Ultrasonic transducer device, ultrasonic measurement apparatus, head unit, probe, and ultrasonic imaging apparatus

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer device includes a substrate, an ultrasonic element array having a plurality of ultrasonic element rows each including a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged along a first direction and electrically connected to each other, the plurality of ultrasonic element rows being arranged along a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and a plurality of common electrode wirings each configured to independently supply a common voltage to at least one of the ultrasonic element rows, the common electrode wirings extending along the first direction, one of the common electrode wirings being arranged between a pair of the ultrasonic element rows with respect to the second direction, the common electrode wirings being non-overlapped with the ultrasonic elements as viewed in a thickness direction of the substrate that is a normal direction of a surface of the substrate over which the ultrasonic element array is disposed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ultrasonic transducer device comprising:
 a substrate;   an ultrasonic element array having a plurality of ultrasonic element rows each including a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged along a first direction and electrically connected to each other, the plurality of ultrasonic element rows being arranged along a second direction intersecting with the first direction; and   a plurality of common electrode wirings each configured to independently supply a common voltage to at least one of the ultrasonic element rows, the common electrode wirings extending along the first direction, one of the common electrode wirings being arranged between a pair of the ultrasonic element rows with respect to the second direction,   the common electrode wirings being non-overlapped with the ultrasonic elements as viewed in a thickness direction of the substrate that is a normal direction of a surface of the substrate over which the ultrasonic element array is disposed.   
     
     
         2 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the ultrasonic element array has a 1 st  to an n th  ultrasonic element rows, where n is an integer of three or more, including the ultrasonic element rows with the 1 st  to the n th  ultrasonic element rows being arranged along the second direction, and   the one of the common electrode wirings is configured to supply the common voltage to an i th  to a j th  ultrasonic element rows, where i and j are natural numbers such that i≦j≦n−1, among the 1 st  to the n th  ultrasonic element rows, and is arranged between a k th  ultrasonic element row and a k+1 th  ultrasonic element row, where k is a natural number such that i−1≦k≦j, among an i−1 th  to the j th  ultrasonic element rows.   
     
     
         3 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of signal electrode wirings configured to supply or receive signals with respect to the ultrasonic element rows,   wherein each of the ultrasonic elements in the ultrasonic element rows has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a transducer section arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, with the first electrode being connected to corresponding one of the signal electrode wirings, and the second electrode being connected to corresponding one of the common electrode wirings.   
     
     
         4 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the substrate has a plurality of openings arranged in an array formation,   each of the ultrasonic elements has a vibrating film covering a corresponding one of the openings and a piezoelectric element section disposed on the vibrating film, and   the piezoelectric element section has a lower electrode disposed on the vibrating film as one of the first electrode and the second electrode, a piezoelectric body layer as the transducer section covering at least a portion of the lower electrode, and an upper electrode as the other of the first electrode and the second electrode covering at least a portion of the piezoelectric body layer.   
     
     
         5 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of signal electrode wirings;   wherein the common electrode wirings includes first, second and third common electrode wirings,   each of the signal electrode wirings extends in the first direction and configured to supply or receive signals with respect to at least one of the ultrasonic element rows, and   each of the first, second and third common electrode wirings extends in the first direction and configured to supply the common voltage with respect to the ultrasonic element rows.   
     
     
         6 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the first common electrode wiring is electrically connected to a 1 st  to p th  ultrasonic element rows, where p is a natural number, among the ultrasonic element rows and is electrically not connected to a p+1 th  to a q th  ultrasonic element rows, where q is a natural number such that q>p, among the ultrasonic element rows, and   the second common electrode wiring is electrically connected to the p+1 th  to the q th  ultrasonic element rows and electrically not connected to the 1 st  to the p th  ultrasonic element rows.   
     
     
         7 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a first end signal terminal arranged at a first end of the ultrasonic element array with respect to the first direction and is connected to a first end of at least one of the signal electrode wirings; and   a second end signal terminal arranged at a second end of the ultrasonic element array with respect to the first direction and is connected to a second end of the at least one of the signal electrode wirings.   
     
     
         8 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a first end common terminal arranged at a first end of the ultrasonic element array with respect to the first direction and is connected to a first end of at least one of the first to the third common electrode wirings; and   a second end common terminal arranged at a second end of the ultrasonic element array with respect to the first direction and is connected to a second end of the at least one of the first to the third common electrode wirings.   
     
     
         9 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a first common terminal connected with the first common electrode wiring;   a second common terminal connected with the second common electrode wiring;   a first signal terminal connected in common with a 1 st  to an r th  signal electrode wirings, where r is a natural number, among the signal electrode wirings; and   a second signal terminal connected in common with a r+1 th  to a 2 r th  signal electrode wirings among the signal electrode wirings,   wherein the first common electrode wiring and the 1 st  to the r th  signal electrode wirings are electrically connected to a 1 st  to an r th  ultrasonic element rows among the ultrasonic element rows, and   the second common electrode wiring and the r+1 th  to the 2 r th  signal electrode wirings are electrically connected to an r+1 th  to a 2 r th  ultrasonic element rows among the ultrasonic element rows.   
     
     
         10 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the signal electrode wirings each extend in the first direction at a position overlapping with the transducer section in a plan view with respect to the ultrasonic element array, and   the common electrode wirings each extend in the first direction at a position which does not overlap with the transducer section in the plan view.   
     
     
         11 . The ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the signal electrode wirings each extend in the first direction at a position which does not overlap with the transducer section in a plan view with respect to the ultrasonic element array, and   the common electrode wirings each extend in the first direction at a position which does not overlap with the transducer section and the signal electrode wirings in the plan view.   
     
     
         12 . An ultrasonic measurement apparatus comprising:
 an ultrasonic transducer device including
 a substrate, 
 an ultrasonic element array having a plurality of ultrasonic element rows each including a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged along a first direction and electrically connected to each other, the plurality of ultrasonic element rows being arranged along a second direction intersecting with the first direction, 
 a plurality of common electrode wirings each configured to independently supply a common voltage to at least one of the ultrasonic element rows, the common electrode wirings extending along the first direction, one of the common electrode wirings being arranged between a pair of the ultrasonic element rows with respect to the second direction, and 
 a plurality of signal electrode wirings configured to supply or receive signals with respect to the ultrasonic element rows; 
   a first flexible substrate including a plurality of first signal wirings; and   a second flexible substrate including a plurality of second signal wirings,   wherein the first signal wirings are respectively connected to first ends of the signal electrode wirings, and   the second signal wirings are respectively connected to second ends of the signal electrode wirings.   
     
     
         13 . The ultrasonic measurement apparatus according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a first integrated circuit device mounted on the first flexible substrate and has a plurality of first transmission circuits; and   a second integrated circuit device mounted on the second flexible substrate and has a plurality of second transmission circuits,   wherein each of the first transmission circuits is configured to output a transmission signal to a corresponding one of the first signal wirings, and   each of the second transmission circuits is configured to output a transmission signal to a corresponding one of the second signal wirings.   
     
     
         14 . A head unit of a probe comprising:
 the ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 1 ,   wherein the ultrasonic transducer device is configured to be attached and detached with respect to a probe body of the probe.   
     
     
         15 . A probe comprising:
 the ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 1 ; and   a probe body.   
     
     
         16 . An ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprising:
 the ultrasonic transducer device according to  claim 1 ; and   a display section configured to display image data.   
     
     
         17 . An ultrasonic device comprising:
 a plurality of ultrasonic element rows in which a plurality of ultrasonic elements are arranged; and   a plurality of common electrode lines connected to the ultrasonic element rows, respectively, the common electrode lines each being configured to independently supply a common voltage to at least one of the ultrasonic element rows, the common voltage being supplied from both ends of each of the common electrode lines.