PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic wave image diagnostic apparatus which use a piezoelectric element where electric resistance of an electrode is small.SOLUTION: A piezoelectric element 10 includes: a substrate 11 having an opening 111 a flexible support film 12 closing the opening 111 a lower electrode layer 20 which is formed on the support film 12 and has a lower electrode body part 21 provided in the opening 111 in a plane view and a lower electrode wire part 22 connected with the lower electrode body part 21 and provided so as to lie astride the interior and the exterior of the opening 111 a first piezoelectric layer 30 formed on the lower electrode body part 21 in the opening 111 in the plane view an upper electrode layer 50 which is formed so as to lie astride the interior and the exterior of the opening 111 in the plane view, is at least partially laminated on the first piezoelectric layer 30, and is electrically insulated from the lower electrode layer 20 and a second piezoelectric layer 40 formed on the support film 12 so as to cover at least a part of the lower electrode wire part 22.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】電極の電気抵抗が小さい圧電素子を用いる超音波プローブ、及び、超音波画像診断装置を提供する。【解決手段】圧電素子10は、開口部111を有する基板11と、開口部111を閉塞する可撓性を有する支持膜12と、支持膜12上に形成されるとともに、平面視において、開口部111内に設けられる下部電極本体部21、および下部電極本体部21に接続されて、開口部111内外に跨って設けられる下部電極線部22を有する下部電極層20と、平面視において、開口部111内で、下部電極本体部21上に形成される第一圧電体層30と、平面視で開口部111の内外に跨って形成されるともに、少なくとも一部が第一圧電体層30に積層され、かつ下部電極層20と絶縁される上部電極層50と、支持膜12上で、下部電極線部22の少なくとも一部を覆って形成される第二圧電体層40と、を具備する。【選択図】図2
