Provided is a method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe. The method includes forming a sacrificial layer on a substrate; forming a plurality of openings in the sacrificial layer that are separated from one another; forming piezoelectric units by growing a piezoelectric element in each of the plurality of openings; and removing the sacrificial layer.

Methods of manufacturing transducers with triangular cross-sectional shaped pillars are disclosed herein. According to one aspect of the present application, a plurality of first, second and third troughs are formed in a transducer substrate in first, second and third directions, respectively, to form an array of pillars. In one embodiment, the first direction is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the substrate, the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the substrate, and the third direction is oblique to the longitudinal axis of the substrate. The resulting array of pillars can be configured to suppress lateral modes of a high frequency ultrasound transducer.

A structure of an acoustic transducer array probe for transmission of acoustic waves from a front radiation surface into an acoustic load material, where said acoustic waves can have frequencies in a high frequency (HF) band and further lower frequency (LF1, . . . , LFn, . . . , LFN) bands with N1, arranged in order of decreasing center frequency. The acoustic waves are transmitted from separate high and lower frequency arrays stacked together with matching layers in a thickness dimension into a layered structure, with at least a common radiation surface for said high and lower frequency bands. At least for said common radiation surface at least one lower frequency LFn electro-acoustic structure (n=1, . . . , N) comprises a piezoelectric array with an acoustic isolation section to its front face. The acoustic isolation section includes to the front a section composed of a sequence of L3 matching layers with interchanging low and high characteristic impedances, where the front layer of said section is one of i) a lower characteristic impedance layer, and ii) a higher characteristic impedance layer, and where at least one lower characteristic impedance layer is made of a homogeneous material.

Planar phased ultrasound transducer including a first layer including a sheet of piezoelectric material, a piezo frame surrounding an outer perimeter of the sheet of piezoelectric material, and an epoxy material placed between the piezo frame and the sheet of piezoelectric material. The transducer includes a flex frame secured to a back side of the first layer.

An ultrasonic device includes a substrate having a first opening, a second opening and a wall part partitioning the first opening and the second opening; a first vibration film and a second vibration film which close the first opening and the second opening respectively; a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element which are formed on surfaces of the first vibration film and the second vibration film opposite to the substrate; an acoustic matching layer which is disposed within the first opening and the second opening so as to come into contact with the first vibration film and the second vibration film.

An ultrasound transducer includes: piezoelectric elements; a substrate configured to perform input and output of an electric signal with respect to each of the piezoelectric elements; signal input and output electrodes where each signal input and output electrode is provided between each piezoelectric element and the substrate; first backing materials where each first backing material is provided at each of the piezoelectric elements on a side where the signal input and output electrode is arranged; sealing portions where each sealing portion is configured to seal an outer surface of at least a portion of an electrical path connecting the substrate with the signal input and output electrode; a wall configured to surround oscillating portions including the piezoelectric element, the first backing material, the signal input and output electrode, and the sealing portion; and a second backing material provided in a hollow space formed by the wall and the oscillating portions.

An ultrasonic transducer array including a substrate, a membrane overlying the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies, and a plurality of anchors connected to the substrate and connected to the membrane. The membrane includes a piezoelectric layer, a plurality of first electrodes, and a plurality of second electrodes, wherein each ultrasonic transducer of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers includes at least a first electrode and at least a second electrode. The plurality of anchors includes a first anchor including a first electrical connection for electrically coupling at least one first electrode to control circuitry and a second anchor including a second electrical connection for electrically coupling at least one second electrode. The ultrasonic transducer array could be either a two-dimensional array or a one-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers.

An ultrasonic transducer device including a substrate, an edge support structure connected to the substrate, and a membrane connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies. The membrane includes a structural layer, a piezoelectric layer having a first surface and a second surface, a first electrode placed on the first surface of the piezoelectric layer, wherein the first electrode is located at the center of the membrane, a second electrode placed on the first surface of the piezoelectric layer, wherein the second electrode is a patterned electrode comprising more than one electrode components that are electrically coupled, and a third electrode coupled to the second surface of the piezoelectric layer and electrically coupled to ground.

An ultrasound probe includes: an ultrasound transducer including plural piezoelectric elements; an acoustic lens layer configured to radiate the ultrasound emitted from the plural piezoelectric elements to outside; a back layer that faces the acoustic lens layer with the ultrasound transducer interposed between the back layer and the acoustic lens layer; and a wiring member having at least a part that is arranged at a first position between the acoustic lens layer and the ultrasound transducer or at a second position that faces the ultrasound transducer with the back layer interposed between the second position and the ultrasound transducer. The wiring member includes: a resin layer having electrically insulating; and an electrically conducting layer that is provided on the resin layer and includes plural signal wirings.

An ultrasonic transducer array including a substrate, a membrane overlying the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies, and a plurality of anchors connected to the substrate and connected to the membrane. The membrane includes a piezoelectric layer, a plurality of first electrodes, and a plurality of second electrodes, wherein each ultrasonic transducer of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers includes at least a first electrode and at least a second electrode. The plurality of anchors includes a first anchor including a first electrical connection for electrically coupling at least one first electrode to control circuitry and a second anchor including a second electrical connection for electrically coupling at least one second electrode. The ultrasonic transducer array could be either a two-dimensional array or a one-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers.