PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide, at low cost, an ultrasound probe and an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus provided with a piezoelectric section which has small variation in piezoelectric performance and in which a composite material is laminated.SOLUTION: The ultrasound probe includes a piezoelectric section which transmits ultrasound to a subject, receives reflected ultrasound generated by the ultrasound reflected on the subject, and converts it into an electric signal. In the piezoelectric section, a plurality of piezoelectric layers formed by arranging piezoelectric bodies and non-piezoelectric bodies alternately in parallel are laminated. At least one piezoelectric layer of the plurality of piezoelectric layers is different from the other one piezoelectric layer of the plurality of piezoelectric layers in the arrangement direction of the piezoelectric bodies and the non-piezoelectric bodies.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】圧電性能のばらつきが小さい、コンポジット材を積層した圧電部を備えた超音波探触子及び超音波診断装置を低コストで提供できる。【解決手段】被検体に超音波を送信し前記超音波が被検体において反射して生成された反射超音波を受信して電気信号に変換する圧電部を有する超音波探触子。圧電部は、圧電体と非圧電体とが交互に並列に配列されてなる複数の圧電層が積層されたものであり、複数の圧電層のうち少なくとも1つの圧電層は、複数の圧電層のうち他の1つの圧電層と、圧電体と非圧電体の配列の方向が異なる。【選択図】図4
