There is provided a magnetic deformable member that is deformable upon application of magnetism, and that has a front surface that projects toward the side opposite to a magnet when such a magnet is placed. The front surface provides variations in tactile feel or viewability for humans by providing a soft tactile feel. A magnetic deformable member includes: a flexible sheet; a back plate made of a hard material and stacked on the flexible sheet; a gel charged inside a space between the flexible sheet and the back plate; and a magnetic member having an annular shape as viewed in plan in a direction that is perpendicular to a front surface of the flexible sheet and having a length in the perpendicular direction. The magnetic member is secured to the flexible sheet, and disposed in the gel.

An electrical generator comprises a converter including two electrical terminals for converting a variation in a magnetic field into a potential difference between the terminals. The generator includes a stack of a first layer comprising an anisotropic magnetostrictive material defining a reference plane and a second layer comprising a piezoelectric material. The first layer has at least one preferential axis of deformation in the reference plane and the second layer has a polarization axis parallel to the reference plane, the preferential axis of deformation of the first layer being aligned to within 15° with the polarization axis of the second layer. The generator includes a source that generates the magnetic field, the strength of which is insufficient to magnetically saturate the material of the first layer. The source and converter are able to rotate with respect to each other so as to vary the orientation of the magnetic field.

A method for fabricating semiconductor device includes first forming a first magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) and a second MTJ on a substrate, performing an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process or a high-density plasma (HDP) process to form a passivation layer on the first MTJ and the second MTJ, performing an etching process to remove the passivation layer adjacent to the first MTJ and the second MTJ, and then forming an ultra low-k (ULK) dielectric layer on the passivation layer.

A heterostructure includes a substrate exhibiting a piezoelectric effect, and a magnetostrictive film supported by the substrate. The magnetostrictive film includes an iron-gallium alloy. The iron-gallium alloy has a gallium composition greater than 20%.

A torque load member has a detected surface which is configured to face a magnetostrictive torque sensor. The detected surface is a shot peened surface whose magnetic anisotropy directed in a specific direction has been reduced by performing shot peening thereto at an arc height value of 0.31 mmA or more.

A method for manufacturing a magnetostrictive torque sensor shaft (100) to which a sensor portion (2) of a magnetostrictive torque sensor (1) is to be attached includes: a heat treatment step of subjecting an iron-based shaft member to a carburizing, quenching, and tempering process; a shot peening step of performing shot peening using a steel shot media having a Vickers hardness at least equal to 1100 and at most equal to 1300, at least in a position on the shaft member, after the heat treatment step, to which the sensor portion (2) is to be attached; and a surface polishing step of subjecting the shaft member after the shot peening to surface polishing.

The invention provides a planarization method, which can make the local flatness of the product to be processed more uniform. The product has a cavity filled with oxide and includes a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer and a second electrode layer superposed on the cavity. The first electrode layer covers the cavity and includes a first inclined face around the first electrode layer, and the piezoelectric layer covers the first electrode layer and is arranged on the first electrode layer. The planarization method includes: depositing a passivation layer on the second electrode layer and etching the passivation layer completely until the thickness of the passivation layer is reduced to the required thickness.

A method for producing a piezoelectric single crystal ingot shows small variation in the concentration of PbTiO.sub.3 in the growth direction of single crystal. A complete solid solution-type piezoelectric single crystal ingot is produced by using the Bridgman method, including: filling a starting material, wherein a relaxor having a compositional formula Pb(B.sub.1, B.sub.2)O.sub.3 is blended with lead titanate having a composition PbTiO.sub.3 to give a preset composition, into a crucible for growth; heating to the melting temperature to give a melted liquid layer; then moving the crucible for growth toward the low temperature side; and thus starting one-direction solidification from the lower part of the crucible to thereby produce a single crystal. During solidification, the feedstock containing the relaxor and lead titanate having a maximum grain size ≤3 mm is continuously supplied into the crucible.

This invention relates to an operational element and a method for manufacturing the operational element that comprises magnetic shape memory alloy. in the method at least a part of the magnetic shape memory alloy is arranged as an active region that is responsive to a magnetic field and at least one other part of the magnetic shape memory alloy is arranged as an inactive region that is unresponsive to a magnetic field.

A dielectric material structure is formed laterally adjacent to a bottom portion of a bottom electrode metal-containing portion that extends upward from an electrically conductive structure that is embedded in an interconnect dielectric material layer. The physically exposed top portion of the bottom electrode metal-containing portion is then trimmed to provide a bottom electrode of unitary construction (i.e., a single piece) that has a lower portion having a first diameter and an upper portion that has a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter. The presence of the dielectric material structure prevents tilting and/or bowing of the resultant bottom electrode. Thus, a stable bottom electrode is provided.