Ultrasonic transducer array and imaging system
First Claim
1. In an ultrasonic transducer array, a relatively thin wafer of piezoelectric material having planar, substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces, a relatively thin conductive layer formed on said bottom surface, said outermost surface of said layer forming a major face capable of bidirectionally transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy, a relatively thin additional conductive layer formed on said top surface having a grid of isolation grooves formed therein extending from the surface of said additional layer through said wafer top surface and into said wafer to a depth intermediate said wafer top and bottom surfaces to define a plurality of isolated portions in said wafer, a plurality of isolated portions of said additional conductive layer being carried by said top surface of said isolated portions of said wafer, and a contact area formed in the upper surface of each of said portions of said additional conductive layer.
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Abstract
An ultrasonic bidirectional transducer array, and an imaging system including said array, wherein the array comprises a plurality of transducer elements each having a major face capable of bidirectionally transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy and an opposite face. The transducer elements have their major bidirectional faces arrayed in a predetermined surface. Means is carried by the opposite face of each element for bidirectionally providing and receiving electrical energy across each transducer element. In the imaging system the array may be selectively scanned to provide successive displays of moving objects at a rate which gives the impression of continuous motion to a human observer.
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Citations
4 Claims
- 1. In an ultrasonic transducer array, a relatively thin wafer of piezoelectric material having planar, substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces, a relatively thin conductive layer formed on said bottom surface, said outermost surface of said layer forming a major face capable of bidirectionally transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy, a relatively thin additional conductive layer formed on said top surface having a grid of isolation grooves formed therein extending from the surface of said additional layer through said wafer top surface and into said wafer to a depth intermediate said wafer top and bottom surfaces to define a plurality of isolated portions in said wafer, a plurality of isolated portions of said additional conductive layer being carried by said top surface of said isolated portions of said wafer, and a contact area formed in the upper surface of each of said portions of said additional conductive layer.
Specification