Improvements in ingestible electronics with the capacity to sense physiologic and pathophysiologic states have transformed the standard of care for patients. Yet despite advances in device development, significant risks associated with solid, non-flexible gastrointestinal transiting systems remain. Here, we disclose an ingestible, flexible piezoelectric device that senses mechanical deformation within the gastric cavity. We demonstrate the capabilities of the sensor in both in vitro and ex vivo simulated gastric models, quantified its key behaviors in the GI tract by using computational modeling, and validated its functionality in awake and ambulating swine. Our piezoelectric devices can safely sense mechanical variations and harvest mechanical energy inside the gastrointestinal tract for diagnosing and treating motility disorders and for monitoring ingestion in bariatric applications.

Embodiments described herein include a resonant process monitor and methods of forming such a resonant process monitor. In an embodiment, the resonant process monitor includes a frame that has a first opening and a second opening. In an embodiment, a resonant body seals the first opening of the frame. In an embodiment, a first electrode on a first surface of the resonant body contacts the frame and a second electrode is on a second surface of the resonant body. Embodiments also include a back plate that seals the second opening of the frame. In an embodiment the back plate is mechanically coupled to the frame, and the resonant body, the back plate, and interior surfaces of the frame define a cavity.

The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor by using a nanorod structure, the method including: a conductive mold generating step of generating a plurality of rod generation holes; a nanorod generating step of generating nanorods by filling the plurality of rod generation holes with a nano-piezoelectric material; a side electrode generation portion marking step of marking side electrode generation portions; a conductive mold etching step of generating nanorods and side electrodes by performing primary etching on the conductive mold; an insulating material filling step of filling portions with an insulating material; a lower electrode forming step of performing secondary etching and forming lower electrodes; a dummy substrate bonding step of bonding a dummy substrate to a surface on which the lower electrodes are formed; and an upper electrode forming step of removing the conductive substrate base and forming upper electrodes.

The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor by using a nanorod structure, the method including: a conductive mold generating step of generating a plurality of rod generation holes; a nanorod generating step of generating nanorods by filling the plurality of rod generation holes with a nano-piezoelectric material; a side electrode generation portion marking step of marking side electrode generation portions; a conductive mold etching step of generating nanorods and side electrodes by performing primary etching on the conductive mold; an insulating material filling step of filling portions with an insulating material; a lower electrode forming step of performing secondary etching and forming lower electrodes; a dummy substrate bonding step of bonding a dummy substrate to a surface on which the lower electrodes are formed; and an upper electrode forming step of removing the conductive substrate base and forming upper electrodes.

An acoustic resonator device with low thermal impedance has a substrate and a single-crystal piezoelectric plate having a back surface attached to a top surface of the substrate via a bonding oxide (BOX) layer. An interdigital transducer (IDT) formed on the front surface of the plate has interleaved fingers disposed on the diaphragm, the overlapping distance of the interleaved fingers defining an aperture of the resonator device. Contact pads are formed at selected locations over the surface of the substrate to provide electrical connections between the IDT and contact bumps to be attached to the contact pads. The piezoelectric plate is removed from at least a portion of the surface area of the device beneath each of the contact pads to provide lower thermal resistance between the contact bumps and the substrate.

A very small piezoelectric sensor capable of being mass produced includes a core, a piezoelectric layer on a surface of the core; and a conductive layer on a surface of the piezoelectric layer away from the core. The core is flexible and threadlike, the core is a first electrode of the piezoelectric sensor, and the conductive layer is a second electrode of the piezoelectric sensor. An array of such sensors allows the “skin” of a robot for example to simulate the sensitivity of hair-covered human skin. A method for making the piezoelectric sensor and an electronic device using the piezoelectric sensor are also disclosed.

A surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric single crystal substrate and an electrode. The piezoelectric single crystal substrate is made of LiTaO.sub.3 or LiNbO.sub.3. The electrode includes a titanium film formed on the piezoelectric single crystal substrate and an aluminum film or a film containing aluminum as a main component. The aluminum film or the film is formed on the titanium film. The aluminum film or the film containing aluminum as the main component is a twin crystal film or a single crystal film, the aluminum film or the film has a (111) plane that is non-parallel to a surface of the piezoelectric single crystal substrate with an angle θ, and the aluminum film or the film has a [−1, 1, 0] direction parallel to an X-direction of a crystallographic axis of the piezoelectric single crystal substrate.

A piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric layer having a perovskite structure including lead, zirconium, and titanium, and an electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer is provided. In the piezoelectric layer, in a range of 50 nm or smaller from an interface between the piezoelectric layer and the electrode in a thickness direction, a ratio c/a of a lattice spacing a in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and a lattice spacing c in the thickness direction satisfies 0.986≤c/a≤1.014.

The present invention relates to a method for chemically adhering a diene rubber to a piezoelectric polymer, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a piezoelectric polymer having at least one surface, b) providing a rubber component having at least one surface and comprising a sulfur cross-linkable rubber composition, c) introducing oxygen-containing functional groups on the at least one surface of the piezoelectric polymer, d) reacting the oxygen-containing functional groups with a compound comprising thiocyanate groups, and e) contacting the surface of the piezoelectric polymer obtained of step d) with the surface of the rubber component, and cross-linking.

An elastic wave device includes a piezoelectric film, a high acoustic velocity member, a low acoustic velocity film located between the piezoelectric film and the high acoustic velocity member and through which an elastic wave propagates at a lower acoustic velocity than an elastic wave that propagates through the piezoelectric film, and an interdigital transducer electrode including electrode fingers separated from each other and disposed side by side in a first direction. At least one of the electrode fingers includes a first metal layer including first and second main body portions. A recessed portion is located in a central region in the first direction of the electrode finger and is recessed in the thickness direction of the piezoelectric film. A protrusion portion protrudes from at least a portion of the first main body portion in the first direction.