JP6675142B2 - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ultrasonic probe.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an ultrasonic probe, an acoustic element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves on an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) is provided in the ultrasonic probe for high performance and miniaturization. A structure in which (element groups) are arranged is known. In an ultrasonic probe having such a structure, a relay board (also called an interposer) is provided between the integrated circuit and the acoustic element, or a method of directly connecting the integrated circuit and the acoustic element, and Manufactured by connecting method. Here, in the method of directly connecting the integrated circuit and the acoustic element, the structure is simple and the size can be further reduced. However, the arrangement interval (element pitch) of the acoustic element and the arrangement interval on the integrated circuit side corresponding to the arrangement interval are different. Therefore, a dedicated integrated circuit must be manufactured for each ultrasonic probe, and the cost of developing the integrated circuit and the cost of parts is high.

  On the other hand, in the method of connecting via the relay board, although the structure is complicated, by utilizing the degree of freedom of rewiring (for example, changing the pitch) in the relay board, various ultrasonic probes can be connected. The integrated circuit can be shared, and the cost for developing the integrated circuit and the cost for parts can be reduced. For example, when connecting an integrated circuit and an acoustic element 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, mechanical stability is important because the relay substrate serves as a base of the acoustic element. 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 temperature. It is also important that the relay substrate has a high precision in the shape to be manufactured. Therefore, the relay substrate is formed mainly of a ceramic material such as alumina (aluminum oxide) or SiO ₂ , for example. In addition, a conductive material for electrically connecting the integrated circuit and the acoustic element is provided inside or on the surface of the relay board. 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 capable of reducing the vibration generated in the relay board.

An ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment includes an acoustic element, an integrated circuit, a relay board, a plurality of conductive materials, and an attenuation unit. The acoustic element transmits and receives ultrasonic waves. The integrated circuit performs data processing on ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the acoustic element. The relay board is disposed between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit, and relays an electrical connection between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit. A plurality of conductive materials are included in the relay board, and electrically connect the acoustic element and the integrated circuit. The damping unit is provided between adjacent conductive members on the relay board, and attenuates the vibration caused by the ultrasonic waves.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which an 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 according to the related 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 a configuration of the relay board according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a modified example 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 modified example 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 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 the structure of the conductive material according to the third embodiment.

(First embodiment)
First, an overall configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which an 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 the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment is connected. As shown in FIG. 1, an 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. An input device, a monitor, and the like are connected to the apparatus main body 200, and accept various requests from the operator of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1000 and display 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, , A request for setting a region of interest, an instruction for setting an image quality condition, etc.).

  The monitor displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for the 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 and the like. 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 and receiving a transmission signal to the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 and a reception signal from the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 described later to the apparatus main body 200. The connection terminal 10 has various shapes corresponding to the type of the device main body 200.

  The connector 20 accommodates the cable 40 and secures the ultrasonic probe 100 to the apparatus main body 200 to secure 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. Then, 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 removed from the apparatus main body 200.

  The cable 40 is a cable for transmitting and receiving signals between the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50 described below and the apparatus main body 200. For example, the cable 40 has a plurality of signal lines. Then, the signal line is connected to the device 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, and further receives a reflected wave from the subject and converts it into a reception signal. Here, it is assumed that the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 50 according to the present embodiment is configured such that acoustic elements such as piezoelectric vibrators and acoustic matching layers are 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 an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 50 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the inside of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 50. Note that the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 50 illustrated in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving 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 transmitting / receiving unit 50 includes a ground electrode 1, an acoustic element 2, a bump 3, a board (for example, FPC: Flexible Printed Circuits) 4, and a relay board (interposer). 5, an integrated circuit (e.g., ASIC) 6, and a backing 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, so that the acoustic element 2 The integrated circuit 6 is connected via the relay board 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the acoustic element 2 has an acoustic matching layer 201, a piezoelectric vibrator (for example, PZT: lead zirconate titanate) 202, and an intermediate layer (for example, tungsten carbide) 203. Transmit and receive ultrasonic waves. 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 formed in a two-dimensional matrix. .

  The acoustic matching layer 201 reduces acoustic impedance mismatch 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 propagation of ultrasonic waves from the piezoelectric vibrator 202 to the rear.

  The relay board 5 is disposed between the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6, and relays an 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 penetrating 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 pillar shape, a prism shape, or a cylindrical shape.

  The integrated circuit 6 is, for example, an ASIC or the like, and performs data processing on 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 transmission / reception conditions of ultrasonic waves) 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 received signal generated by the piezoelectric vibrator 202 and reduces the number of received signals to be transmitted to the apparatus main body 200 to a predetermined number by adding the received signal in a predetermined unit. I do. The backing member 7 prevents propagation of ultrasonic waves backward by absorbing and attenuating ultrasonic waves 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 board 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 board 5. As described above, the relay substrate 5 is formed mainly of a ceramic material such as alumina or SiO _{2 in} order to increase mechanical stability. Since the ceramic material has a small acoustic attenuation, the vibration generated by the acoustic element (vibration generated by the piezoelectric vibrator and not completely absorbed and absorbed by the intermediate layer) is not attenuated, and the relay substrate according to the related art is not attenuated. Will be done.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a problem according to the related art. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a relay board 510 according to the related art. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, a relay board 510 according to the related art includes a base material 511 formed of alumina and conductive materials 512a to 512c formed of copper (Cu). Then, such a relay board 510 is disposed between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit, and performs electrical connection. Here, in the conventional relay board 510, a transverse vibration is generated in which vibration generated by the piezoelectric vibrator and not completely absorbed and absorbed by the intermediate layer is transmitted through 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 via the conductive material 512b propagates in the base material 511 in the directions of the arrows 61 and 62. Lateral vibration (hereinafter referred to as unnecessary vibration) occurs.

  As described above, when the unnecessary vibration propagates in the horizontal direction, the received signal transmitted by the adjacent conductive members 512a and 512c may be affected. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a simulation result using the relay board 510 according to the related art. Here, FIG. 4 simulates a state 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 intensity of the received signal when the initial intensity of the transmitted signal is “1”. For example, when the relay board 510 according to the related art is used, as shown in FIG. 4, a waveform indicating unnecessary vibration appears before and after the waveform of the received signal near 14 μsec. When an ultrasonic image is visualized based on a received signal including such an unnecessary vibration signal, an unnecessary component due to the unnecessary vibration appears as noise, which may cause image degradation.

  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 the vibration caused by the ultrasonic wave. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a 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 board 5.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the relay board 5 includes a base material 501, a conductive material 502, and an attenuation portion 503. The base material 501 is a base portion of the relay substrate 5, and is formed of, for example, a ceramic material such as alumina or SiO ₂ . 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 of the acoustic elements 2 (element pitch) corresponds to the arrangement of the integrated circuits 6. That is, even when the pitch between 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. Note that FIG. 5 shows a case where the pitch of the acoustic element 2 and the pitch of the integrated circuit 6 match and the conductive material 502 is wired vertically. However, when the pitch is different, the conductive material 502 is wired obliquely. You may.

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

  Here, the attenuating section 503 is provided on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay board 5 as shown in FIG. In the relay substrate 5, since the base material 501 is formed of a hard ceramic material, the vibration transmitted 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 damping unit 503 on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay board 5.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5B, the relay board 5 according to the first embodiment has an acoustic element in the thickness direction of the base material 501 between a plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501. Attenuation portions 503 are provided on the sides. Accordingly, in the relay board 5 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5C, the damping portions 503 are arranged between the adjacent conductive members 502, and the vibration propagated through the conductive members 502 Even if transmitted in the lateral direction, vibration can be attenuated.

  Here, the relay board 5 shown in FIG. 5 is merely an example, and may be implemented in other various forms. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a modified example 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, a case has been described where the longitudinal direction of the damping portion 503 is parallel to the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the base material 501. That is, an example in which the attenuation portion 503 shown in FIG. 5 has a structure in which the base material 501 has a structure that extends from the acoustic element 2 side to 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 board 5). For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the relay substrate 5 may be provided with 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.

  Further, the damping section 503 may be provided not only on the acoustic element 2 side but also so as to penetrate the base material 501. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the attenuation section 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 of the relay board 5. 6A and 6B, the attenuating portion 503 is also provided between the plurality of conductive members 502 provided on the base material 501. You.

  In FIGS. 5, 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 case where the attenuation portion 503 is arranged only between the predetermined conductive members 502 may be adopted. 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 and the conductive material shown in the lower part of the figure. The case where the attenuation unit 503 is arranged only between the control unit 502 and the control unit 502 may be adopted. That is, the case where the attenuation portion 503 is not provided between the left and center conductive members 502 and the center and right conductive member 502 in the drawing may be adopted.

  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 In the case of controlling them collectively, the damping unit 503 may be arranged between the upper stage and the middle stage and between the middle stage and the lower stage as shown in FIG.

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

  According to the first embodiment, the attenuation section 503 is provided on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay board 5. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can effectively attenuate the unnecessary vibration propagating in the lateral direction on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay board 5.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the attenuation section 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 of the relay board 5. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can attenuate unnecessary vibrations in all the thickness directions of the relay board 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 provided on the side of the relay substrate 5 on the acoustic element 2 side. It is formed in a columnar shape, a prismatic shape, or a cylindrical shape penetrating the surface and the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side. The conductive material 502 is formed using tungsten, molybdenum, gold, copper, silver, tin, or solder. The relay substrate 5 is formed of a ceramic material. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can be easily realized using a conventional relay board.

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

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the back surface member 7 is further provided on the integrated circuit 6 on the side opposite to the relay board 5. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the first embodiment can attenuate unnecessary vibrations more than the conventional ultrasonic probe having the intermediate layer 203 and the backing material 7 in the acoustic element 2. .

(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment described above, the case where the damping portion 503 is provided on the base material 501 of the relay board 5 has been described. In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which the attenuating portion 503 is provided inside the conductive material 502 provided on the relay board 5. In the second embodiment described below, only the arrangement of the attenuation unit 503 is different, and the other points are the same as those of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a 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. 7A to 7C each show a part of the relay board 5.

  For example, the damping unit 503 according to the second embodiment is provided inside the conductive material 502 as shown in FIG. Here, the attenuator 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, in each of the plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501, the acoustic element side in the thickness direction of the base material 501. Are provided with attenuation portions 503, respectively. Accordingly, in the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7C, the damping portions 503 are arranged inside all the conductive members 502, and the vibration propagated through the conductive members 502. Can be attenuated.

  Here, the relay board 5 shown in FIG. 7 is merely an example, and may be implemented in various other forms. FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are diagrams illustrating a modification according to the second embodiment. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of the relay board 5. 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 board 5). For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the relay board 5 may include a case in which an attenuator 503 having a structure that becomes longer in the lateral direction is provided on the acoustic element 2 side of the conductive material 502.

  Further, the damping section 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 portion 503 is provided so as to penetrate from the surface of the conductive material 502 on the acoustic element 2 side to the surface of the conductive material 502 on the integrated circuit 6 side. 8A and 8B, the attenuator 503 is also disposed on each of the plurality of conductive members 502.

  Here, in the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment, a case where the attenuation portion 503 is covered with the conductive material 502 may be adopted. Specifically, the attenuation section 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 of the relay substrate 5. The attenuation portion 503 is covered with a conductive material on at least one of the surface of the integrated circuit 6 and the surface of the integrated circuit 6.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modification 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 FIG. 9, (A) to (C) each show a part of the relay board 5.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the attenuator 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 board 5 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9B, in each of the plurality of conductive materials 502 provided on the base material 501, the attenuation portions 503 are provided inside. Accordingly, in the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9C, the attenuating portion 503 exposed on the surface is covered with the conductive material 502.

  Although FIG. 9 shows an example in which the attenuating portion 503 is provided in the entirety of the conductive material 502, the embodiment is not limited to this. Only the case where the attenuator 503 is provided may be used. Further, in FIGS. 7, 8A, 8B, and 9, the case where the attenuation portion 503 is provided inside all the conductive members 502 has been described, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The case where the attenuation portion 503 is provided only on the predetermined conductive material 502 may be adopted.

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

  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 of the relay substrate 5. In at least one of the surface on the acoustic element 2 side and the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side in 5, the attenuation portion 503 is covered with the conductive material 2. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the second embodiment can further ensure the electrical connection between the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6.

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

  Using the relay board 5 thus manufactured, a simulation similar to the simulation described with reference to FIG. 4 was executed. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a simulation result using the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 10, similarly to the simulation result shown in FIG. 4, 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. It simulates the situation. In FIG. 10, the horizontal axis represents time “Time (μsec)”, and the vertical axis represents amplitude. The amplitude shown in FIG. 10 indicates the intensity of the received signal when the initial intensity of the transmitted signal is “1”.

  For example, as a result of the simulation illustrated in FIG. 10, the relay board 5 according to the second embodiment is located before and after the waveform of the received signal near 14 μsec as compared with the relay board 510 according to the related art illustrated in FIG. 4. It can be seen that the waveform indicating unnecessary vibration is reduced. That is, it is shown that the damping unit 503 provided in 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 mechanical strength of the relay board 5 is maintained, and the relay board 5 has the function of electrically connecting the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6. It is possible to reduce unnecessary vibration generated in the above.

(Third embodiment)
The first and second embodiments have been described above, but may be implemented in various different forms other than the first and second embodiments.

  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, a case where the surfaces of the plurality of conductive members 502 and the plurality of attenuating portions 503 are collectively covered with the conductive member 502 may be employed. Specifically, the attenuation portion 503 is provided so as to penetrate from the surface on the acoustic element 2 side of the relay board 5 to the surface on the integrated circuit 6 side, and the surface of the relay substrate 5 on the acoustic element 2 side and the integrated circuit 6 side. On at least one of the surfaces, the plurality of conductive members 502 and the plurality of attenuation portions 503 are covered with the conductive member 502.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the relay board 5 according to the third embodiment. Here, FIG. 11 shows a top view of the relay substrate 5 on the acoustic element 2 side. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the relay board 5 according to the third embodiment is formed so that the plurality of conductive members 502 and the plurality of attenuating portions 503 are covered with the conductive member 502 on the surface on the acoustic element 2 side. . As described above, the relay board 5 electrically connects the arrangement of the acoustic elements 2 and the arrangement of the integrated circuits 6 in a corresponding manner. That is, the wiring inside the relay board 5 changes according to the acoustic element 2 and the integrated circuit 6 used. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, by making it possible to collectively cover any conductive material 502 and the attenuation portion 503 with the conductive material 502, it is possible to cope with various situations.

  In the above-described first and second embodiments, 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, a cross-sectional view of the relay board 5 is shown in FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 12, 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 so as to be bent. Is also good. In such a case, the attenuation section 503 may be arranged between the conductive members 502 as shown in FIG. 12, or may be arranged inside the conductive member 502. . Here, when the attenuation portion 503 is arranged on the base material 501, it is not necessary to provide the attenuation portion 503 along the conductive material 502 (to be parallel to the conductive material 502).

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

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

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a two-dimensional array probe has been described. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and may be a case where the present invention is applied to a one-dimensional array probe.

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

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in other various 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 equivalents thereof.

2 acoustic element 5 relay board 8 integrated circuit 503 attenuator

Claims (9)

An acoustic element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves,
An integrated circuit that performs data processing on ultrasound transmitted and received by the acoustic element,
A relay substrate that is arranged between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit and relays an electrical connection between the acoustic element and the integrated circuit;
A plurality of conductive materials included in the relay board and electrically connecting the acoustic element and the integrated circuit,
An attenuator that is provided between adjacent conductive materials on the relay board and attenuates vibrations caused by the ultrasonic waves.
An ultrasonic probe.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the attenuation section is provided on the relay substrate on the acoustic element side.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the attenuator is provided so as to penetrate from a surface on the side of the acoustic element of the relay board to a surface on the side of the integrated circuit.   4. The conductive material according to claim 1, wherein the conductive substrate is formed in a columnar shape, a prismatic shape, or a cylindrical shape that penetrates the surface on the acoustic element side and the surface on the integrated circuit side of the relay substrate. 5. The ultrasonic probe according to any one of the above.   4. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of conductive materials and the plurality of attenuating portions are covered with a conductive material on at least one of a surface on the acoustic element side and a surface on the integrated circuit side of the relay board. 5.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material is formed of tungsten, molybdenum, gold, copper, silver, tin, or solder.   The said attenuation | damping part is a mixture which mixed resin, rubber | gum, the said resin or the said rubber | gum, and metal, metal oxide, metal carbide, or metal nitride, or is formed in hollow space. The ultrasonic probe according to one of the preceding claims.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the relay board is formed of a ceramic material.   The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a back member on the opposite side of the relay substrate in the integrated circuit.

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