A 2.6 MHz phased array ultrasonic probe using 0.67Pb(Mg/sub 1/3/Nb/sub 2/3/)O/sub 3/-0.33PbTiO/sub 3/ single crystal grown by the Bridgman method

The performance of 64channel 2.6 MHz phased array ultrasonic probe using 0.67Pb(Mg/sub 1/3/ Nb/sub 2/3/)O/sub 3/-0.33PbTiO/sub 3/ single crystal was investigated. The fabrication process was modified as the mechanical and electrical properties difference between PMN-PT single crystal and conventional PZT. The sensitivity of the PMN-PT single crystal probe is about 6 dB higher than that of the conventional PZT probe, and the -6 dB bandwidth is about 30 % broader. The sensitivity variation of PMN-PT probe was within /spl plusmn/2.0 dB. The performance of PMN/PT probe with higher sensitivity was better than that of PZT probe in harmonic image. And the color Doppler of PMN-PT probe is superior than that of PZT probe. The PMN-PT single crystal provides improvement in the sensitivity and bandwidth.