Ultrasonic transducer element chip, probe, electronic instrument, and ultrasonic diagnostic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9554775-B2
Application number	US-201514733014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer element chip includes a substrate defining an opening, an ultrasonic transducer element disposed at a position corresponding to the opening in a thickness direction of the substrate, and a reinforcing member connected to the substrate to cover the opening. The reinforcing member defines a ventilation passage from the opening to an outside of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic transducer element chip comprising:
a substrate defining an opening;
an ultrasonic transducer element disposed at a position corresponding to the opening in a thickness direction of the substrate; and
a reinforcing member connected to the substrate to cover the opening, the reinforcing member defining a ventilation passage from the opening to an outside of the substrate,
the substrate defining an additional opening with an additional ultrasonic transducer element being disposed at a position corresponding to the additional opening in the thickness direction of the substrate,
the reinforcing member being bonded to a partition wall section of the substrate between the opening and the additional opening, and
a wall thickness of the partition wall section being smaller than a wall height of the partition wall section.

2. The ultrasonic transducer element chip according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforcing member includes a first surface facing the substrate and defining a groove part that serves as the ventilation passage.

3. The ultrasonic transducer element chip according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforcing member defines the ventilation passage that is communicated with both the opening and the additional opening.

4. The ultrasonic transducer element chip according to claim 1 , wherein
at least a portion of one of the substrate and the reinforcing member is made of a porous material, and
the ventilation passage includes a plurality of pores of the porous material.

5. The ultrasonic transducer element chip according to claim 1 , wherein
the substrate is disposed between the ultrasonic transducer element and the reinforcing member in the thickness direction of the substrate.

6. A probe comprising:
the ultrasonic transducer element chip according to claim 1 ; and
a case member supporting the ultrasonic transducer element chip.

7. An electronic instrument comprising:
the probe according to claim 6 ; and
a processing circuit connected to the probe, and configured to process output signals of the ultrasonic transducer elements.

8. An ultrasonic diagnostic device comprising:
the probe according to claim 6 ;
a processing circuit connected to the probe, and configured to process output signals of the ultrasonic transducer elements to generate an image; and
a display device configured to display the image.

9. A probe head comprising:
the ultrasonic transducer element chip according to claim 1 ; and
a case member supporting the ultrasonic transducer element chip, and configured to be coupled to a probe main body of a probe.

10. The ultrasonic transducer element chip according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the ultrasonic transducer element and the additional ultrasonic transducer element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric film, and a second electrode, and
the piezoelectric film is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Tomoaki
• Tsuruno Jiro
• Kiyose Kanechika

Classifications

• B06B1/0622

  on one surface · CPC title

• G03B42/06

  using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• A61B8/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• A61B8/4444

  related to the probe · CPC title

• A61B8/4427

  Device being portable or laptop-like · CPC title