Method for manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer incorporating an array of slotted transducer elements

A method for manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer array, comprising:

• providing a flat piezoelectric substrate having front surface overlaid by a front electrode and a rear surface overlaid by a rear electrode;
• cutting a series of substantially parallel slots substantially through the piezoelectric substrate from the substrate's front surface;
• mounting an acoustic matching layer in front of the slotted front surface of the piezoelectric substrate to produce an intermediate assembly, wherein the acoustic matching layer is configured to provide an electrically conductive path across the series of slots of the piezoelectric layer;
• affixing the intermediate assembly to a front carrier plate;
• cutting a series of substantially parallel cuts substantially through the piezoelectric substrate and the acoustic matching layer of the intermediate assembly from the rear surface of the piezoelectric substrate, the series of parallel cuts being made in planes substantially perpendicular to the series of parallel slots previously made substantially through the piezoelectric substrate, the series of parallel cuts forming a plurality of individual transducer elements;
• applying a backing material to the rear surface of the piezoelectric substrate of the intermediate assembly;
• and
• removing the front carrier plate to yield an ultrasonic transducer array.