Ultrasonic transducer device, probe head, ultrasonic probe, electronic machine and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9508916-B2
Application number	US-201314051563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2013
Priority date	Oct 12, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer device includes a substrate on which a plurality of openings are arranged; a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements, each of the ultrasonic transducer elements being provided to each of the openings of the plurality of openings, on a first surface of the substrate; and a member fixed to a second surface of the substrate, which is a surface on the opposite side of the first surface of the substrate. Provided to the member are a plurality of first groove sections, and a second groove section for bundling together the plurality of the first groove sections.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface which opposes the first surface;
ultrasonic transducer elements disposed on the first surface of the substrate and arranged in a sheet shape in a predetermined arraying; and
a sheet-shaped member disposed on the second surface of the substrate,
the substrate including wall sections that partition the ultrasonic transducer elements neighboring each other, the substrate being disposed between the ultrasonic transducer elements and the sheet-shaped member,
the wall sections and the sheet-shaped member being bonded together, and
the sheet-shaped member including a plurality of first groove sections formed so as to correspond to each of the ultrasonic transducer elements.

2. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1 , wherein
the sheet-shaped member further includes
a second groove section for bundling together the first groove sections.

3. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 2 , wherein
the sheet-shaped member includes a through hole connecting the second groove section and an exterior.

4. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 2 , wherein
the sheet-shaped member includes a third groove section that is connected with an exterior but is not connected with the first groove sections nor with the second groove section, at a position opposing a surrounding region of a region of the substrate where the wall sections are provided.

5. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first groove sections are provided along a first direction,
the second groove section is provided along a second direction different from the first direction, at a position opposing a surrounding region of a region of the substrate where the wall sections are provided, and
one ends of the first groove sections are joined to the second groove section.

6. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 5 , wherein
the sheet-shaped member includes a third groove section which is connected with an exterior but is not connected with the first groove sections nor with the second groove section, at the position opposing the surrounding region, the third groove section either is provided along the first direction on a region that runs along a first edge of the sheet-shaped member in the first direction or a second edge opposite to the first edge in the first direction, or is provided along the second direction on a region that runs along a third edge of the sheet-shaped member in the second direction or a fourth edge an opposite to the third edge, and
a first end of the third groove section is separated from both the first groove sections and the second groove section and a second end of the third groove section is bonded to one of the first to fourth edges of the sheet-shaped member.

7. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the ultrasonic transducer elements includes
a vibrating membrane blocking off between the wall sections, and
a piezoelectric element section provided on the vibrating membrane,

the piezoelectric element section including
a lower electrode provided on the vibrating membrane,
a piezoelectric body membrane at least partially covering the lower electrode, and
an upper electrode at least partially covering the piezoelectric body membrane.

8. A probe head, provided with the ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1 .

9. An ultrasonic probe comprising:
the probe head according to claim 8 ; and
a processing apparatus configured to process a signal coming from the ultrasonic transducer device.

10. An electronic machine, provided with the ultrasonic probe according to claim 9 .

11. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
the ultrasonic probe according to claim 9 ; and
a display unit configured to display image data for display.

12. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 1 , wherein
a thickness of each wall section is smaller than a height of each wall section.

13. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface which opposes the first surface;
an ultrasonic transducer element disposed on the first surface of the substrate; and
a sheet-shaped member disposed on the second surface of the substrate,
the substrate including an opening that is separated by a wall section, the substrate being disposed between the ultrasonic transducer element and the sheet-shaped member,
the wall section and the sheet-shaped member being bonded together, and
the sheet-shaped member including a first groove section formed to correspond to the ultrasonic transducer element.

14. The ultrasonic transducer device according to claim 13 , wherein
a thickness of the wall section is smaller than a height of the wall section.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Tomoaki
• Onishi Yasunori
• Yoshida Kazuki
• Endo Kogo

Classifications

• H01L41/09 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• A61B8/4411

  Device being modular · CPC title

• A61B8/4427

  Device being portable or laptop-like · CPC title

• A61B8/4483

  characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer · CPC title

• B06B1/0622

  on one surface · CPC title