A vibration actuator includes a vibrator including an elastic body and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element; a contact body provided so as to be brought into contact with the vibrator; a flexible printed board configured to feed power to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element; and a temperature detection unit provided on a region of the flexible printed board, in which the flexible printed board and the electro-mechanical conversion element overlap each other.

Surface mount components and related methods involve thin film circuits between first and second insulating substrates. The thin film circuits may include passive components, including resistors, capacitors, inductors, arrays of such components, networks, or filters of multiple passive components. Such thin film circuit(s) can be sandwiched between first and second insulating substrates with internal conductive pads which are exposed to the outside of the surface mount component and electrically connected to external terminations. External terminations may include at least one layer of conductive polymer. Optional shield layers may protect the surface mount components from signal interference. A cover substrate may be formed with a plurality of conductive elements that are designed to generally align with the conductive pads such that conductive element portions are exposed in groups along surfaces of a device.

A composite electronic component includes a body having first and second external electrodes disposed on outer surfaces thereof and including a dielectric body; first and second electrodes disposed in the dielectric body and electrically connected to the first and second external electrodes, respectively; a third electrode disposed on the body and electrically connected to the first external electrode; an electrostatic discharge (ESD) layer disposed on the third electrode; and a fourth electrode disposed on the ESD discharge layer and electrically connected to the second external electrode.

In an electronic component, an outer electrode includes a sintered layer containing a sintered metal, an insulation layer containing an electric insulation material, and a Sn-containing layer containing Sn. The sintered layer extends from each of end surfaces of an element assembly onto at least one main surface thereof so as to cover each of the end surfaces of the element assembly. The insulation layer is directly provided on the sintered layer at each of the end surfaces of the element assembly so as to extend in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a side surface of the element assembly, and defines a portion of a surface of the outer electrode. The Sn-containing layer covers the sintered layer except for a portion of the sintered layer that is covered by the insulation layer, and constitutes another portion of the surface of the outer electrode.

In an electronic component, an outer electrode includes a sintered layer including a sintered metal, a reinforcement layer not containing Sn but including Cu or Ni, an insulation layer, and a Sn-containing layer. The sintered layer extends from each end surface of an element assembly onto at least one main surface thereof to cover each end surface of the element assembly. The reinforcement layer extends on the sintered layer and covers the sintered layer entirely. The insulation layer is directly provided on the reinforcement layer at each end surface of the element assembly, extends in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a side surface of the element assembly, and defines a portion of a surface of the outer electrode. The Sn-containing layer covers the reinforcement layer except for a portion of the reinforcement layer that is covered by the insulation layer, and defines another portion of the surface of the outer electrode.

A thin film resistor formed using thermal spraying techniques in the manufacturing process is provided. A thin film resistor and method of manufacturing a thin film resistor are disclosed including a thermally sprayed resistive element. An alloy bond layer may be applied to a substrate and a thermally sprayed resistive layer is applied to the alloy bond layer by a thermal spraying process to form a thermally sprayed resistive element. The alloy bond layer and the thermally sprayed resistive layer may have the same chemical composition.

A stamped resistive element for use in electrical equipment, manufacturing process of stamped resistive element and apparatus equipped with stamped resistive element are provided. The stamped resistive element is produced from a stamping process and is intended to be used in replacement of conventional helical electrical resistances, whether in hair dryers and similar equipment or in other types of heating equipment. The stamped resistive element is produced as a blank from a metal sheet presenting a known resistive coefficient.

A nonlinear resistive coating material 20 in an embodiment includes: a matrix resin 22 made of an epoxy resin which is cured by adding a curing agent thereto; ZnO-containing particles 21 dispersedly contained in the matrix resin 22 and made of a sintered compact containing ZnO as a main component; and semiconductive surface-treated whiskers 10 dispersedly contained in the matrix resin 22 and made of ZnO subjected to titanate coupling surface modification treatment.

A nonlinear resistive coating material 20 in an embodiment includes: a matrix resin 22 made of an epoxy resin which is cured by adding a curing agent thereto; ZnO-containing particles 21 dispersedly contained in the matrix resin 22 and made of a sintered compact containing ZnO as a main component; and semiconductive surface-treated whiskers 10 dispersedly contained in the matrix resin 22 and made of ZnO subjected to titanate coupling surface modification treatment.

A manufacturing method for a temperature sensor includes a disposing step and a fixing step. The disposing step includes disposing a thermistor element so that a distal end portion of a first lead wire extends along a first side surface and passes by the first side surface, and a distal end portion of a second lead wire extends along a second side surface. The fixing step includes electrically connecting and fixing the first lead wire to a first outer electrode, and electrically connecting and fixing the second lead wire to a second outer electrode, in a state in which a first corner and a second corner are respectively supported by the first lead wire and the second lead wire.