When the half-wave design proved unsuccessful, the full-wave ultrasonic horn has solved the problem of horn failure. Most ultrasonic horns are manufactured based on half-wave design. Half-wave design is used to reduce material and processing costs. However, some applications and specific design situations require the use of a full-wave ultrasonic horn.

An example of a full-wave ultrasonic horn that can be considered is an application that requires a deep pocket on the working surface of the tool. When the deep center cavity is placed in a half-wave ultrasonic horn, the result is usually larger than when the cavity is placed in a full-wave ultrasonic logging tool. This is because the deeper pits in the half-wave horn can cause secondary frequencies, which indicate undesirable bending or bending motion in the tool. The bending or bending direction of these vibrations is not in the required axis of movement and will cause increased stress, which may cause premature failure of the horn.

The horn is designed to resonate in the axial direction. The deep pocket of the half-wave horn is very close to the nodal area of the horn, so that the axial mode is contaminated by the proximity of the mass of the pocket to the back of the tool. When the ultrasonic horn is driven at an ultrasonic frequency, it is driven from the central element of the tool. When the half-wave tool has a deeper pocket in the center element, the horn must do more work to drive the center element at the required frequency, which can lead to undesirable bending or flexing motion. By manufacturing a full wave tool, a solid mass is added to the central element, and this additional mass will push the central element with greater force. This additional mass drive results in a cleaner direction of movement on the tool and drives the tool more evenly with the required axial movement, thereby reducing bending movement and stress.