20 MHz single-element ultrasonic probe using 0.91Pb(Zn sub(1/3)Nb sub(2/3))O sub(3)-0.09PbTiO sub(3) single crystal

• Published in: IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control Vol. 45; no. 4; pp. 1071 - 1076
• Main Authors: Saitoh, Shiroh, Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi, Harada, Kouichi, Shimanuki, Senji, Yamashita, Yohachi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.07.1998
• ISSN: 0885-3010

A 20 MHz single-element ultrasonic probe using 0.91Pb(Zn sub(1/3)Nb sub(2 /3))O sub(3)-0.09PbTiO sub(3) (PZN-PT 91/9) single crystal has been fabricated. The single crystal of PZN-PT 91/9 orientated to the (001) plane has longitudinal coupling factor of k sub(33) > 90%, which is much larger than the k sub(33) identical with 70 to 80% of conventional Pb(Zr sub(1-x),Ti sub(x))O sub(3) (PZT) based ceramics. A single crystal of PZN-PT 91/9 without inclusion or crack has been grown with dimensions of about 25x15x5 mm by the self-flux method. Because mechanical strength in the fabrication of disk transducers orientated to the (001) plane was sufficiently strong, under the same conditions as are applied to conventional PZT ceramics, a piston single-element probe with a diameter of 2.0 mm and a frequency of 20 MHz was successfully fabricated. The bandwidth of the PZN-PT 91/9 probe was 13-26 MHz, which was 4 MHz broader than that of the conventional PZT probe.