The directivity of piezoelectric matrix transducer elements mounted on an ASIC

Over the last decade, clinical studies show a strong interest for real-time 3D imaging. This calls for ultrasound probes with high-element-count 2D matrix transducer array, interfaced to an imaging system using an in-probe Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that takes care of element selection, signal amplification, sub-array beamforming, etc. Since the ASIC is based on silicon and is mounted directly behind the transducer elements, it can be regarded as a rigid plate that can sustain travelling waves, which effectively lead to acoustical cross-talk between the elements. We hypothesize that the cross-talk can be diminished by reducing the thickness of the ASIC and using a proper backing, and we investigate this by simulation.

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