Broadband ultrasound transducers using effectively graded piezoelectric materials

Broadband ultrasound transducers are presented that utilize piezoelectric materials having an effectively graded piezoelectric parameter and/or applied electric field. These transducers are constructed by forming a number of fine V-grooves on one surface of a piezoelectric plate. Broadband frequency characteristics of the proposed transducer is demonstrated through experiments of wave generation in water. The finite element method analysis has proved that even order resonance modes are also excited in the plate with a grooved configuration.