High Performance 60 MHz PMN-PT Single Crystal Based 1-3 Composite for Medical Ultrasound Application

Piezoelectric materials like Pb(Zr,Ti)O
3
(PZT) ceramics and Pb(Mg
1/3
Nb
2/3
)-PbTiO
3
(PMN-PT) single crystals are pivotal in medical ultrasound. PMN-PT single crystals stand out due to their broader bandwidth and higher sensitivity, attributed to superior piezoelectric coefficients and electromechanical coupling coefficients compared to PZT. Composite materials, with even wider bandwidths, leverage high coupling and low acoustic impedance. Notably, the enhanced electromechanical coupling factor of composites is well-suited for medical imaging. However, transducers beyond 20 MHz face limitations in traditional dice-and-fill methods due to blade width (> 10 μm). Prior research introduced a PMN-PT 1-3 composite for 50 MHz transducers. Presently, we highlight its success in a 60 MHz transducer, offering exceptional performance—delivering superior resolution and detailed medical imaging.