Ultrasonic measurement device, head unit, probe, and diagnostic device

• US 9,863,918 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Endo, Kogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sinha, Tarun
• Application Number:
  US14/062,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20140116139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 73584
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4411 Device being modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0622 on one surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2437 Piezoelectric probes

Abstract

An ultrasonic measurement device includes a substrate, an ultrasonic element array, an ultrasonic transducer device, and an integrated circuit device. The ultrasonic element array has a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged on the substrate. The ultrasonic transducer device is formed on the substrate and having a plurality of signal electrode lines electrically connected to the ultrasonic element array. The integrated circuit device has a plurality of terminals to output a transmission signal to the ultrasonic element array. Each of the signal electrode lines includes an electrode layer in which at least one signal electrode among some of the ultrasonic elements is formed to extend on the substrate. The integrated circuit device is mounted on the substrate, and each of the terminals of the integrated circuit device is connected to a corresponding one of the signal electrode lines.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic measurement device comprising:

an ultrasonic transducer device including

a substrate,

an ultrasonic element array having a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged on a surface of the substrate,

a plurality of signal electrode lines formed on the surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the ultrasonic element array, each of the signal electrode lines extending in one direction along a slice direction and the surface of the substrate, and including an electrode layer in which at least one signal electrode among some of the ultrasonic elements is formed to extend in the one direction on the surface of the substrate, each of the signal electrode lines further including a signal terminal at one end portion of each of the signal electrode lines, the one end portion being positioned, relative to all of the ultrasonic elements, in the one direction, and

an integrated circuit device having a plurality of terminals to output a transmission signal to the ultrasonic element array, the integrated circuit device being mounted on the surface of the substrate such that the integrated circuit device does not overlap all of the ultrasonic elements and the signal terminal of each of all of the signal electrode lines as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, and such that the entire integrated circuit device is arranged between the all of the ultrasonic elements and the signal terminal of each of all of the signal electrode lines in the slice direction, the integrated circuit device further having a first surface and a second surface such that the terminals are positioned between the first surface and the second surface, the first surface facing in the one direction, the second surface facing in the other direction that is along the slice direction and opposite the one direction, both of the first surface and the second surface being positioned in the one direction relative to the all of the ultrasonic elements and positioned, relative to the signal terminal of each of the signal electrode lines, in the other direction, and each of the terminals of the integrated circuit device being connected to a corresponding one of the signal electrode lines.

2. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein

the ultrasonic element array is a rectangle, and when a long side direction of the rectangle is defined as a scan direction, and the integrated circuit device is mounted on the surface of the substrate such that a long side direction of the integrated circuit device extends along the scan direction.

3. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein

each of the ultrasonic elements has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a transducer section provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and

the first electrode or the second electrode extends on the substrate as the at least one signal electrode.

4. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein

the terminals in the integrated circuit device is configured by a projection electrode, and the integrated circuit device is subjected to flip chip mounting to the substrate.

5. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising

a circuit element of the integrated circuit device formed on a silicon substrate, wherein

the substrate of the ultrasonic transducer device is configured by silicon.

6. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising

a vibration film of the ultrasonic element array formed on the substrate, wherein

at least one of the signal electrodes extends on the vibration film.

7. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 6, further comprising

a second integrated circuit device mounted on the substrate, wherein

the ultrasonic element array is a rectangle, and

the integrated circuit device is mounted in a first long side of the rectangle, and the second integrated circuit device is mounted in a second long side of the rectangle.

8. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein

the ultrasonic element array is a rectangle, and the integrated circuit device has a transmission circuit, which outputs the transmission signal, in each of the terminals, wherein

when a long side direction of the rectangle is defined as a scan direction, in a state that the integrated circuit device is mounted on the surface of the substrate, the transmission circuits are arranged along the scan direction.

9. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 8, wherein

the integrated circuit device has a transmission and reception selector switch, which is connected to the terminal, in each of the terminals, and

the transmission and reception selector switches are arranged along the scan direction in the state that the integrated circuit device is mounted on the substrate.

10. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 8, wherein

the integrated circuit device has a multiplexer arranged between the terminals, which is arranged along the scan direction, and the transmission circuits, which is arranged along the scan direction.

11. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising

a protective film layer, which protects the ultrasonic element array, formed on the substrate and the integrated circuit device that is mounted on the substrate.

12. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 11, wherein

the protective film layer is combined with an acoustic matching layer.

13. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein

the substrate has a plurality of openings arranged in an array pattern,

each of the ultrasonic elements has a vibration film, which covers a corresponding one of the openings, and a piezoelectric element section provided on the vibration film, and

the piezoelectric element section has a lower electrode provided on the vibration film, a piezoelectric film provided to cover at least a part of the lower electrode, and an upper electrode provided to cover at least a part of the piezoelectric film.

14. A head unit of a probe comprising:

the ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein

the head unit is removable with respect to a probe main body of the probe.

15. A probe comprising:

a probe main body;

a head unit having the ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, the head unit being removable with respect to the probe main body.

16. A diagnostic device comprising:

the ultrasonic measurement device described in claim 1, and

a display section which displays image data for display.

17. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible substrate electrically connected the signal terminal of each of the signal electrode lines and receiving a receiving signal from the ultrasonic element array.

18. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first control signal wires that extend in the one direction and a plurality of second control signal wires that extend in the one direction, wherein

the integrated circuit device further has a plurality of first control terminals and a plurality of second control terminals, the first control terminals are disposed at a side of a third surface of the integrated circuit device, the second control-terminals are disposed at a side of a fourth surface of the integrated circuit device, and the third surface and the fourth surface are opposite to each other in a scan direction perpendicular to the one and other directions.

19. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 18, wherein

the first control signal wires are connected to the first control terminals, respectively, and the second control terminals are connected to the second control terminals, respectively.