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US 10,483,453 B2Granted
Method of forming a multilayer acoustic impedance converter for ultrasonic transducers
AssigneeMeasurement Specialties, Inc.
InventorsMinoru Toda, Mitchell L. Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer comprises coupling a front polymer layer of uniform thickness to a piezoelectric element. A front metal layer is coupled to the polymer layer on a side of the front polymer layer opposite the piezoelectric element for transmitting acoustic energy between the front polymer layer and a propagation medium. The front polymer layer and the front metal layer define a front acoustic impedance converter, wherein the front polymer layer completely isolates the piezoelectric element from the front metal layer.
Claims17
A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer comprising the steps of:
- providing a piezoelectric element having a high characteristic acoustic impedance;
- coupling a front polymer layer to said piezoelectric element, said front polymer layer having a continuous, uniform thickness along a length of the front polymer layer;
- and
- coupling a front metal layer to said front polymer layer on a side of said front polymer layer opposite said piezoelectric element for transmitting acoustic energy between said front polymer layer and a propagation medium having a low characteristic acoustic impedance lower than the high characteristic acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric element,
- wherein said front polymer layer and said front metal layer define a front acoustic impedance converter effective to convert between a characteristic acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric element and a characteristic acoustic impedance of the propagation medium, wherein said front acoustic impedance converter has an effective characteristic acoustic impedance between said piezoelectric element and said propagation medium characteristic acoustic impedances, and wherein said front polymer layer completely isolates said piezoelectric element from said front metal layer.
2 more elements
A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer comprising the steps of:
- providing a piezoelectric element having a high characteristic acoustic impedance;
- coupling a front polymer layer to said piezoelectric element, said front polymer layer having a continuous, uniform thickness along a length of the front polymer layer;
- and
- coupling a front metal layer to said front polymer layer on a side of said front polymer layer opposite said piezoelectric element for transmitting acoustic energy between said front polymer layer and a propagation medium having a low characteristic acoustic impedance lower than the high characteristic acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric element,
- wherein said front polymer layer and said front metal layer define a front acoustic impedance converter effective to convert between an impedance of the piezoelectric element and an impedance of the propagation medium, wherein said front polymer layer completely isolates said piezoelectric element from said front metal layer, and wherein said thickness of said front polymer layer is less than one quarter of the wavelength of a predetermined center resonant frequency of said ultrasonic transducer.
2 more elements
A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer comprising the steps of:
- providing a piezoelectric element;
- coupling a front polymer layer to said piezoelectric element, said front polymer layer having a continuous, uniform thickness along a length of the front polymer layer;
- coupling a front metal layer to said front polymer layer on a side of said front polymer layer opposite said piezoelectric element for transmitting acoustic energy between said front polymer layer and a propagation medium;
- wherein said front polymer layer and said front metal layer define a front acoustic impedance converter, and wherein said front polymer layer completely isolates said piezoelectric element from said front metal layer;
- coupling a low characteristic acoustic impedance layer having a first characteristic acoustic impedance to said front metal layer;
- and
- coupling a high characteristic acoustic impedance layer having a second characteristic acoustic impedance higher than said first characteristic acoustic impedance to said low characteristic acoustic impedance layer for being in contact with said propagation medium.
4 more elements
A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer comprising the steps of:
- providing a piezoelectric element;
- coupling a front polymer layer to said piezoelectric element, said front polymer layer having a continuous, uniform thickness along a length of said front polymer layer;
- and
- coupling a front metal layer to said front polymer layer on a side of said front polymer layer opposite said piezoelectric element for transmitting acoustic energy between said front polymer layer and a propagation medium,
- wherein said front polymer layer and said front metal layer define a front acoustic impedance converter, and wherein said front polymer layer completely separates said front metal layer from said piezoelectric element;
- and
- wherein said thickness of said front polymer layer is less than one quarter of a wavelength of a predetermined center resonant frequency of said ultrasonic transducer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.