Phased array ultrosonic transducer including different sized phezoelectric segments

Claim 2

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of segments of electro-acoustically active material, said plurality including first and second segments; a plurality of electrically independent ultrasonic transducer elements arranged in an array; each of said elements comprising at least one of said segments, a signal electrode and a ground electrode, and at least one of said elements including more than one of said segments electrically connected together so as to operate as a single element; and said second segment having a height which is at least 110% of the height of said first segment, said height being measured parallel to the face of the array.

Claim 3

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 1 wherein: a third one of said segments has a height which is at least 120% of the height of said first segment.

Claim 4

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 1 wherein: a fourth one of said segments has a height which is at least 140% of the height of said first segment.

Claim 5

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 1 wherein: said fourth segment height is at least 150% of the height of said first segment.

Claim 6

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 1 wherein: said elements are arranged in rows and columns; the elements of a column comprise portions of a monolithic structure; within a column, the column-direction length of said elements varies over a range of at least 1.6 to 1 within one column; adjacent elements of said column are separated from each other by gaps which extend from a first surface of said monolithic structure toward a second surface of said monolithic structure; a first element of said column is split into multiple segments in the column-length direction electrically connected together so as to operate as a single element, adjacent ones of said segments being spaced apart by a gap which extends from the first surface of said monolithic structure toward the second surface of said monolithic structure; and a second element of said column consists of a different number of segments than said first element and a first element segment is a different size than a second element segment.

Claim 7

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 5 wherein: said first element has a single signal conductor associated therewith and that signal conductor is ohmically connected to all of the segments of said first element.

Claim 8

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 5 wherein: first and second segments of said first element have first and second signal conductors, respectively, associated therewith, said first signal conductor being disposed in ohmic contact with a single electrode of said first segment and said second signal conductor being disposed in ohmic contact with a signal electrode of said second segment.

Claim 9

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 5 wherein: said second element consists of only one segment.

Claim 10

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 5 wherein: said gaps which separate adjacent elements of a column do not extend all the way through said monolithic structure.

Claim 11

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 5 wherein: said gaps which separate adjacent elements of a column extend all the way through said monolithic structure.

Claim 12

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 5 wherein: said gap which separates adjacent segments of an element of a column does not extend all the way through said monolithic structure.

Claim 13

The ultrasonic transducer recited in claim 5 wherein: said gap which separates adjacent segments of an element of a column extends all the way through said monolithic structure.

Claim 14

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of segments of electro-acoustically active piezoelectric material; a first element consisting of a single segment of piezoelectric material; and a second, electrically independent, element comprising two segments of piezoelectric material electrically connected together so as to operate as a single element.

Claim 15

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of segments of electro-acoustically active piezoelectric material; a first element consisting of a single segment of piezoelectric material; and a second, electrically independent, element comprising two segments of piezoelectric material electrically connected together so as to operate as a single element.

Claim 16

The transducer recited in claim 13 wherein: said second element consists of three segments of piezoelectric material electrically connected together so as to operate as a single element.

Claim 17

In a method of fabricating an ultrasonic phased array transducer of the type comprising a plurality of electrically independent elements derived from a common body of piezoelectric material in which the method includes a step of subdicing large elements of said array into plurality of segments, the improvement comprising: subdicing a large element into segments which are a different size than a segment in another element and which are electrically connected together to operate as a single element.

Claim 18

In a method of fabricating an ultrasonic phased array transducer of the type comprising a plurality of electrically independent elements derived from a common body of piezoelectric material in which the method includes a step of subdicing large elements of said array into plurality of segments, the improvement comprising: subdicing a large element into segments which are a different size than a segment in another element and which are electrically connected together to operate as a single element.