Quarter-wave row-column array

A method of manufacturing an edge-addressed ultrasound array, the method comprising the steps of:

• adhering a second surface of an acoustically active layer to a carrier structure;
• depositing a first conductive layer on a first surface of the acoustically active layer opposite the second surface, the first conductive layer being patterned to form a plurality of first electrodes;
• releasing the acoustically active layer from the carrier layer, and adhering the first surface of the acoustically active layer to a carrier layer;
• reducing a thickness of the acoustically active layer to a thickness that is substantially one quarter of one wavelength of a predefined center frequency;
• depositing a second conductive layer on the acoustically active layer opposite the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer being patterned to form a plurality of second electrodes, wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes define an array of acoustically active elements;
• using an adhesive, adhering a backing layer adjacent to the second conductive layer, the backing layer being rigid and substantially flat, the backing layer having an acoustic impedance that is larger than the acoustically active layer, the backing layer having a thickness that is substantially one quarter of one wavelength of the predefined center frequency, and the adhesive having a thickness that is negligible relative to the thickness of the acoustically active layer;
• connecting the plurality of first electrodes of the first conductive layer and the plurality of second electrodes of the second conductive layer to electrical interconnects along one or more edges of the array;
• and
• forming one or more matching layers on an active aperture of the array, the one or more matching layers facilitating energy transduction between the acoustically active layer and the transmission medium.