KR20140025806A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing ultrasound probe - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe. The method includes a process of preparing a plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates; and a process of preparing a piezoelectric plate having an adhesion part by attaching the sub-piezoelectric plates to each other.

Description

Ultrasonic probe manufacturing method and alignment device {Method and Apparatus for Manufacturing Ultrasound Probe}

A method of manufacturing a probe using a piezoelectric material as an ultrasonic vibrator and an alignment device used in the production thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a probe using a plurality of piezoelectric plates to form one large area piezoelectric plate and using the same as a material of an ultrasonic vibrator, and a piezoelectric plate and a printed circuit board aligning apparatus.

The contents described in this section merely provide background information on the embodiment of the present invention and do not constitute the prior art.

An ultrasound probe transmits an ultrasound signal to a target object to receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from a target object to obtain an ultrasound image of the target object.

Ultrasonic probes can be applied to various industrial fields. In particular, in the field of medical devices, such as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, which is a device for acquiring an image related to a defect of a soft tissue or blood flow by irradiating an ultrasound signal against a desired part of the body from a body surface of the object and using a reflected ultrasound echo signal Can be used.

The principle that an ultrasonic probe transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave utilizes the characteristics of a piezoelectric body. A piezoelectric body is a substance that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. For example, a piezoelectric material used in an ultrasonic probe forms an electrode on top and bottom thereof, and when a power is applied, the piezoelectric vibrates and converts electrical and acoustic signals.

As the piezoelectric body, piezoelectric ceramics, piezo-composites, single crystals, etc. are mainly used for the ultrasonic probe. Examples of the single crystal piezoelectric body include PZN-PT, PMN-PT, and the like, and a typical method of manufacturing the same is the flux method. By this method, a wafer having a diameter of about 3 inches to about 4 inches can be produced so far, and the wafer can be processed to produce a piezoelectric plate.

Different types of probes exist in the ultrasonic probe depending on the area to be diagnosed. For example, relatively large ultrasound probes are often used for abdominal and obstetric / gynecological diagnosis. In order to manufacture such a large ultrasonic probe, a large area piezoelectric plate is required. In particular, in the case of a single crystal piezoelectric material, a method of directly obtaining a large area piezoelectric plate from a wafer has a problem of low yield, high product defect rate, and high manufacturing cost.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a probe by joining a plurality of sub-piezoelectric plate to make a piezoelectric plate of a large area, and in the manufacturing of the probe by the present method, the piezoelectric plate having a junction is laminated on the printed circuit board and aligned The main object is to provide an alignment device used in the process.

One embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe, comprising: providing a plurality of sub-piezoelectric plate; It provides an ultrasonic probe manufacturing method comprising the step of providing a piezoelectric plate having a junction by bonding the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plate to each other.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention, in the device for horizontally aligning the second plate to the predetermined position (position) of the first plate different from the second plate, the plate holder for fixing the first plate is A first support frame mounted; And a linear stage unit fixing a second plate positioned below the first plate, wherein the linear stage unit moves the second plate to a predetermined position of the first plate on the plate holder to perform alignment. Provide an alignment device.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention, in the apparatus for aligning the piezoelectric plate having a junction and the printed circuit board having a display in order to manufacture the ultrasonic probe, whether or not to align based on the relative position of the junction and the display. In order to determine, an alignment device is provided which horizontally moves the piezoelectric plate having the junction portion to a predetermined position of a printed circuit board having the display portion. Here, the promised position may be that the display unit and the junction meet.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasonic probe manufactured by the ultrasonic probe manufacturing method.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasonic probe manufactured using the alignment device.

The ultrasonic probe manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention does not need to use a large area piezoelectric plate, thereby reducing the ultrasonic probe manufacturing cost.

The alignment apparatus according to the present invention may perform a process of aligning a piezoelectric plate having a junction and a printed circuit board having a display, which is one of processes for forming an ultrasonic probe using a plurality of piezoelectric plates.

FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a configuration of an ultrasonic probe,
2 is a flowchart schematically showing a method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe,
3 is a flowchart schematically showing a process of manufacturing a piezoelectric plate having a junction portion;
4 is a front view showing a state in which a piezoelectric plate having a junction part is laminated on a printed circuit board and a schematic view showing various forms of the junction part;
5 is a plan view showing a state in which piezoelectric plates having a junction part are stacked on a printed circuit board,
6 is a schematic view showing an alignment device;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a first support frame and a diagram in which a piezoelectric plate having a junction part and a printed circuit board are fixed to the first support frame and the linear stage;
8 is a view showing a portion removed by dicing in the second laminate,
9 is a view showing the arrangement of the ultrasonic vibrator,
FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view illustrating a portion in which a display portion and a junction portion of a second laminate is disposed by dicing and a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators are arranged;
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a sound absorbing layer attached to a lower portion of the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators and an acoustic lens formed on the upper portion.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe using a plurality of piezoelectric plates according to embodiments of the present invention and to the alignment device (see 40, Fig. 6) used when manufacturing an ultrasonic probe by the method It demonstrates in detail. As the inventive concept allows for various changes and numerous modifications, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. Like reference numerals are used for like elements in describing each drawing. In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of the structures are enlarged to illustrate the present invention, and are actually shown in a smaller scale than the actual dimensions in order to understand the schematic configuration.

In addition, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component. On the other hand, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, components of the probe may include a sound absorbing layer 11, a substrate 12 disposed on the sound absorbing layer 11, and a printed circuit board 13 disposed on the substrate 12. , A piezoelectric plate 14 disposed on the printed circuit board 13, a ground layer 15 disposed on the piezoelectric plate 14, and a first acoustic matching layer 16 disposed on the ground layer 15. At least one of the second acoustic matching layer 17 disposed on the first acoustic matching layer 16 and the acoustic lens 18 disposed on the second acoustic matching layer 17 may be included. A laminate in which the piezoelectric plate 14 is laminated on the printed circuit board 13 is defined as a first laminate. The laminate 12 having the substrate 12, the printed circuit board 13, the piezoelectric plate 14, the ground layer 15, the first acoustic matching layer 16 and the second acoustic matching layer 17 stacked thereon. It is defined as (60).

A piezoelectric substance refers to a substance which generates a piezoelectric effect. The piezoelectric body includes a piezoelectric single crystal.

2 is a flowchart schematically showing a method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe. 3 is a flow chart schematically showing one embodiment of a process for manufacturing a piezoelectric plate 20 having a junction 25. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a piezoelectric plate 20 having a junction 25 stacked on a printed circuit board 13.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe may include bonding the side surfaces of a plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 to each other to produce a piezoelectric plate 20 having a junction 25 (S110). Stacking the piezoelectric plate 20 having the 25 on the printed circuit board 13 (S120) to form a first laminate, wherein the ground layer 15 and the first acoustic matching layer are formed on the first laminate. 16) and the second acoustic matching layer 17, a step of manufacturing a second laminated body 60 by laminating the first laminated body on the substrate 12 (S130), the second laminated body 60 Is diced in the first direction (see FIG. 8 in the X direction) and electrically along the second direction (see FIG. 8 in the Z direction) perpendicular to the first direction (see FIG. 8 in the X direction). A process of making a plurality of independent ultrasonic vibrators 61 (see FIG. 9) and the surface of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves of the second stacked body 60 (see FIG. 9). Attaching a sound-absorbing layer 11 in face-to-face, and the second stacked body may include a step (S150) of forming the acoustic lens 18 on the side for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves (60, see FIG. 9).

The printed circuit board may be a flexible printed circuit board.

The sound-absorbing layer 11 suppresses the free vibration of the piezoelectric body to reduce the pulse width of the ultrasonic wave, and prevents the ultrasonic wave from propagating to the rear of the piezoelectric body unnecessarily, thereby preventing image distortion.

The substrate 12 is a kind of support for supporting a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 61 (see FIG. 9). The substrate 12 is made of a non-electrically insulating material, and generally uses a material such as a sound absorbing layer or similar acoustic properties. Use a material with

The acoustic matching layer serves to efficiently transmit the ultrasonic signal generated from the piezoelectric material to the object by matching the acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric body with the acoustic impedance of the object. . The acoustic matching layer may be formed of a ceramic, a resin material, or a composite of a powder of metal, ceramic, etc. in the resin material, and the first acoustic matching layer having different materials so that the acoustic impedance is gradually changed from the piezoelectric body toward the object. 16 and the second acoustic matching layer 17 may be included.

The acoustic lens 18 serves to converge the forward ultrasonic signal to a specific point.

The step (S110) of manufacturing the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 includes dicing the wafer to prepare a plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 (S210), and the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22, 23 is a step of smoothly smoothing the side surface (S220), the side of the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22, 23 are disposed adjacent to each other (S230), the side is adjacent to each other A process of attaching the adhesive film 21 to the surface for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic waves of the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 arranged in such a manner (S240). Since the adhesive film 21 has adhesive force, the adhesive film 21 is easily adhered to the sub piezoelectric plates 22 and 23. In this way, the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 become the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25. The adhesive film 21 may be removed after the process of laminating the piezoelectric plate 20 having the bonding portion 25 to be described later on the printed circuit board 13.

In the bonding of the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22 and 23, the use of the adhesive film 21 simplifies the bonding process and shortens the time taken for the bonding process.

Lamination of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 to the printed circuit board 13 is a surface for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 from the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25. The opposite side of the substrate 13 is performed so that the pattern 32 of the printed circuit board 13 (see FIG. 5) abuts the printed portion.

The printed circuit board 13 is attached to the opposite side to the surface on which the adhesive film 21 of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction part 25 is attached, and the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction part 25 and the printing are printed. There is an adhesive layer 24 between the circuit boards 13. The adhesive layer 24 bonds the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 with the printed circuit board 13.

In the production of the probe, the use of one large area piezoelectric plate in which a plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 by the above-described method is used can reduce the manufacturing cost.

4 (b) and 4 (c) are diagrams showing a state in which the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 is formed by arranging the side surfaces of the plurality of sub piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 adjacent to each other. The joining portion of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the joining portion may be formed in various forms depending on the form of the joining portion. For example, it may be in the form of a curve or may be in the form of a straight line. In addition, even in the case of a straight line, the direction may be the same direction as the longitudinal direction, may be a direction forming a constant angle with the longitudinal direction, or may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. 4 (d) shows three sub-piezoelectric plates arranged side by side. 4 (b) and 4 (c) show a case where two sub piezoelectric plates are joined, and FIG. 4 (d) shows a case where three sub piezoelectric plates are bonded. Although not shown, a case where four or more sub-piezoelectric plates are joined may also be considered.

4 (b) and 4 (d) show a case in which the direction and shape of the junction are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction and are in the form of a straight line.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a piezoelectric plate 20 having a junction 25 formed by bonding two sub piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 to a printed circuit board 13 on which a pattern 32 is printed. . The adhesive film 21 is removed. A wiring line extended from the printed circuit board 13 is omitted to avoid blurring of the gist. The interval P between the two dashed lines represents the width of the portion to be diced and removed later. In the case where the junction portion 25 is in the form of a straight line and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 (see the left figure in FIGS. 4B and 4C), the junction portion (see FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C) is connected to the printed circuit board 13. In the step S120 of stacking the piezoelectric plate 20 having the 25, the piezoelectric having the junction 25 is positioned such that the junction 25 is located at the portion A of the second laminate 60 that is removed by dicing. The process of aligning the plate 20 and the printed circuit board 13 may be further included. In this case, the method may further include forming the display unit 31 on the printed circuit board 13 before the process of aligning the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 and the printed circuit board 13. In FIG. 5, the display unit is indicated by a dotted line, but the shape of the display unit 31 is not limited to the dotted line and may be variously made.

The alignment method prints the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction 25 so that the junction 25 of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction 25 and the display portion 31 of the printed circuit board 13 meet each other. It can be performed by moving on the circuit board 13 or by moving the printed circuit board 13 on the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction 25.

In moving the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 on the printed circuit board 13, an alignment device 40 (see FIG. 6) to be described later may be used.

6 is a schematic diagram showing an alignment device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the alignment device 40 includes a plate holder 43, a first support frame 41, a second support frame 42, a linear stage part 45, a pressing frame 47, and an elastic means 48. ) And the micrometer portion 44.

The plate holder 43 has a first fixed post 43a and a second fixed post 43b. Grooves are formed between the first fixed post 43a and the second fixed post 43b of the plate holder 43. Protrusions 53 are formed at ends of each of the first fixed post 43a and the second fixed post 43b. The plate holder 43 fixes the first plate.

The first support frame 41 has a first support post 41a and a second support post 41b at both ends. Grooves are formed between the first support post 41a and the second support post 41b of the first support frame 41. The plate holder 43 is mounted in the groove portion formed between the first support post 41a and the second support post 41b.

The linear stage part 45 is slidably installed on the bottom surface of the groove portion formed between the first fixed post 43a and the second fixed post 43b of the plate holder 43. The linear stage unit 45 fixes a second plate different from the first plate. A vacuum means connecting hole 45a may be formed at the front of the linear stage unit 45.

The second support frame 42 has a third support post 42a and a fourth support post 42b. Grooves are formed between the third support post 42a and the third support post 42b. The pressing frame 47 is mounted to the groove portion formed between the third support post 42a and the third support post 42b. The pressing frame 47 presses the first plate and the second plate in the form of a rectangle. An elastic means 48 is installed between the pressing frame 47 and the second supporting frame 42. The elastic means 48 may be a spring.

The first plate may be a printed circuit board 13. The second plate may be a piezoelectric plate 20 having a junction 25. Hereinafter, the first plate will be described as the printed circuit board 13 and the second plate will be described as the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction 25.

The micrometer portion 44 is connected to the front of the plate holder 43, and moves the linear stage portion 45 to align the piezoelectric plate 20 having the printed circuit board 13 and the bonding portion 25.

A first fixing hole 50 is formed at each end of each of the first support post 41a and the second support post 41b so that the first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 can be engaged without shifting each other. do. The first fixing shaft 49 is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the first fixing hole 50 at each end of each of the third support post 42a and the third support post 42b.

The first fixed post 43a of the plate holder 43 to press the piezoelectric plate 20 having the printed circuit board 13 and the bonding portion 25 without shifting the pressing frame 47 and the plate holder 43 from each other. ) And a second fixing hole 52 at each end of each of the second fixing posts 43b. The second fixing shaft 51 is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the second fixing hole 52 at both ends of the pressing surface 47 of the pressing frame 47.

The binding means 54a and 54b are provided at both sides of each of the first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 so as to bind the first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42.

7A is a plan view of the first support frame 41. FIG. 7B is a view showing the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction part 25 and the printed circuit board 13 fixed to the first support frame 41 and the linear stage part 45. Referring to FIG. 7, the linear stage part 45 may fix the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction part 25 by a vacuum means. The vacuum means may be a vacuum pump. The linear stage portion 45 includes a vacuum groove 55 formed long in the longitudinal direction of the linear stage portion 45 on the surface where the adhesive film 21 on the piezoelectric plate 20 having the bonding portion 25 contacts. A vacuum hole 56 is formed at the bottom of the vacuum groove 55. A vacuum pump may be connected to the vacuum means connecting hole 45a to provide a vacuum. The piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction part 25 may be fixed through the vacuum groove 55 and the vacuum hole 56 by providing a vacuum in the linear stage part 45. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may have substantially various forms capable of fixing the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25.

At both ends of the printed circuit board 13 in the longitudinal direction, there are extended portions formed. The plate fixing hole is formed in the extension portion. The printed circuit board 13 is fixed to the plate holder 43 in such a way that the protrusion 53 is inserted into the plate fixing hole. At this time, the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction part 25 faces downward to contact the linear stage part 45, and the printed circuit board 13 has a second support frame 42 coupled to the first support frame 41. When facing upwards to be in contact with the pressing frame 47 on the second support frame (42).

Hereinafter, the alignment method using the alignment device 40 will be described. The piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 and the printed circuit board 13 are fixed to the first support frame 41 by the above-described method. At this time, it has already been described that the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction 25 faces downward. The second support frame 42 is mounted to the first support frame 41. At this time, a pair of first fixing shafts 49 are inserted into the pair of first fixing holes 50 so that the first supporting frame 41 and the second supporting frame 42 are coupled to each other without shifting or twisting. In addition, at this time, a pair of second fixing shafts 51 are inserted into the pair of second fixing holes 52 so that the joining frame is not shifted or twisted on the plate holder 43 and the bonding portion ( The piezoelectric plate 20 having 25 can be pressed. Pressing is performed by the elastic means 48 provided between the pressing frame 47 and the second supporting frame 42 to provide an elastic force.

The pressurization is for ensuring that the piezoelectric plate 20 having the printed circuit board 13 and the junction part 25 is correctly aligned without being twisted or bent at the time of alignment.

After the second support frame is mounted on the first support frame 41, the first support frame is formed by the coupling means 54a and 54b provided at both sides of each of the first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42. 41 and the second support frame 42 are engaged.

The silicon pad 46 may be additionally inserted when the second support frame 42 is mounted on the first support frame 41. That is, the silicon pad 46 may be inserted between the printed circuit board 13 and the pressing frame 47 to perform pressurization. The silicon pad 46 allows the pressing surface of the pressing frame 47 to uniformly press the piezoelectric plate 20 having the printed circuit board 13 and the bonding portion 25.

Alignment using the alignment device 40 is performed by moving the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction portion 25 relative to the printed circuit board 13. Adhesive layer between piezoelectric plate 20 having junction 25 and printed circuit board 13 with piezoelectric plate 20 having junction 25 and printed circuit board 13 when the printed circuit board 13 is fixed to alignment device 40. 24 is formed. However, the adhesive layer 24 is fluid until the alignment is completed, so that the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction 25 can move on the printed circuit board 13. The piezoelectric plate 20 having the bonding portion 25 is fixed to the linear stage portion 45 through the adhesive film 21 and moves together by the movement of the linear stage portion 45.

In the above, the case where the piezoelectric plate 20 having the bonding portion 25 is fixed by the adhesive film 21 contacting the linear stage portion 45 is fixed, but the bonding portion 25 is removed after the adhesive film 21 is removed. The piezoelectric plate 20 having may be directly in contact with the linear stage portion 45 to be fixed. In the former case, after the alignment step, a step of removing the adhesive film 21 from the piezoelectric plate 20 having the bonding portion 25 is added.

The movement of the linear stage portion 45 is caused by the micrometer portion 44 connected to the side of the linear stage portion 45. The linear stage part 45 has the driven part 44a connected to the front surface. The follower 44a includes a fixing nut therein, and the fixing nut is coupled to the micrometer screw. The micrometer screw is connected to the moving distance adjusting part 44b. When the movement distance adjusting part 44b is turned, the micrometer screw rotates in the fixing nut, and the driven part 44a including the fixing nut inside by the rotation of the micrometer screw moves left and right. The linear stage 45 moves left and right by the left and right movement of the driven part 44a. The linear stage portion 45 may be connected to the groove portion of the plate holder 43 by a rail and may be slidably moved by the rail. The interior of the linear stage unit 45 may include an elastic member. The elastic member may be a spring. The spring may be interposed between the spring fixing portion formed in the linear stage portion 45 into the plate holder 43 and the spring fixing portion formed in the plate holder 43. In an embodiment, when the self-aligning member moves the linear stage portion 45 by turning the movement distance adjusting portion 44b, the spring contracts and a force is applied so that the linear stage portion 45 returns to the right side, and the linear stage portion 45 is moved. When moving to the right, the spring can be stretched and a force can be applied to return the linear stage 45 to the left.

The elastic member has an effect of helping the aligner perform a precise alignment.

Referring again to FIG. 5, the alignment is performed so that the bonding portion 25 of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the bonding portion 25 and the display portion 31 of the printed circuit board 13 having the display portion 31 meet each other. It can be carried out by moving the piezoelectric plate 20 having the 25) to the left and right. The display unit 31 of the printed circuit board 13 may be located in an area A through which the dicing blade passes. Thus, the junction 25 can be positioned in the region A through which the dicing blade passes by alignment.

A microscope can be used as a means of checking whether the display part 31 and the junction part 25 meet. The microscope can be positioned at predetermined intervals in the alignment device 40 and the piezoelectric plate 20 having the junction 25 can be observed. The microscope may be connected to the display unit, and the person who aligns the display unit 31 of the printed circuit board 13 having the bonding unit 25 and the display unit 31 of the piezoelectric plate 20 having the bonding unit 25 through the display unit. You can sort by looking.

The purpose of the alignment is to remove the junction 25 by dicing. Therefore, the thickness of the junction 25 should be smaller than the thickness of the dicing blade. In an exemplary embodiment, the dicing blade may have a thickness of about 40 micrometers, and the junction may have a thickness of about 10 micrometers, so that the junction 25 may be removed by dicing. In addition, the display unit may not necessarily be located in an area where the dicing blade passes. Even in this case, the joint is necessarily located in the area where the dicing blade passes. That is, the alignment does not necessarily need to be performed so that the indicator and the junction meet, but is performed so that the junction is removed by dicing.

When the alignment process is completed, when the adhesive film 21 is attached, the process of removing the adhesive film 21 is performed, followed by the process of manufacturing the second laminate 60 (S130). Since the process of manufacturing the 2nd laminated body 60 was mentioned above, it abbreviate | omits.

FIG. 8: is a front view (a) and top view (b) which show the part removed by dicing of the 2nd laminated body 60. FIG. 9 is a front view (a) and a plan view (b) showing a state in which the ultrasonic vibrators 61 are arranged. A wiring line extended from the printed circuit board 13 is omitted to avoid blurring of the gist. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view illustrating a portion in which the display portion 31 and the junction portion 25 are positioned in the second laminate 60 by dicing, and a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 61 are arranged.

8, 9, and 10, after manufacturing the second stacked body 60, the second stacked body 60 may be diced in the first direction (X direction), but the first stacked body may be diced. A plurality of dicings are carried out in a second direction (Z direction) perpendicular to the X direction) with a distance of D (refer to FIG. 8) to be electrically independent with a distance of P along the second direction (Z direction). A process (S140) of arranging the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 61 is performed. By removing the junction portion 25 by dicing, a plurality of electrically independent ultrasonic vibrators 61 arranged at intervals P along the second direction (Z direction) can be obtained.

The spacing P represents the spacing of the portions to be removed by dicing. As described above, the dicing blade may have a thickness of about 40 micrometers. The spacing P is equal to the thickness of the dicing blade, so in this case the spacing P will also be around 40 micrometers. Since the junction 25 may have a thickness of about 10 micrometers, the junction 25 may be removed by dicing when the junction 25 is positioned inside the gap P by an alignment process.

The plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 61 thus obtained is not different from the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 61 obtained by dicing one piezoelectric plate having a large area instead of the sub piezoelectric plates 22 and 23.

Dicing one large area piezoelectric plate from a wafer is high in defect rate and expensive. Therefore, joining and using the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 has a great effect in terms of cost reduction.

Another effect of the present invention is that even when a plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates 22 and 23 are bonded to each other, the junction part is removed by dicing through an alignment process, which results in the same result as using one piezoelectric plate having a large area from the beginning. to be.

In the dicing operation, the depth at which the dicing blade cuts the second laminated body 60 in the thickness direction (Y direction) is up to the substrate 12 layer. It does not cut completely. In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the substrate 12 may be cut to a depth Q of about 250 micrometers. Some of the thickness of the substrate 12 is left to allow the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 61 to stick together.

FIG. 11 is a view showing that the sound absorbing layer 11 is attached to the lower portion of the diced second stacked structure 60 and the acoustic lens 18 is formed on the upper portion. Referring to FIG. 11, after the dicing process is completed, the sound absorbing layer 11 is attached to the lower portion of the diced second laminate 60, and the acoustic lens is disposed on the dicing second laminate 60. 18) may include forming a process (S150). Thereafter, a process of seating the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 61 to which the acoustic lens 18 and the sound absorbing layer 11 are attached is performed.

The ultrasonic probe manufacturing method includes the above-described process.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical and exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

11: sound-absorbing layer
12: Substrate
13: printed circuit board
14: piezoelectric plate
15: ground layer
16: first acoustic matching layer
17: second acoustic matching layer
18: Acoustic lens
20: piezoelectric plate with junction
21: adhesive film
22, 23: sub piezoelectric plate
25:
31: display unit
40: alignment device
60: second laminate
61: ultrasonic vibrator

Claims (26)

A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe,
Providing a plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates; And
Bonding the plurality of sub piezoelectric plates to each other to provide a piezoelectric plate having a junction;
Wherein the ultrasonic probe comprises a plurality of ultrasonic probes. The method of claim 1,
And after the step of providing the piezoelectric plate having the junction, further comprising laminating the piezoelectric plate having the junction to a printed circuit board to form a first laminate. 3. The method of claim 2,
After the process of making the first laminate, the process of laminating a ground layer and an acoustic matching layer on the first laminate, and a layer of the first laminate on a substrate to form a second laminate Ultrasonic probe manufacturing method comprising the. The method of claim 3,
After the process of making the second laminate,
Dicing the second laminate in a first direction;
Attaching a sound absorbing layer to a surface opposite to a surface for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic waves of the second laminate; And
Forming an acoustic lens on the surface for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave
Ultrasonic probe manufacturing method further comprising. 5. The method of claim 4,
And the joining portion of the piezoelectric plate having the joining portion is in a straight line shape and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric plate having the joining portion. 6. The method of claim 5,
The process of making the first laminate further comprises the step of aligning the piezoelectric plate having the junction and the printed circuit board such that the junction is removed by the dicing. The method according to claim 6,
And forming a display unit on the printed circuit board prior to the process of aligning the piezoelectric plate having the junction and the printed circuit board. The method of claim 7, wherein
And the bonding portion of the piezoelectric plate having the bonding portion and the display portion of the printed circuit board meet each other for the alignment. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
Ultrasonic probe manufacturing method, characterized in that the material of the sub-piezoelectric plate is a single crystal. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
Bonding of the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates may include placing the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates adjacent to each other with side surfaces of the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates, and attaching an adhesive film to a surface for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves of the plurality of sub-piezoelectric plates. Ultrasonic probe manufacturing method, characterized in that made. 11. The method of claim 10,
Ultrasonic probe manufacturing method, characterized in that the material of the sub-piezoelectric plate is a single crystal. An apparatus for horizontally aligning a second plate to a predetermined position of a first plate different from the second plate,
A first support frame mounted with a plate holder for fixing the first plate; And
Linear stage unit for fixing the second plate located below the first plate
Includes, wherein the linear stage portion is aligned on the plate holder to perform the alignment by moving the second plate to a predetermined position of the first plate. The method of claim 12,
And a micrometer portion connected to the plate holder and moving the linear stage portion. The method of claim 12,
The plate holder is provided with a first fixed post and a second fixed post, the alignment device, characterized in that provided with a projection for fixing the first plate at the end of each of the first fixed post and the second fixed post. The method of claim 12,
And the linear stage portion further comprises a vacuum means to fix the second plate. The method of claim 12,
And a second support frame having a pressing frame for pressing the first plate and the second plate. 17. The method of claim 16,
The pressing frame is an alignment device, characterized in that for using the elastic means for pressing the first plate and the second plate. 17. The method of claim 16,
The first support frame includes a first support post and a second support post, and the second support frame includes a third support post and a fourth support post, wherein the first support frame and the second support frame A first fixing hole is formed at each end of each of the first support post and the second support post so that the first support post and the second support post can be engaged with each other, and correspond to the first fixing hole at each end of the third support post and the fourth support post. Alignment device, characterized in that the first fixed shaft is formed. 17. The method of claim 16,
The plate holder includes a first fixed post and a second fixed post, wherein the first fixed post and the first plate of the plate holder are configured to press the first plate and the second plate without shifting the pressing frame and the plate holder from each other. A second fixing hole is formed at each end of each of the two fixed posts, and a second fixing shaft corresponding to the second fixing hole is formed at both ends of the pressing surface of the pressing frame. 17. The method of claim 16,
Alignment apparatus further comprises a binding means for binding the first support frame and the second support frame. 17. The method of claim 16,
Aligning device, characterized in that the pressing by inserting a silicone pad between the pressing frame and the first plate. An apparatus for aligning a piezoelectric plate having a junction and a printed circuit board having a display in order to manufacture an ultrasonic probe,
And the piezoelectric plate having the junction portion is horizontally moved to a predetermined position of the printed circuit board having the display portion in order to determine the alignment based on the relative position of the junction portion and the display portion. An ultrasonic probe manufactured by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 11. Ultrasonic probe prepared by the method according to claim 9. Ultrasonic probe prepared by the method according to claim 10. An ultrasonic probe manufactured using the alignment device according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

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