Method of manufacturing ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 6,238,481 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimanuki, Senji, Saitoh, Shiroh, Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi, Harada, Kouichi, Yamashita, Yohachi
• Primary Examiner(s): HITESHEW, FELISA CARLA
• Application Number:
  US09/321,549
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 117/84, 128/662.08, 310/334
• US Class Current: 117/84
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0622 on one surface

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe includes the steps of forming electrodes on two surfaces of a piezoelectric single crystal made of a complex perovskite compound and then adhering the piezoelectric single crystal on a backing material, dicing the piezoelectric single crystal to form an arrayed piezoelectric single-crystal transducer, and poling the arrayed piezoelectric single-crystal transducer in the electric field of 0.5 to 2 kV/mm at a temperature of 80° C. or less.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe, comprising the steps of:

adhering a piezoelectric single crystal made of a perovskite compound on a backing material;

dicing said piezoelectric single crystal in the form of an array to form a piezoelectric single-crystal transducer; and

performing poling for said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer,

wherein said piezoelectric single crystal is made of a complex perovskite compound represented by the following formula;

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric single crystal has a tickness of not more than 0.6 mm and an area of not less than 1.0 cm².

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of performing poling comprises applying an electric field of 0.5 to 2 kV/mm to said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of performing poling comprises heating said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer to a temperature of not more than 80°

C.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of performing first poling for said piezoelectric single crystal before said piezoelectric single crystal made of the perovskite compound is adhered to said backing material.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of performing first poling comprises applying an electric field of not more than 0.5 kV/mm to said piezoelectric single crystal.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of performing first poling comprises heating said piezoelectric single crystal to a temperature of not more than 250°

C.

8. A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe, comprising the steps of:

adhering a piezoelectric single crystal made of a perovskite compound on a backing material;

dicing said piezoelectric single crystal in the form of an array to form a piezoelectric single-crystal transducer; and

performing poling for said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer,

wherein said piezoelectric single crystal is made of a complex perovskite compound represented by the following formula;

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said piezoelectric single crystal has a thickness of not more than 0.6 mm and an area of not less than 1.0 cm².

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of performing poling comprises applying an electric field of 0.5 to 2 kV/mm to said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of performing poling comprises heating said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer to a temperature of not more than 80°

C.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of performing first poling for said piezoelectric single crystal before said piezoelectric single crystal made of the perovskite compound is adhered to said backing material.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of performing first poling comprises applying an electric field of not more than 0.5 kV/mm to said piezoelectric single crystal.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of performing first poling comprises heating said piezoelectric single crystal to a temperature of not more than 250°

C.

15. A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising an ultrasonic probe, a transmitter/receiver and a signal processing unit connected to said ultrasonic probe, and a monitor for displaying a processed signal as an image, wherein said ultrasonic probe is formed by the steps of:

adhering a piezoelectric single crystal made of a perovskite compound on a support substrate;

dicing said piezoelectric single crystal in the form of an array to form a piezoelectric single-crystal transducer; and

performing poling for said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer,

wherein said piezoelectric single crystal is made of a complex perovskite compound represented by the following formula;

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said piezoelectric single crystal has a thickness of not more than 0.6 mm and an area of not less than 1.0 cm².

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of performing poling comprises applying an electric field of 0.5 to 2 kV/mm to said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of performing poling comprises heating said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer to a temperature of not more than 80°

C.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of performing first poling for said piezoelectric single crystal before said piezoelectric single crystal made of the perovskite compound is adhered to said support substrate.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of performing first poling comprises applying an electric field of not more than 0.5 kV/mm to said piezoelectric single crystal.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of performing first poling comprises heating said piezoelectric single crystal to a temperature of not more than 250°

C.

22. A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising an ultrasonic probe, a transmitter/receiver and a signal processing unit connected to said ultrasonic probe, and a monitor for displaying a processed signal as an image, wherein said ultrasonic probe is formed by the steps of:

adhering a piezoelectric single crystal made of a perovskite compound on a support substrate;

dicing said piezoelectric single crystal in the form of an array to form a piezoelectric single-crystal transducer; and

performing poling for said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer,

wherein said piezoelectric single crystal is made of a complex perovskite compound represented by the following formula;

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said piezoelectric single crystal has a thickness of not more than 0.6 mm and an area of not less than 1.0 cm².

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the step of performing poling comprises applying an electric field of 0.5 to 2 kV/mm to said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the step of performing poling comprises heating said piezoelectric single-crystal transducer to a temperature of not more than 80°

C.

26. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of performing first poling for said piezoelectric single crystal before said piezoelectric single crystal made of the perovskite compound is adhered to said support substrate.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the step of performing first poling comprises applying an electric field of not more than 0.5 kV/mm to said piezoelectric single crystal.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the step of performing first poling comprises heating said piezoelectric single crystal to a temperature of not more than 250°

C.