Method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe which comprises the steps of forming a first metal electrode layer fully covering one surface of a plate-shaped piezoelectric or ultrasonic vibrator and further extending over part of the opposite surface for a prescribed length; providing a second metal electrode layer electrically insulated from the first metal electrode layer and stretched over substantially the remaining portion of said opposite surface of the plate-shaped piezoelectric vibrator; brazing one of both edge portions of a first metal plate bored with many internal slits to which both ends of a plurality of leads are jointly connected, to that part of the first metal electrode layer which is disposed flush with one end face of the aforesaid plate-shaped piezoelectric vibrator, and similarly brazing one of both edge portions of a second metal plate of the same construction to that part of the second metal electrode layer which is positioned flush with the opposite end face of said piezoelectric vibrator; bonding an ultrasonic absorber to the aforesaid opposite surface of the piezoelectric vibrator by proper adhesive so as to cause that part of the first metal electrode layer which extends over part of the opposite surface of the plate-shaped piezoelectric vibrator, the almost entire surface of the second metal electrode layer and one of both edge portions of each slitted metal plate to which a plurality of leads are jointly connected all to be interposed between said ultrasonic absorber and opposite surface of the piezoelectric vibrator; cutting the first and second metal electrode layers, the piezoelectric vibrator, and the brazed common connection sections of the first and second slitted metal plates at a prescribed interval to separate the leads in the opposite common connection sections thereof from each other, such that each cut element of the piezoelectric vibrator contains one pair of leads, thereby providing on the ultrasonic absorber an array of a plurality of independently operative piezoelectric vibrator elements positioned substantially flush with each other.