PIEZOELECTRIC ELEMENT, ULTRASONIC PROBE, ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENT DEVICE, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF PIEZOELECTRIC ELEMENT
20170119350 ยท 2017-05-04
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
A61B8/4494
HUMAN NECESSITIES
H10N30/072
ELECTRICITY
H10N30/706
ELECTRICITY
B06B1/06
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
H10N30/101
ELECTRICITY
H10N30/06
ELECTRICITY
International classification
A61B8/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
Abstract
A piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric body; and a vibrating plate including single crystal silicon having anisotropy having orientation with a relatively high Poisson's ratio and orientation with a relatively low Poisson's ratio (hereinafter, referred to as low Poisson's ratio orientation) as a vibrating material, in which the piezoelectric body and the vibrating plate are laminated on each other so that the low Poisson's ratio orientation is in a direction along a high expansion and contraction direction among a direction where a degree of expansion and contraction caused according to a support structure of the piezoelectric body is relatively high (hereinafter, referred to as high expansion and contraction direction) and a direction where a degree thereof is relatively low.
Claims
1. A piezoelectric element comprising: a piezoelectric body; and a vibrating plate including single crystal silicon having anisotropy having orientation with a relatively high Poisson's ratio and orientation with a relatively low Poisson's ratio (hereinafter, referred to as low Poisson's ratio orientation) as a vibrating material, wherein the piezoelectric body and the vibrating plate are laminated on each other so that the low Poisson's ratio orientation is in a direction along a high expansion and contraction direction among a direction where a degree of expansion and contraction caused according to a support structure of the piezoelectric body is relatively high (hereinafter, referred to as high expansion and contraction direction) and a direction where a degree thereof is relatively low.
2. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein plane orientation of the single crystal silicon is [001] and the low Poisson's ratio orientation is [110] or [110].
3. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein plane orientation of the single crystal silicon is [010] and the low Poisson's ratio orientation is [101] or [101].
4. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein plane orientation of the single crystal silicon is [100] and the low Poisson's ratio orientation is [011] or [011].
5. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein plane orientation of the single crystal silicon is [110] and the low Poisson's ratio orientation is any one of [111], [112], [112], and [111].
6. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein plane orientation of the single crystal silicon is [011] and the low Poisson's ratio orientation is any one of [111], [211], [211], and [111].
7. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein plane orientation of the single crystal silicon is [101] and the low Poisson's ratio orientation is any one of [111], [121], [121], and [111].
8. An ultrasonic probe comprising the piezoelectric element according to claim 1 for reception of ultrasonic waves.
9. An ultrasonic probe comprising the piezoelectric element according to claim 2 for reception of ultrasonic waves.
10. An ultrasonic probe comprising the piezoelectric element according to claim 3 for reception of ultrasonic waves.
11. An ultrasonic probe comprising the piezoelectric element according to claim 4 for reception of ultrasonic waves.
12. An ultrasonic probe comprising the piezoelectric element according to claim 5 for reception of ultrasonic waves.
13. An ultrasonic probe comprising the piezoelectric element according to claim 6 for reception of ultrasonic waves.
14. An ultrasonic measurement device comprising the ultrasonic probe according to claim 8.
15. An ultrasonic measurement device comprising the ultrasonic probe according to claim 9.
16. An ultrasonic measurement device comprising the ultrasonic probe according to claim 10.
17. An ultrasonic measurement device comprising the ultrasonic probe according to claim 11.
18. An ultrasonic measurement device comprising the ultrasonic probe according to claim 12.
19. An ultrasonic measurement device comprising the ultrasonic probe according to claim 13.
20. A manufacturing method of a piezoelectric element comprising: cutting out a vibrating material to be used in a vibrating plate from a single crystal silicon wafer having anisotropy having orientation with a relatively high Poisson's ratio and orientation with a relatively low Poisson's ratio (hereinafter, referred to as low Poisson's ratio orientation); and laminating a piezoelectric body and the vibrating plate so that the low Poisson's ratio orientation is in a direction along a high expansion and contraction direction among a direction where a degree of expansion and contraction caused according to a support structure of the piezoelectric body is relatively high (hereinafter, referred to as high expansion and contraction direction) and a direction where a degree thereof is relatively low.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.
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DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
First Embodiment
[0045]
[0046] The ultrasonic measurement device 10 is a device which measures biological information of a subject 2 by transmitting ultrasonic waves to the subject 2 and measuring reflected waves. In the embodiment, vascular function information such as intima media thickness (IMT) of the carotid 3 is measured as one of the biological information items. In addition to the IMT, other vascular function information or biological information may be measured by estimating a blood vessel diameter or blood pressure from a blood vessel diameter or calculating a pulse from a change of a blood vessel diameter. A measurement target is not limited to a human.
[0047] The ultrasonic measurement device 10 includes a measurement control device 20 and an attaching-type ultrasonic probe 40.
[0048] The measurement control device 20 is a portable computer and includes a touch panel 22 which serves as both a unit for displaying an image of a measurement result or an operation information and a unit for inputting an operation, an interface circuit 24 which controls transmission and reception of a signal to and from the ultrasonic probe 40, and a control substrate 30. In addition, an embedded battery (not shown) or the like is suitably provided.
[0049] A central processing unit (CPU) 31, an IC memory 32 in addition to various integrated circuits such as application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a communication IC 33 which realizes data communication with an external device (ultrasonic probe 40 in this embodiment) through the interface circuit 24 are mounted on the control substrate 30. The control substrate 30 realizes various functions according to the embodiment such as ultrasonic measurement by executing control programs stored in the IC memory 32 by the CPU 31 or the like.
[0050] That is, the ultrasonic measurement device 10 transmits and emits ultrasonic beams towards biological tissues from the ultrasonic probe 40 attached to the subject 2 and receives reflected waves, due to operation processes of the control substrate 30. It is possible to generate reflected wave data according to biological structures of the subject 2 by amplifying and processing received signals of the reflected waves. The continuous measurement and the data storage of various biological information items are realized based on the reflected wave data.
[0051]
[0052] The ultrasonic probe 40 has a bonding portion 42 which detachably bonds the ultrasonic probe 40 to skin of the subject 2, and an ultrasonic sensor 44 on the attached surface side.
[0053] The ultrasonic sensor 44 is an assembly in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 46 are two-dimensionally arranged in a long side direction and a short side direction of the ultrasonic transmission and reception surface. The ultrasonic probe 40 is attached to skin surface of the subject 2 in a relative position in which the long side of the ultrasonic sensor 44 crosses over the carotid 3 in a short axis direction.
[0054] One ultrasonic transducer 46 includes a first piezoelectric element 50 and a second piezoelectric element 60. The first piezoelectric element 50 transmits the ultrasonic waves and the second piezoelectric element 60 receives the reflected waves.
[0055]
[0056] The second piezoelectric element 60 of the embodiment is an element which generates a voltage in accordance with an external force (ultrasonic waves in a case of this embodiment) received by a piezoelectric body. In the second piezoelectric element 60 of the embodiment, a thin film-shaped silicon layer 67 is bonded to an upper surface of a support substrate 62 which has a rectangular shape in a top view and where a hollow portion 61 is provided (hollow portion 61 is opened). In addition, the hollow portion 61 may be formed after forming the silicon layer 67 on the upper surface of the support substrate 62.
[0057] The silicon layer 67 includes a vibrating plate 63 having a both-ends supported beam structure (both-ends fixed support structure) which crosses the hollow portion 61. That is, the silicon layer 67 is bonded so as to cover the hollow portion 61, and two slits 64 are provided along an edge portion of the hollow portion 61 having a rectangular shape in a top view in the longitudinal direction. These two slits 64 precisely realize a bridge structure of a thin plate, that is, both-ends beams of a thin film which crosses the hollow portion 61 in the longitudinal direction. This becomes the vibrating plate 63 which vibrates by receiving ultrasonic waves input from the upper side (front side of
[0058] A power generation element unit 65 is laminated on the upper surface of the vibrating plate 63.
[0059] The power generation element unit 65 of the embodiment is configured by interposing a piezoelectric body 651 which is a main element causing piezoelectric effects between an upper electrode 652 and a lower electrode 653. In the embodiment, as the piezoelectric body 651, piezoelectric ceramic or lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is used, but other piezoelectric materials can be suitably selected.
[0060] The ultrasonic waves generated from the first piezoelectric element 50 are reflected in the body of the subject 2. The second piezoelectric element 60 receives the reflected waves. When the reflected waves are received, the power generation element unit 65 and the vibrating plate 63 integrally formed are warped, charges according to the warped amount are generated in the piezoelectric body 651, a voltage is generated between the upper electrode 652 and the lower electrode 653. The ultrasonic measurement device 10 calculates the biological information by performing the operation process of the voltage by the measurement control device 20.
[0061] A degree of the reception sensitivity of the power generation element unit 65 is dependent on the thin thickness of the vibrating plate 63, but there is a limitation due to a restriction of the manufacturing technology.
[0062] Therefore, in the embodiment, a material having anisotropy having different Poisson's ratios due to orientation is used as a thin film material for preparing the vibrating plate 63, in order to increase reception sensitivity of the power generation element unit 65. The second piezoelectric element 60 is prepared so that a high expansion and contraction direction of the vibrating plate 63 is along the orientation in which the Poisson's ratio is relatively low (low Poisson's ratio orientation). The high expansion and contraction direction of the vibrating plate 63 is determined depending on the support structure of the vibrating plate 63, and in the case of this embodiment, the high expansion and contraction direction thereof is the longitudinal direction, because a structure of supporting the longitudinal shaped piezoelectric body 651 with both ends is used.
[0063]
[0064] As shown in
[0065]
[0066] Next, the second piezoelectric element 60 is patterned to cut out the silicon layer 67 of the second piezoelectric element 60 including a material of the vibrating plate 63, by setting the longitudinal direction of the vibrating plate 63 to be along the low Poisson's ratio orientation in the silicon wafer 7 (Step S8). Then, the second piezoelectric element 60 is prepared by laminating the piezoelectric body 651 including the upper electrode 652 and the lower electrode 653, and the vibrating plate 63 (Step S10).
[0067]
[0068] In
[0069] In
[0070]
[0071] Hereinabove, according to the embodiment, it is possible to realize a high-sensitivity sensor having improved responsiveness of the second piezoelectric element 60 while maintaining the thickness of the vibrating plate 63.
[0072] The laminated structure of the second piezoelectric element 60 of the embodiment is used, but a configuration of further providing a thin film sheet layer on the upper surface side may be used.
Second Embodiment
[0073] Next, a second embodiment to which the invention is applied will be described.
[0074] This embodiment is basically realized in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but the plane orientation of the silicon wafer used is different and a patterning direction of the silicon layer 67 including the vibrating plate 63 is different. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be described and the same reference numerals are used for the same constituent elements and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0075]
[0076] As shown in
[0077]
[0078] The orientation flat 71 is formed on the edge portion corresponding to any of the plane orientation [111], the plane orientation [112], the plane orientation [111], and the plane orientation [112] in the [110]-orientated silicon wafer 7B. Accordingly, the silicon layer 67 of each second piezoelectric element 60 is patterned by using the orientation flat 71 as a reference. Specifically, the patterning is performed so that the longitudinal direction of the vibrating plate 63 is a direction along any of the plane orientation [111], the plane orientation [112], the plane orientation [111], and the plane orientation [112] where low Poisson's ratio orientation is obtained.
[0079]
[0080] In
[0081] In the second embodiment, it is also possible to realize a high-sensitivity sensor having improved responsiveness of the second piezoelectric element 60 while maintaining the thickness of the vibrating plate 63, in the same manner as in the first embodiment.
Third Embodiment
[0082] Next, a third embodiment to which the invention is applied will be described.
[0083] This embodiment is basically realized in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but the structure of the second piezoelectric element 60 is different. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described and the same reference numerals are used for the same constituent elements and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0084]
[0085] The patterning of the silicon wafer 7 of the silicon layer 67 including the vibrating plate 63 is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment or the second embodiment.
[0086] According to the embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment are obtained. The configuration described above is suitable for a case of using a piezoelectric element to which the invention is applied as an acceleration sensor, or a case of using the piezoelectric element as an energy harvester element.
MODIFICATION EXAMPLES
[0087] Hereinabove, the embodiments to which the invention is applied have been described, but adding, omission, and modification of the constituent elements can be suitably performed.
First Example
[0088] For example, in the embodiments described above, the vibrating plate 63 has a single-layer structure of silicon, but as shown in a vibrating plate longitudinal direction sectional view of
Second Example
[0089] In the embodiments described above, the support substrate 62 and the silicon layer 67 are separate materials, but as shown in a vibrating plate longitudinal direction sectional view of
Third Example
[0090] In the embodiments described above, the slits 64 are provided around the vibrating plate 63, but as shown in the sectional view of
Fourth Example
[0091] In the embodiments described above, each ultrasonic transducer 46 includes the first piezoelectric element 50 for transmission and the second piezoelectric element 60 for reception, separately, but the second piezoelectric element 60 may also serve as a piezoelectric element for transmission and the first piezoelectric element 50 may not be used.
Fifth Example
[0092] In the embodiments described above, single crystal silicon is used as the material of the vibrating plate 63, but other materials may be used as long as they are materials capable of preparing a thin plate in the crystal orientation plane having anisotropy of a Poisson's ratio in a deviation angle direction. For example, a material such as other elements belong to the same carbon family (carbon group) of silicon such as gallium arsenide can be used.
Sixth Example
[0093] The first embodiment can also be applied to single crystal silicon of the plane orientation [010] and single crystal silicon of the plane orientation [100].
[0094] That is, the Poisson's ratio of the [010] plane of the single crystal silicon has anisotropy, as shown in
[0095] In the same manner as described above, the Poisson's ratio of the [100] plane of the single crystal silicon has anisotropy, as shown in
Seventh Example
[0096] The second embodiment can also be applied to single crystal silicon of the plane orientation [011] and single crystal silicon of the plane orientation [101].
[0097] That is, the Poisson's ratio of the [011] plane of the single crystal silicon has anisotropy, as shown in
[0098] In the same manner as described above, the Poisson's ratio of the [101] plane of the single crystal silicon has anisotropy, as shown in
[0099] The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-215987 filed on Nov. 2, 2015 is expressly incorporated by reference herein.