Ultrasonic probe, and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same

Abstract

An ultrasonic probe including a cMUT chip that has plural oscillation elements whose electromechanical coupling coefficient or sensitivity varies in accordance with a bias voltage and transmits/receives an ultrasonic wave, an acoustic lens provided at an ultrasonic wave transmission/reception side of the cMUT chip, a backing layer provided to the opposite surface of the cMUT chip to the acoustic lens, and a substrate provided between the backing layer and the cMUT chip. The ultrasonic probe further includes thermal stress suppressing means for suppressing thermal stress occurring due to the difference in linear expansion coefficient caused by temperature variation between the substrate and the backing layer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.