Improving performances of array ultrasonic transducer by alternating current poling method

Currently, ultrasonic transducers made of piezoelectric materials are widely applied in clinical diagnostic imaging technology. Owing to the increasing demand for high-performance diagnostic imaging devices, efficiently improving transducer performances is always the research focus. In this work, we utilize the recent rising alternating current poling (ACP) method to achieve the simultaneous optimization of bandwidth and sensitivity in array ultrasonic transducers using PZT-5H ceramic piezocomposites. The measured results indicate that an increase of 14.26 % for bandwidth and an enhancement of 26 dB for sensitivity are achieved in the ACP transducer compared with the direct current poling (DCP) one. Moreover, the image of the ACP transducer exhibits a better definition and higher resolution. The origin of performance improvement in ACP transducers is confirmed to be due to the effect of the ACP method on the electromechanical properties of piezocomposites. Our works validate the practicability of the ACP method on transducer performance optimization, which accelerate the development of ultrasonic transducers in diagnostic imaging devices.