Patent ID: 7148607

Claim:
An ultrasonic probe comprising a layered ultrasonic transducer having a first part and a second part which are adjacent to each other, wherein each of the first part and the second part includes: a piezoelectric section body including a plurality of first horizontal electrode layers and a plurality of second horizontal electrode layers alternately provided in the vertical direction; a first vertical electrode layer electrically connected with the plurality of first horizontal electrode layers; a second vertical electrode layer electrically connected with the plurality of second horizontal electrode layers, a first vertical insulating layer extending in a sheet-like manner in the vertical direction between a first side surface of the piezoelectric section body and the first vertical electrode layer, the first vertical insulating layer insulating the first vertical electrode layer from an inner electrode layer within the plurality of second horizontal electrode layers; and a second vertical insulating layer extending in a sheet-like manner in the vertical direction between a second side surface of the piezoelectric section body and the second vertical electrode layer, the second vertical insulating layer insulating the second vertical electrode layer from an inner electrode layer within the plurality of first horizontal electrode layers; the first vertical electrode layer included in the first part and the first vertical electrode layer included in the second part being adjacent to each other via a first gap region and having the same polarity, and the ultrasonic transducer includes a first specified structure formed by the first vertical electrode layer included in the first part, the first vertical electrode layer included in the second part, and the first gap region.