μsec)”, and the vertical axis indicates amplitude. The amplitude shown in FIG. 4 indicates the strength of the received signal when the strength of the initial transmission signal is “1”. For example, when the relay substrate 510 according to the prior art is used, as shown in FIG. 4, a waveform indicating unnecessary vibration appears before and after the waveform of the received signal in the vicinity of 14 μsec. When an ultrasonic image is visualized based on a reception signal including such a signal of unnecessary vibration, an unnecessary component due to unnecessary vibration may appear as noise and cause image deterioration.

  Therefore, in the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment, the above-described unnecessary vibration is reduced by providing the relay substrate 5 with an attenuation unit that attenuates vibration due to ultrasonic waves. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the relay board 5 according to the first embodiment. Here, in FIG. 5, (A) shows a cross-sectional view of the relay board 5, (B) shows an external view of the relay board 5, and (C) shows a top view of the relay board 5 on the acoustic element 2 side. Show. In FIG. 5, (A) to (C) each show a part of the relay substrate 5.

For example, the relay substrate 5 includes a base material 501, a conductive material 502, and an attenuation portion 503 as illustrated in FIG. The base material 501 is a base portion of the relay substrate 5 and is formed of a ceramic material such as alumina or SiO ₂ , for example. The conductive material 502 electrically connects the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6, and is formed of, for example, tungsten, molybdenum, gold, copper, silver, tin, or solder. Here, the conductive material 502 is provided so that the arrangement (element pitch) of the acoustic elements 2 corresponds to the arrangement of the integrated circuits 6. That is, even if the pitch of the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 is different, the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 can be reliably connected by changing the arrangement of the conductive material 502. 5 shows the case where the pitches of the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 are the same and the conductive material 502 is vertically wired, but when the pitch is different, the conductive material 502 is diagonally wired. May be.

  The attenuating unit 503 attenuates vibration caused by ultrasonic waves, and is formed of, for example, a resin, rubber, a resin or rubber and a mixture of metal, metal oxide, metal carbide, or metal nitride, or a hollow space. For example, the attenuation portion 503 is provided between the conductive materials 502 in the base material 501 as illustrated in FIG. That is, the attenuation part 503 is disposed between the plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501.

  Here, the attenuation portion 503 is provided on the acoustic element 2 side in the relay substrate 5 as shown in FIG. In the relay substrate 5, since the base material 501 is formed of a hard ceramic material, the vibration propagated from the acoustic element 2 side becomes unnecessary vibration transmitted in the lateral direction on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay substrate 5. Therefore, in the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment, the unnecessary vibration transmitted in the lateral direction is attenuated by disposing the attenuation unit 503 on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay substrate 5.

  That is, the relay substrate 5 according to the first embodiment includes an acoustic element in the thickness direction of the base material 501 between the plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501 as illustrated in FIG. Attenuators 503 are provided on the sides. Therefore, in the relay substrate 5 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5C, the damping part 503 is disposed between the adjacent conductive materials 502, and the vibration propagated through the conductive material 502 is generated. Even if it is transmitted in the lateral direction, the vibration can be attenuated.

  Here, the relay substrate 5 shown in FIG. 5 is merely an example, and may be implemented in various other forms. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a modification according to the first embodiment. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the relay board 5, and FIG. 6C is a top view of the relay board 5 on the acoustic element 2 side. For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the case where the longitudinal direction of the attenuation portion 503 is parallel to the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the base material 501 has been described. That is, the example in which the attenuation unit 503 illustrated in FIG. 5 has a structure that becomes longer from the acoustic element 2 side of the base material 501 toward the integrated circuit 6 side has been described.

  However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the longitudinal direction of the attenuation portion 503 may be parallel to the surface direction (lateral direction) of the base material 501 (the relay substrate 5). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, the relay substrate 5 may include a damping portion 503 having a structure that becomes longer in the lateral direction on the acoustic element 2 side of the base material 501.

  In addition, the attenuation unit 503 may be provided not only on the acoustic element 2 side but also through the base material 501. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the attenuation unit 503 is provided so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay substrate 5 to the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side. 6A and 6B, when the attenuation portion 503 is provided, the attenuation portion 503 is disposed between the plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501. The

  In FIGS. 5 and 6A and 6B described above, the case where the attenuation portion 503 is disposed between the plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501 has been described. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the attenuation unit 503 may be disposed only between the predetermined conductive materials 502. For example, as shown in FIG. 6C, between the conductive material 502 shown in the upper part of the figure and the conductive material 502 shown in the middle part, and between the conductive material 502 shown in the middle part of the figure and the conductive material shown in the lower part. The attenuation unit 503 may be arranged only between the terminal 502 and the terminal 502. In other words, the attenuation portion 503 may not be provided between the conductive material 502 on the left side and the center and between the center and the right side in the drawing.

  For example, a piezoelectric vibrator corresponding to the three conductive materials 502 shown in the upper stage, a piezoelectric vibrator corresponding to the three conductive materials 502 shown in the middle stage, and a piezoelectric vibrator corresponding to the three conductive materials 502 shown in the lower stage. When the control is performed collectively, as shown in FIG. 6C, the attenuation unit 503 may be arranged between the upper stage and the middle stage and between the middle stage and the lower stage.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the acoustic element 2 transmits and receives ultrasonic waves. The integrated circuit 6 executes data processing related to ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the acoustic element 2. The relay substrate 5 is disposed between the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 and relays electrical connection between the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6. The attenuation unit 503 is provided on the relay substrate 5 and attenuates vibration caused by ultrasonic waves. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can attenuate unnecessary vibration generated in the relay substrate 5. As a result, the ultrasonic probe 100 can suppress deterioration of the ultrasonic image due to unnecessary vibration.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the attenuation unit 503 is provided on the acoustic element 2 side in the relay substrate 5. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can effectively attenuate unnecessary vibration that propagates in the lateral direction on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay substrate 5.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the attenuation unit 503 is provided so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element 2 side in the relay substrate 5 to the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can attenuate the unnecessary vibration over the entire thickness direction of the relay substrate 5.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the relay substrate 5 includes the conductive material 502 that electrically connects the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6, and the conductive material 502 is on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay substrate 5. It is formed in a columnar shape, a prismatic shape, or a cylindrical shape that penetrates the surface and the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side. The conductive material 502 is formed of tungsten, molybdenum, gold, copper, silver, tin, or solder. The relay substrate 5 is made of a ceramic material. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can be easily realized by using a conventional relay substrate.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the attenuation portion 503 is formed of a resin, rubber, resin or rubber and a mixture of metal, metal oxide, metal carbide, or metal nitride, or a hollow space. . Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can be provided with the attenuation unit 503 in consideration of the shape and the attenuation effect depending on the situation.

  In addition, according to the first embodiment, the back material 7 is further provided on the opposite side of the relay substrate 5 in the integrated circuit 6. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can attenuate unnecessary vibration more than the conventional ultrasonic probe having the intermediate layer 203 and the back material 7 in the acoustic element 2. .

(Second Embodiment)
In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the attenuation portion 503 is provided in the base material 501 in the relay substrate 5 has been described. In the second embodiment, a case where the attenuation portion 503 is provided inside the conductive material 502 provided on the relay substrate 5 will be described. In the second embodiment described below, only the arrangement of the attenuation unit 503 is different, and the other points are the same as in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment. Here, in FIG. 7, (A) shows a cross-sectional view of the relay board 5, (B) shows an external view of the relay board 5, and (C) shows a top view of the relay board 5 on the acoustic element 2 side. Show. In FIG. 7, (A) to (C) each show a part of the relay substrate 5.

  For example, the attenuation unit 503 according to the second embodiment is provided inside the conductive material 502 as illustrated in FIG. Here, the attenuation unit 503 according to the second embodiment is disposed on the acoustic element 2 side of the conductive material 502 as in the first embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, the relay substrate 5 according to the second embodiment includes an acoustic element side in the thickness direction of the base material 501 in each of the plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501. Attenuators 503 are respectively provided. Therefore, in the relay substrate 5 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7C, the damping part 503 is arranged inside all the conductive materials 502, and the vibration propagated through the conductive material 502. Can be attenuated.

  Here, the relay substrate 5 shown in FIG. 7 is merely an example, and may be implemented in various other forms. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a modification according to the second embodiment. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of the relay substrate 5. FIG. For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the case where the longitudinal direction of the attenuation portion 503 is parallel to the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the base material 501 has been described. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the longitudinal direction of the attenuation portion 503 may be parallel to the surface direction (lateral direction) of the base material 501 (the relay substrate 5). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8A, the relay substrate 5 may include a damping portion 503 having a structure that becomes longer in the lateral direction on the acoustic element 2 side of the conductive material 502.

  Further, the attenuation portion 503 may be provided not only on the acoustic element 2 side but also so as to penetrate the inside of the conductive material 502. For example, as shown in FIG. 8B, the attenuation unit 503 is provided so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element 2 side to the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side in the conductive material 502. In addition, also when providing the attenuation | damping part 503 as shown to FIG. 8A and FIG.

  Here, in the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment, the attenuation part 503 may be covered with the conductive material 502. Specifically, the attenuation part 503 is provided inside the conductive material 502 so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element 2 side in the relay substrate 5 to the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side, and on the acoustic element 2 side in the relay substrate 5. The attenuating portion 503 is covered with a conductive material on at least one of the surface and the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modification example according to the second embodiment. Here, in FIG. 9, (A) shows a cross-sectional view of the relay board 5, (B) shows an external view of the relay board 5, and (C) shows a top view of the relay board 5 on the acoustic element 2 side. Show. In addition, in FIG. 9, a part of relay board | substrate 5 is shown by each of (A)-(C).

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the attenuation unit 503 is provided inside the conductive material 502, and the surface on the acoustic element 2 side and the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side are covered with the conductive material 502. That is, in the relay substrate 5 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9B, each of the plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501 is provided with an attenuation portion 503 therein. Therefore, in the relay substrate 5 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9C, the attenuation part 503 exposed on the surface is covered with the conductive material 502.

  FIG. 9 shows an example in which the attenuation portion 503 is provided in the entire interior of the conductive material 502, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the acoustic material 2 side is provided inside the conductive material 502. Only the attenuation part 503 may be provided. Further, in FIGS. 7, 8A, 8B, and 9, the case where the attenuation portion 503 is provided inside all the conductive materials 502 has been described, but the embodiment is not limited to this, for example, The case where the attenuation part 503 is provided only in the predetermined conductive material 502 may be sufficient.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the attenuation unit 503 is provided inside the conductive material 502. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the second embodiment can easily manufacture the relay substrate 5 having the attenuation portion 503.

  Further, according to the second embodiment, the attenuation portion 503 is provided inside the conductive material 502 so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay substrate 5 to the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side. 5, the attenuation portion 503 is covered with the conductive material 2 on at least one of the surface on the acoustic element 2 side and the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the second embodiment can make the electrical connection between the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 more reliable.

  Here, the result of the simulation using the relay substrate 5 described in the second embodiment will be described. First, in the relay substrate 5 used for the simulation, the base material 501 was formed of alumina, and vias corresponding to the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 were formed in the base material 501. In each via formed in the base material 501, a conductive material 502 is formed by through-hole plating using copper, and an attenuation portion 503 is provided by filling the inside with an epoxy resin attenuation material. . The via diameter was “φ100 μm” and the plating thickness was “20 μm”. After the attenuation material was filled, the surface of the attenuation material (both the acoustic element 2 side and the integrated circuit 6 side) was covered with the conductive material 502. These are formed by sputtering or the like.

  A simulation similar to the simulation described with reference to FIG. 4 was performed using the relay substrate 5 thus manufactured. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a simulation result using the relay substrate 5 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 10, similarly to the simulation result shown in FIG. 4, the ultrasonic signal transmitted from one acoustic element propagates in water and the reflected wave reflected by the reflector is received by the adjacent element. It is a simulation of the situation. In FIG. 10, the horizontal axis indicates time “Time (μsec)”, and the vertical axis indicates amplitude. Note that the amplitude shown in FIG. 10 indicates the strength of the received signal when the strength of the initial transmission signal is “1”.

  For example, as a result of the simulation shown in FIG. 10, the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment is before and after the waveform of the received signal in the vicinity of 14 μsec as compared with the relay board 510 according to the conventional technique shown in FIG. It turns out that the waveform which shows unnecessary vibration is reduced. That is, it is shown that the attenuating portion 503 provided on the relay board 5 attenuates unnecessary vibration generated in the relay board 5. As described above, in the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment, the relay board 5 maintains the mechanical strength of the relay board 5 and has the function of electrically connecting the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6. Can reduce unnecessary vibration.

(Third embodiment)
Although the first and second embodiments have been described so far, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms other than the first and second embodiments described above.

  In the above-described second embodiment, the case where the surface of the attenuation portion 503 provided inside the conductive material 502 is covered with the conductive material 502 has been described. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the surface of the plurality of conductive materials 502 and the plurality of attenuation portions 503 may be collectively covered with the conductive material 502. Specifically, the attenuation portion 503 is provided so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element 2 side in the relay substrate 5 to the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side, and the surface on the acoustic element 2 side in the relay substrate 5 and the integrated circuit 6 side. In at least one of the surfaces, the plurality of conductive materials 502 and the plurality of attenuation portions 503 are covered with the conductive material 502.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the relay board 5 according to the third embodiment. Here, in FIG. 11, the top view at the side of the acoustic element 2 in the relay substrate 5 is shown. For example, the relay substrate 5 according to the third embodiment is formed so as to cover the plurality of conductive materials 502 and the plurality of attenuation portions 503 with the conductive material 502 on the surface on the acoustic element 2 side, as shown in FIG. . As described above, the relay substrate 5 electrically connects the arrangement of the acoustic elements 2 and the arrangement of the integrated circuits 6 in correspondence. That is, the wiring inside the relay substrate 5 changes according to the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 used. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, by allowing the conductive material 502 to cover the arbitrary conductive material 502 and the attenuation portion 503 together, various situations can be handled.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the case where the conductive material 502 is wired perpendicular to the base material has been described. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the conductive material 502 can connect the surface on the acoustic element 2 side and the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side in various shapes. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the conductive material 502 according to the third embodiment. Here, in FIG. 12, a cross-sectional view of the relay substrate 5 is shown.

  For example, the conductive material 502 according to the third embodiment is a case where the inside of the base material 501 is obliquely wired or the inside of the base material 501 is bent as shown in FIG. Also good. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 12, the attenuation unit 503 may be disposed between the conductive materials 502 or may be disposed inside the conductive material 502. . Here, when the attenuation portion 503 is disposed on the base material 501, it is not necessary to be provided along the conductive material 502 (in parallel with the conductive material 502).

  Further, the configuration of the ultrasonic probe 100 described in the first embodiment described above is merely an example, and the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the present application may have various configurations. As an example, the acoustic element 2 may not include the intermediate layer 203.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the case where the attenuation member 503 is provided in the base material 501 or the conductive material 502 has been described. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the attenuation unit 503 may be provided in the base material 501 and the conductive material, respectively.

  Moreover, although the case where it applied to a two-dimensional array probe was demonstrated in embodiment mentioned above, embodiment is not limited to this, For example, the case where it applies to a one-dimensional array probe may be sufficient.

  As described above, according to the first to third embodiments, the ultrasonic probe according to the present embodiment can reduce the vibration generated in the relay board.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

2 Acoustic element 5 Relay board 8 Integrated circuit 503 Attenuator

Claims (11)

An acoustic element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;
An integrated circuit that performs data processing on ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the acoustic element;
A relay board that is disposed between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit and relays an electrical connection between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit;
An attenuator provided on the relay substrate, for attenuating vibrations caused by the ultrasonic waves;
An ultrasonic probe.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the attenuation portion is provided on the acoustic element side of the relay substrate.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the attenuation section is provided so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element side to the surface on the integrated circuit side in the relay substrate.   The relay substrate includes a conductive material that electrically connects the acoustic element and the integrated circuit, and the conductive material passes through the surface on the acoustic element side and the surface on the integrated circuit side of the relay substrate. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic probe is formed in a columnar shape, a prismatic shape, or a cylindrical shape.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein the attenuation section is provided inside the conductive material. The attenuation portion is provided inside the conductive material so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element side of the relay substrate to the surface on the integrated circuit side,
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein the attenuation portion is covered with the conductive material on at least one of the surface on the acoustic element side and the surface on the integrated circuit side of the relay substrate. The attenuation part is provided so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element side to the surface on the integrated circuit side in the relay substrate;
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of conductive materials and a plurality of attenuation portions are covered with the conductive material on at least one of the surface on the acoustic element side and the surface on the integrated circuit side of the relay substrate.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein the conductive material is formed of tungsten, molybdenum, gold, copper, silver, tin, or solder.   The said attenuation | damping part is formed in the mixture which mixed resin, rubber | gum, the said resin, or the said rubber | rubber, and a metal, a metal oxide, a metal carbide, or a metal nitride, or hollow space, The any one of Claims 1-8 The ultrasonic probe according to one.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the relay substrate is formed of a ceramic material.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, further comprising a back material on a side opposite to the relay substrate in the integrated circuit.

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