Lamination of Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer on a Piezoelectric Array: Process and Evaluation

Abstract

Harmonic imaging plays a crucial role in medical ultrasound imaging, where the transducer probes are required to emit low-frequency ultrasonic waves into the tissues, and receive reflected signals at the higher, typically the second harmonic of the transmitted wave. We have designed a unique probe with a high-frequency capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) on top of a low-frequency piezoelectric array for harmonic imaging. This paper presents a lamination process between CMUT and piezoelectric array using epoxy. The bond-line between the two components was thoroughly investigated using mechanical and electrical methods. The resulting bond-line thickness was less than 2 μm, and shear strength fell within the range 4.8 – 5.1 MPa. Additionally, electrical impedance measurement of all elements in the low-frequency array exhibited resonance shifts before and after bonding, providing further insight into the bonding process.