2-2 piezoelectric composites with high density and fine scale fabricated by interdigital pair bonding

Interdigital pair bonding (IPB) is proposed as a means to fabricate piezoel ectric composites used for ultrasonic transducers and arrays for medical im aging and nondestructive evaluation, especially in the high frequency range . This letter presents experimental results of prototype 2-2 piezoelectric composites made by IPB. Two composites with different lateral dimensions we re fabricated using 70 and 40 mu m thickness dicing saw blades. The widths of ceramic stripe and epoxy kerf for composite A are 53 and 12 mu m, respec tively, and are 36 and 4 mu m for composite B. The thickness mode and later al modes for both composites were investigated by impedance spectrum analys is. The k(t) for both samples is 0.64. The current designs permit the fabri cation of composites for transducers operated up to approximately 50 MHz us ing conventional dicing saw blades. The extension of IPB to fabrication of 1-3 composite is discussed. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003- 6951(99)02047-1].