Fundamental Performance Characterisation of High Frequency Piezocomposites Made with Net-shape Viscous Polymer Processing for Medical Ultrasound Transducers

MacLennan, D., Button, T.W., Elgoyhen, J., Hughes, H., Meggs, C., Corner, G., Demore, C.E.M., Cochran, S. and Zhang, D. (2008) Fundamental Performance Characterisation of High Frequency Piezocomposites Made with Net-shape Viscous Polymer Processing for Medical Ultrasound Transducers. In: 2008 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), Beijing, China, 2-5 Nov 2008, pp. 58-61. ISBN 9781424424283 (doi: 10.1109/ULTSYM.2008.0015)

Abstract

High frequency ultrasound (HFUS) transducers are in demand for medical diagnoses requiring high spatial resolution. Compared with bulk piezoceramics, conventional crystals, and piezopolymers, piezoceramic—polymer composites have highly desirable properties such as improved piezoelectric coupling and acoustic matching to tissue. However, for 30 MHz operation, a typical 1–3 piezocomposite is approximately only 50 μm thick, requiring ceramic pillar widths of around 15 μm or less. Fabrication is thus challenging with dice-and-fill technology. This may be overcome using micromoulding of ceramic paste produced by viscous polymer processing (VPP). This brings a need for material characterisation to support the new approach but conventional techniques cannot be used due to the small structures involved. This paper therefore reports characterisation using electrical impedance spectroscopy followed by data fitting to a theoretical model based on the 1-D piezoelectric wave equation and homogenized piezocomposite model of Smith and Auld. Results are presented from multiple VPP and HFUS piezocomposites spanning a development program of several years. The piezocomposites investigated showed effective piezoelectric properties in the following ranges: c33: 1.76 – 6.77 (× 1010 Nm2, e33: 2.04 – 8.50 (Cm−1), eRS: 70.6 – 460, d33: 7.82 – 12.7 (× 10−11 mV−1), h33: 2.01 – 2.09 (× 109 Vm−1) and kT: 0.45–0.51. These data confirm that the VPP fabrication method has good potential for HFUS piezocomposites.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Cochran, Professor Sandy and Demore, Dr Christine
• Authors: MacLennan, D., Button, T.W., Elgoyhen, J., Hughes, H., Meggs, C., Corner, G., Demore, C.E.M., Cochran, S., and Zhang, D.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• ISSN: 1051-0117
• ISBN: 9781424424283