A piezoelectric resonator includes a piezoelectric thin film including a functional conductor, a fixing layer provided on a principal surface of the piezoelectric thin film to define a void that overlaps a functional portion region, and a support substrate on a principal surface of the fixing layer. A sacrificial layer is provided on a principal surface of a piezoelectric substrate and the fixing layer is provided on the principal surface of the piezoelectric substrate to cover the sacrificial layer. The support substrate is attached to a surface of the fixing layer and the piezoelectric thin film is peeled from the piezoelectric substrate. The functional conductor is provided on the piezoelectric thin film, a through hole is provided in the piezoelectric thin film to straddle a boundary between the fixing layer and the sacrificial layer, and the sacrificial layer is removed by wet etching using the through hole to form the void.

An actuator device includes an electroactive polymer actuator that includes two electrodes, a drive unit, and a waveform editing section. The drive unit is configured to drive the electroactive polymer actuator by repeatedly applying, to a section between the two electrodes, a voltage that changes in correspondence with drive waveform data that indicates voltage changes corresponding, to one cycle The waveform editing section is configured to change edit waveform data in correspondence with an operation performed by a user When the edit waveform data is changed during driving of the electroactive polymer actuator, the actuator device is configured to update the drive waveform data such that the changed edit waveform data becomes new drive waveform data and drive the electroactive polymer actuator using the updated drive waveform data.

A method for treating a layer of composition ABO.sub.3, wherein A is a first material composition consisting of at least one element selected from the group consisting of: Li, Na, K, H, Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, Pb, La, Bi, Y, Dy, Gd, Tb, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Ho, Zr, Sc, Ag, and Tl, and wherein B is a second material composition consisting of at least one element selected from the group consisting of: Nb, Ta, Sb, Ti, Zr, Sn, Ru, Fe, V, Sc, C, Ga, Al, Si, Mn, Zr, and Tl, is described. The method includes implanting an ionic species into a donor substrate of the composition ABO.sub.3, thereby forming a weakened zone delineating the layer, detaching the layer from the donor substrate along the weakened zone, and exposing the detached layer to a medium containing ions of a constituent element A, such that the ions penetrate into the layer.

An organic film is patterned without applying a hard mask or photolithography. A hydrophilic solvent-soluble resist is placed and arranged on the organic film using a non-lithography process. The hydrophilic solvent-soluble resist is placed and arranged using a printing or lamination process. The organic film is patterned using a wet etchant that is selective to the organic film but non-selective to the hydrophilic solvent-soluble resist. The hydrophilic solvent-soluble resist protects the underlying organic film from contamination and damage, prevents undercutting, and assists in providing a desired taper profile during patterning.

A piezoelectric transformer that includes a base and an upper layer supported by the base. The upper layer includes a first piezoelectric layer that includes the portion of the upper layer that is interposed between an output electrode and an intermediate electrode, and a second piezoelectric layer that is superposed with the first piezoelectric layer and includes the portion of the upper layer interposed between the intermediate electrode and an input electrode in at least n vibration portions. Moreover, the input electrode includes multiple input electrode pieces and the output electrode includes multiple output electrode pieces. In addition, wiring lines are routed such that voltages of opposite phases can be respectively applied to a first input electrode piece group and a second input electrode piece group with the potential of the intermediate electrode serving as a reference.

A resonator is provided that includes a vibrating portion including a three or more vibrating arms each having a fixed end and a free end, with at least two of the vibrating arms configured to bend out of plane in different phases, and a base having a front end connected to the fixed end of each vibrating arm and a rear end opposite from the front end. Moreover, a frame is disposed at least partially around the vibrating portion, a holding arm is provided between the vibrating portion and the holding portion and includes a first end connected to the base and a second end connected to the frame, and a plurality of holes disposed in the vibrating portion. Moreover, the plurality of holes are each formed in a region between any one pair of adjacent two of the plurality of vibrating arms in the base portion.

Provided are a piezoelectric element for a speaker and a method of manufacturing the same. The piezoelectric element for a speaker includes a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic layers stacked on one another in a thickness direction, and a plurality of electrodes provided to be connected to middle portions of sides of the plurality of piezoelectric ceramic layers along external walls of the plurality of stacked piezoelectric ceramic layers, wherein middle portions of some sides from among a plurality of sides of each of the plurality of piezoelectric ceramic layers are etched, and wherein the plurality of piezoelectric ceramic layers are stacked on one another in the thickness direction not to overlap non-etched sides from among the plurality of sides.

A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a connecting electrode. The piezoelectric layer includes first and second surfaces, and a through-hole. The second electrode layer is adjacent to the second surface of the piezoelectric layer. The second electrode layer faces the through-hole. The second electrode layer includes silicon as a major component. The connecting electrode is on a connecting surface of the second electrode layer, and the connecting surface faces the through-hole. The connecting electrode is made of a metal. A surface roughness of the connecting surface is greater than a surface roughness of a major surface. The major surface is a portion, other than the connecting surface, of a surface of the second electrode layer, and the surface is adjacent to the piezoelectric layer.

A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer. The piezoelectric layer includes first and second surfaces opposed to each other. The first electrode layer is located on the first surface. The second electrode layer is located on the second surface. At least a portion of the second electrode layer faces the first electrode layer with the piezoelectric layer interposed therebetween. The second electrode layer mainly includes silicon. The piezoelectric layer is monocrystalline.

A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a coupling electrode. At least a portion of the second electrode layer faces the first electrode layer with the piezoelectric layer interposed therebetween. The second electrode layer includes a coupling area. The coupling area meets a through hole in a region of the second electrode layer not facing the first electrode layer. The coupling electrode is on the coupling area. Between the coupling area and the surface of the second electrode layer on the piezoelectric layer side excluding the coupling area, the difference in position is about 5 nm or less.