Ultrasonic transducer, method for manufacturing ultrasonic transducer, and ultrasonic endoscope

摘要

An ultrasonic transducer according to the invention includes a flexible sheet, a rigid body portion including a lower electrode made of at least a thin-film conductive material on a surface of the flexible sheet, a dividing portion which divides the rigid body portion into segments, and a plurality of transducer elements including the divided rigid body portion, has at least one transducer cell composed of one of the segments, an insulating partition portion bonded to the segment, an air gap portion surrounded by the partition portion, an upper electrode opposed to the lower electrode extending to the partition portion to sandwich the air gap portion therebetween, and an upper insulating layer formed on the upper electrode, and includes an upper protection film which continuously covers a surface portion of the transducer elements and the dividing portion.

主权项

1. An ultrasonic endoscope comprising:
an ultrasonic transducer having an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving surface that is bent, the ultrasonic transducer including:
a flexible sheet;a plurality of transducer elements arranged on an upper surface of the flexible sheet, wherein each of the plurality of transducer elements is a minimum driving unit of the ultrasonic transducer; anda groove portion formed between adjacent transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements to reach the flexible sheet, so as to isolate adjacent transducer elements with respect to each other;wherein, a transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements includes at least one transducer cell, a transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements comprising:
a rigid body portion having a lower side arranged on the upper surface of the flexible sheet such that the flexible sheet is bendable along the groove portion, the rigid body portion comprising a lower electrode,an insulating partition portion arranged on an upper side of the rigid body portion, the insulating partition portion defining at least one cavity, wherein each of the at least one cavity corresponds to one transducer cell of the transducer element, andan upper electrode separated by the insulating partition portion from and opposed to the lower electrode.