Ultrasound probe and method of producing the same

A method of producing an ultrasound probe comprising the steps of:

• joining an inorganic piezoelectric element layer onto a top surface of a backing material, the inorganic piezoelectric element layer extending over the backing material;
• joining an acoustic matching layer onto the inorganic piezoelectric element layer, the acoustic matching layer extending over the inorganic piezoelectric element layer;
• joining an organic layer onto the acoustic matching layer, the organic layer extending over the acoustic matching layer, and forming a conductive layer over an entire surface of the organic layer;
• dicing layers including the conductive layer through the inorganic piezoelectric element layer in a layered direction at a given pitch to form and arrange a plurality of inorganic piezoelectric elements and to form, on the plurality of inorganic piezoelectric elements, pieces of a first acoustic matching layer, pieces of a lower organic layer and pieces of a signal electrode layer sequentially superposed with their positions aligned;
• and
• joining an upper organic layer onto the signal electrode layer, the upper organic layer extending over the signal electrode layer, and forming a ground electrode layer on an entire surface of the upper organic layer, thereby forming and arranging a plurality of organic piezoelectric elements each made of the signal electrode layer, the upper organic layer and the ground electrode layer.