Co-Integrated PIN-PMN-PT 2-D Array and Transceiver Electronics by Direct Assembly Using a 3-D Printed Interposer Grid...

Area of Science:

• Ultrasound transducer technology
• Materials science in medical devices
• Integrated circuit design for sensors

Background:

• Large aperture 2-D ultrasound arrays are crucial for advanced diagnostic imaging.
• Existing fabrication methods face challenges in integration and performance.
• Need for high-bandwidth, efficient ultrasound systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel architecture for fabricating tileable 2-D ultrasound array modules.
• To integrate high-bandwidth piezoelectric materials with high-voltage CMOS ASICs.
• To demonstrate a 1.75-D array configuration for enhanced ultrasound applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 1-3 composites of PIN-PMN-PT single-crystal piezoelectric material.
• Developed a 3-D printed interposer backing with silver epoxy.
• Integrated high-voltage CMOS application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for buffering and multiplexing.
• Employed a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) controller for electronic configuration.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated multiple prototype 5x6 element array modules.
• Achieved an average center frequency of 4.55 MHz.
• Demonstrated an average -6-dB fractional bandwidth of 77% and -20-dB pulsewidth of 592 ns.
• Configured modules to operate as 1-D arrays for imaging and pulse-echo testing.

Conclusions:

• The presented architecture enables efficient fabrication of tileable 2-D ultrasound arrays.
• The integration of advanced materials and ASICs leads to improved performance.
• This modular approach holds significant potential for next-generation diagnostic ultrasound systems.