Method for manufacturing an ultrasound transducer and ultrasound probe

A method for making a plurality of ultrasound probes comprising:

• providing a piezoelectric layer having a first surface and a second surface, where the second surface is on an opposite side of the piezoelectric layer from the first surface;
• attaching a first conductive layer to the first surface of the piezoelectric layer;
• attaching a second conductive layer to the second surface of the piezoelectric layer;
• fabricating a plurality of conductive through vias extending from the first surface to the second surface of the piezoelectric layer, where fabricating the plurality of conductive through vias comprises cutting a plurality of trenches through the piezoelectric layer and entirely filling each of the plurality of trenches with an electrically conductive material;
• cutting the piezoelectric layer into a plurality of transducer units after fabricating the plurality of conductive through vias, the plurality of transducer units comprising a first transducer unit and a second transducer unit, wherein said cutting the piezoelectric layer into the plurality of transducer units comprises cutting along one of the plurality of conductive through vias to separate the first transducer unit from the second transducer unit, wherein said cutting along the one of the plurality of conductive through vias leaves a first portion of the conductive material from the one of the plurality of conductive through vias on the first transducer unit and a second portion of the conductive material from the one of the plurality of conductive through vias on the second transducer unit, wherein the first portion of the conductive material provides a first electrical connection between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer for the first transducer unit and the second portion of the conductive material provides a second electrical connection between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer for the second transducer unit;
• and
• cutting each of the transducer units into a plurality of transducer elements;
• and
• securing each one of the plurality of transducer units into a different ultrasound probe body,
• further comprising attaching a matching layer to the piezoelectric layer before fabricating the plurality of conductive through vias, and where fabricating the plurality of conductive through vias comprises cutting the plurality of trenches entirely through both the matching layer and the piezoelectric layer prior to the filling of the plurality of trenches.