Remote wide bandwidth ultrasonic inspection method and apparatus

A method for non-destructively inspecting a substrate comprising:

• applying a piezoelectric polymer coating material to a substrate, said substrate comprising a substrate surface;
• orienting at least one electrode pair in communication with the piezoelectric polymer coating material;
• applying a current from a power source to the at least one electrode pair;
• generating ultrasound waves from the piezoelectric polymer coating material to form generated ultrasound waves, said generated ultrasound waves comprising wide bandwidth ultrasound wavelengths, said generated ultrasound waves comprising a generated ultrasound signal;
• transmitting a laser read beam from a laser, said laser positioned remotely from the substrate at a predetermined distance away from the substrate, and wherein said laser read beam engages the generated ultrasound waves;
• reflecting the laser read beam from the substrate to form a reflected laser read beam;
• receiving the reflected laser read beam at a receiver, said receiver configured to be in communication with the laser, wherein the reflected laser read beam comprises a reflected laser beam signal;
• interpreting the reflected laser read beam by generating a laser read beam signal from the receiver;
• and
• determining a characteristic of the substrate based upon the reflected laser read beam signal.