JPH034000B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Fields An ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves is provided and used in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and the like.

Conventional Structure and Problems There has been significant technological progress in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment in recent years, and improvements have been made to the ultrasonic probe, which is one of the parts that most affects the performance of the equipment. In order to pursue high image quality, the frequency of ultrasound used in ultrasound probes has been moving toward higher frequencies, but as the frequency increases, the attenuation rate of ultrasound increases and sensitivity decreases. In order to deal with such problems and obtain ultrasonic probes with higher sensitivity at high frequencies, it has become important to form two acoustic matching layers to efficiently transmit and receive ultrasonic waves.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a method for easily and stably manufacturing a high-performance ultrasonic probe.

Structure of the Invention After a voltage diaphragm is fixed on a load material and cut into a predetermined width using a dicing saw or the like to form a large number of strip-shaped piezoelectric element groups, a first acoustic matching layer is placed on the piezoelectric element group. The first acoustic matching layer is bonded together using an adhesive, and this first acoustic matching layer is cut with a groove narrower than the groove width for each piezoelectric element or every few piezoelectric elements in accordance with the position of the cutting groove of the piezoelectric element. The second acoustic matching layer was bonded onto the first acoustic matching layer using an adhesive.

Description of Examples In FIG. 1, a plate-shaped voltage diaphragm load material 2
After being fixed on the top, the piezoelectric diaphragm is cut into a predetermined width using a tying saw or a wire saw to form a rectangular piezoelectric element group 1. 3 is a cutting groove, 4 is a cut piezoelectric element, and 5 and 6 are electrodes provided on the front and back surfaces of the piezoelectric element 4. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the first acoustic matching layer 7 is bonded onto the piezoelectric element group using a low viscosity first adhesive 10, and
The cutting grooves 3 between the strip-shaped piezoelectric element groups 1 are filled with the first adhesive. However, this first adhesive was an electrically insulating adhesive. Next, the first acoustic matching layer 7 is cut using a tying saw, a wire saw, etc. in alignment with the cutting grooves 3 of the piezoelectric element group. At this time, the cutting groove 3 is set to a depth that does not reach the lower end of the piezoelectric element group, that is, a depth that is deep enough to cut into the first adhesive 10. Further, a second adhesive 11 is filled into the cut grooves 9 of the first acoustic matching layer 7 from above the first acoustic matching layer 7, and the second acoustic matching layer 8 is bonded together using the second adhesive 11. At this time, the second acoustic matching layer 8 was made of the same material as the second adhesive 11.
It should be noted that the second acoustic matching layer 8 may be formed by only the second adhesive 11 instead of being formed by bonding. Also, the second adhesive may be the same as the first adhesive. The second acoustic matching layer is usually made of epoxy resin mixed with powder such as tungsten, but in this case the electrical insulation properties are relatively low.

Effects of the Invention In the present invention, the cut grooves of the piezoelectric element group are filled with an electrically insulating first adhesive, and the cut grooves of the first acoustic matching layer are provided at a depth that does not reach the lower end of the piezoelectric element group. Therefore, even if the second adhesive is filled into the cut grooves of the second acoustic matching layer, the insulation resistance between both electrodes of the piezoelectric element group and between the lower end electrodes of adjacent piezoelectric elements no longer decreases. Therefore, it has become possible to effectively generate ultrasonic waves from the piezoelectric element by applying a high frequency voltage between the electrode on the front surface and the electrode on the back surface side. Furthermore, since the cutting grooves of the first acoustic matching layer are narrower than the cutting grooves forming the piezoelectric element group, there is no fear of damaging or cutting the piezoelectric elements when cutting the first acoustic matching layer. Furthermore,
Since the piezoelectric element cutting groove and the first acoustic matching layer cutting groove were filled with adhesive, the adhesive strength of the adhesive was increased.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stage in which a piezoelectric element group is formed on a load material, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of an ultrasonic probe formed by the method of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Piezoelectric element group, 2... Load material, 3... Cutting groove of piezoelectric element, 4... Piezoelectric element, 5... Electrode, 6
...Electrode, 7...First acoustic matching layer, 8...
Second acoustic matching layer, 9... Cut groove of first acoustic matching layer, 10... First adhesive, 11...
Second glue.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. After fixing a piezoelectric diaphragm on a load material and cutting it into a predetermined width using a dicing saw or the like to form a large number of strip-shaped piezoelectric element groups, a first acoustic matching layer is attached to the piezoelectric elements. The first acoustic matching layer is attached to the piezoelectric element or every few piezoelectric elements by using a groove narrower than the cutting groove of the piezoelectric element. A method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe, which comprises cutting the first acoustic matching layer and pasting a second acoustic matching layer on the first acoustic matching layer using an adhesive. 2. The method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a low viscosity adhesive is used as the adhesive used on the piezoelectric element group and is filled into the cutting groove. 3. The method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a low viscosity adhesive is used as the adhesive used on the first acoustic matching layer and is filled into the cutting groove. 4. The method of manufacturing an ultrasound probe according to claim 1, wherein the second acoustic matching layer is made of an adhesive used on the first acoustic matching layer.