JPH04135400A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve workability, electric characteristic, mechanical strength and picture performance by fixing a small piezoelectric group onto one end face of a pedestal and connecting each conductive path extended onto one end face and an electrode on one main face of each fine piezoelectric piece. CONSTITUTION:A piezoelectric plate is fixed on one end face of a pedestal 8 and cut off so as to lead out the electrode for each fine piezoelectric piece 13. Then, a lead wire is connected with the other end face of the pedestal 8 or another terminal side 11b of a signal path 11 extended onto the side end face as a connecting terminal. Therefore, since the interval or the like of connecting terminals can be freely decided corresponding to the area of the other end face or the side face of the pedestal 8, the lead wire can be easily connected. The adjacent fine piezoelectric pieces 3 are insulated without fail so as to maintain the electric performance and the conductive path 11 for leading out the electrode is formed at a signal leading body and defined as the pedestal 8. Therefore, mechanical strength is satisfied without the danger of disconnection or the like. Thus, workability, electric characteristic, mechanical strength and picture performance can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The field of the present invention is an ultrasonic probe, and in particular an ultrasonic probe constructed by arranging minute piezoelectric pieces in a two-dimensional direction (x-y direction). Concerning tentacles.

(Background of the Invention) Ultrasonic probes are useful, for example, as ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving units in medical ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. In recent years, ultrasonic probes, such as the Matrix-type ultrasonic probe, in which minute piezoelectric pieces are arranged two-dimensionally, have been attracting attention.

(Conventional technology) FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating this type of ultrasonic probe.

The ultrasonic probe uses a flat piezoelectric plate (not shown) on the workbench 1.
After being fixed on the top, it is cut in two-dimensional directions (vertical and horizontal) to provide grooves to form a large number of micro-pressure pieces 2 (referred to as piezoelectric pieces lP3). 6(a), in which a filler 4 such as epoxy resin is buried in the outer periphery and the minute piezoelectric pieces 2 are combined and integrated. Note that this is referred to as a composite piezoelectric plate 5.

Next, the composite piezoelectric plate 5 is removed from the workbench l, a common electrode (not shown) is formed on the entire surface of the other main surface, and a "sixth" lead wire 6 for signal derivation/input is connected to each electrode on the main surface. Figure (b).

For the connection, for example, a semi-conductor, a conductive adhesive, or bonding is used.

Then, the composite piezoelectric plate 5 was fixed to a holding material (not shown), and an acoustic matching layer and the like were further added.

(Problems with the Prior Art) However, in the array type probe with the above configuration, the size (area) of the micro piezoelectric pieces 2 is approximately 1. If it exceeds m m 2, it becomes difficult to connect the lead wire 6 and reduces work efficiency. Further, this also causes insulation defects in the adjacent micro piezoelectric pieces 2, resulting in a decrease in electrical performance. Furthermore, the lead wire 6 itself becomes thinner, causing problems such as wire breakage and loss of mechanical strength. Also, since there is a lead wire,
There was also the problem that the micro piezoelectric piece 2 was not held sufficiently, which impaired the mechanical strength of the probe. Furthermore, accompanying these, the size of the micro piezoelectric piece 2 is naturally restricted, and a problem arises in which broad directivity characteristics cannot be obtained and image performance cannot be improved.

(Objective of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic probe that has good workability, electrical properties, and mechanical strength, and can improve image performance.

(Solution Means) In the present invention, a base for fixing a group of piezoelectric pieces is formed by mutually insulating and stacking signal deriving bodies in which a plurality of conductive paths extend from the -L plane to one end surface, and this base The piezoelectric small piece group is fixed on one end surface of the table, and the -! The basic solution is that each conductive path extending to the @ plane is connected to the electrode on the entire surface of each micro piezoelectric piece.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be explained by showing the manufacturing process.

(Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 5 are process diagrams of an ultrasonic probe illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the composite piezoelectric plate is not formed on the workbench-1-, but as shown in FIG. Attach directly to. The piezoelectric plate 7 is made of PZT as described above, and electrodes (not shown) are formed on both parts. The base 8 is formed by adhering a plurality of signal guide bodies 9 to each other with an insulating material 10 interposed between them.

That is, the signal deriving bodies 9 are mutually insulated and laminated. The signal deriving body 9, as shown in FIG.
It is made of, for example, a flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter referred to as FPC) having a large number of signal paths 11. Each signal path 1 is coated and formed parallel to the main surface. And one end side 1
1a extends from the main surface to one end surface and is exposed. In this way, exposed signal paths are arranged two-dimensionally on one end surface of the base 8 (FIG. 3). In addition, the other end side 11 of the signal path 11
b extends to the other end surface, the negative end surface, and the other end surface to serve as a connection end.

Next, cutting grooves 12 are provided in the piezoelectric plate 7-L to reach the base 8, and the piezoelectric plate 7-L is divided into minute piezoelectric pieces 13 that become a plurality of unit vibrators (FIG. 4). However, the cutting groove 12 is provided between each signal path 11 in the two-dimensional direction.

Next, a filler 14 such as epoxy resin is embedded in the cutting groove 12. In addition, a piezoelectric small piece containing a filler 14 $ 15, h
A common electrode 16 is formed on the entire surface (FIG. 5). and,
An acoustic matching layer (not shown) or the like is formed to form an ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface. Further, a lead wire, for example, is connected to the other end side 11b of each signal path 11 by soldering or the like (not shown) to constitute an ultrasonic probe.

In such a device, the piezoelectric plate 7 is fixed on one end surface of the base 8 and cut, thereby leading out the electrodes for each minute piezoelectric piece 13. Then, a lead wire is connected to the other end Ilb of the signal path 11 extending to the other end surface or side end surface of the base 8 as a connection end. Therefore, the interval between the connection ends and the like can be freely determined depending on the area of the other end surface or side end surface of the base 8, thereby facilitating the work of connecting the lead wires. This ensures insulation between adjacent micro piezoelectric pieces 13 and maintains electrical performance. In addition, a conductive path 1 for leading out the electrode
1 is formed into a signal deriving body to serve as the base 8, so there is no risk of new lines etc. and the mechanical strength is satisfied. From such a thing,
The size of the micro piezoelectric piece 13 can be made extremely small depending on cutting accuracy, FPC pattern accuracy, and lamination accuracy. Therefore, the directivity characteristics can be made broader and the image performance can be improved. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the base 8 can also be directly used as a backing material, so a workbench is not required when forming a composite piezoelectric plate. Therefore, the direct piezoelectric particle group'
3 can be held by the base 8, which increases mechanical strength and further improves workability.

(Other matters) In addition, in the "-2 embodiment, each signal layer in which the connection end is laminated;
Although each lead-out body is guided to the other end surface, the - side end portion, or the other end surface, it may be done as follows, for example.

That is, the respective signal deriving bodies are bonded to each other, for example, only on one end surface side, and the other end surface side is not bonded. Then, a connection end is formed in the non-bonded portion. Therefore, even in such a case, the lead wire can be easily connected to the connection end.

In this case, changing the length of each signal lead-out body will further facilitate the connection work of the lead wires. in this way,
The position of the connection end can be changed freely and is not limited to the above embodiment.

Also, the derivative is I” I) C, but rll
A printed circuit board may also be used. Although the base is described as a laminate of the signal deriving body and the insulating material, they may be integrated in advance.

In addition, in this embodiment, independent signal paths are provided in the X and Y right directions on one end surface of the base, but as a result, they are divided by cutting, so electrodes that become signal paths are provided on the entire surface of the base. may be formed in advance.

In addition, each signal path of the FPC was connected to the minute piezoelectric piece to make the minute piezoelectric piece a unit vibrating body, but the conductive paths were commonly connected to each of the multiple pieces in the XY right direction to make a unit vibrating body, and the m-position vibrating body was made into a unit vibrating body. May be combined. In this case, the common connection may be made not only in the XY right direction but also on concentric circles, for example. Then, each micro piezoelectric piece may be further cut, for example, in half.

(Effects of the Invention) The present invention provides a base for fixing a group of piezoelectric pieces by forming a base by mutually insulating and laminating signal deriving bodies in which a plurality of conductive paths extend from a main surface to one end surface. The group of piezoelectric small pieces is fixed to one end surface of the table, and each conductive path extending to the one end surface is connected to the electrode on one plane of each of the micro piezoelectric pieces, so that workability is improved. Commercial sonic probe-t that can improve image performance by improving electrical properties and mechanical strength
can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 5Z are diagrams for explaining one embodiment of the present invention with drawings for manufacturing. FIG. 1 is a partial view of a piezoelectric plate fixed to a base, FIG. Figure 3 is a partial plan view of the base, Figure 4 is a partial view of the piezoelectric plate divided into minute piezoelectric pieces,
FIG. 5 is a new view after forming the common electrode. FIG. 6(a) is a diagram of a composite piezoelectric plate illustrating a conventional example, and FIG. 6(b) is a partial diagram of the composite piezoelectric plate with lead wires connected thereto.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ultrasonic probe configured by arranging a plurality of micro piezoelectric pieces each having electrodes formed on both principal surfaces in a two-dimensional direction to form a group of piezoelectric pieces, and fixing the group of piezoelectric pieces on a base. In the base, the base is formed by mutually insulating and stacking a plurality of signal conductive paths extending from the main surface to one end surface, and the piezoelectric small pieces are arranged on one end surface of the base. An ultrasonic probe characterized in that each conductive path that is fixed and extends to the one end surface is connected to an electrode on one main surface of each of the micro piezoelectric pieces.