A piezoelectric ceramic sputtering target containing a perovskite type oxide represented by chemical formula (I) of ABO.sub.3 as a main component, wherein the component A of the chemical formula (I) contains at least K (potassium) and/or Na (sodium), the component B of the chemical formula (I) contains at least one selected from the group consisting of Nb (niobium), Ta (tantalum) and Zr (zirconium) with Nb (niobium) as a necessity, the piezoelectric ceramic sputtering target is composed of a plurality of crystal grains and grain boundaries existing among the crystal grains, and in the grain boundary, the molar ratio of at least one of Nb (niobium), Ta (tantalum), and Zr (zirconium) in the B components is higher than the molar ratio in the interior of the crystal grains by 30% or more.

The piezoelectric element comprises a piezoelectric body extending in a lateral direction and a first and second electrodes that are provided on the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body has an active portion sandwiched between the first and second electrodes in a thickness direction that is vertical to the lateral direction, and an inactive portion connected to the active portion in the lateral direction. The first electrode has an active electrode portion disposed on the active portion. The active electrode portion includes an interface region that is adjacent to the interface of the active portion and the inactive portion in the lateral direction, and an inner region that is separated from the interface of the active portion and the inactive portion in the lateral direction. The cross sectional surface area per unit length of the interface region in the cross section of the active electrode portion is greater than the cross sectional area per unit length of the inner region.

A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric body having a main phase configured by lead zirconate titanate and a heterogenous phase configured by a different component to lead zirconate titanate, and a pair of electrodes provided on the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body has a surface region within 10 μm of a surface, and an inner region more than 10 μm from the surface. A surface area coverage of the heterogenous phase in a cross section of the surface region is at least 0.75% greater than a surface area coverage of the heterogenous phase in a cross section of the inner region.

An ultrasonic transducer includes a stack of flat electrodes between which are interposed ceramic wafers of substantially same surface area as the electrodes, stacked contours of the ceramic wafers and electrode wafers defining substantially flat or cylindrical side faces of the stack. A method of manufacturing the transducer includes: alternatively stacking a ceramic wafer and an electrode wafer, placing between each ceramic wafer and its two neighboring electrodes a composition of which at least 75% by weight, or at least 80% by weight, that includes silver nanoparticles having a grain size of smaller than or equal to 80 nanometers, or smaller than or equal to 60 nanometers; and compressing the stack by heating to a temperature of less than or equal to 280° C., or between 200° C. and 250° C.

The present invention provides a piezoelectric material not containing lead and potassium, having a high relative density, a high Curie temperature, and a high mechanical quality factor, and exhibiting good piezoelectricity. The piezoelectric material contains 0.04 percent by mole or more and 2.00 percent by mole or less of Cu relative to 1 mol of metal oxide represented by General formula (1) below.
((Na.sub.1-zLi.sub.z).sub.xBa.sub.1-y)(Nb.sub.yTi.sub.1-y)O.sub.3 (in Formula, 0.70≦x≦0.99, 0.75≦y≦0.99, and 0<z<0.15, and x<y)  General formula (1)

The present disclosure relates to a multilayer piezoelectric element which includes a plurality of piezoelectric layers with a thickness of 15 μm to 100 μm each; and internal electrodes interposed between the plurality of piezoelectric layers and laminated to alternately form an anode and a cathode.

An array of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) includes a first piezoelectric layer and a second piezoelectric layer, a dielectric layer positioned between the first piezoelectric layer and the second piezoelectric layer, and a plurality of conductive layers positioned on opposing surfaces of the first piezoelectric layer and opposing surfaces of the second piezoelectric layer. A plurality of isolation trenches extend through the dielectric layer and at least a portion of conductive layers of the plurality of conductive layers, where the plurality of isolation trenches are positioned between neighboring PMUTs of the array of PMUTs such that the neighboring PMUTs are electrically isolated, and wherein the plurality of isolation trenches relieve stress in the dielectric layer.

Actuator device has a main body with base and superstructure bodies, the device having a plurality of actuators formed from a piezoelectric or electrostrictive material and each extend from the base body and form the superstructure body. The actuators each have at least two inner actuating electrodes of which at least one first inner actuating electrode extends, in a positive depthwise direction from the front side up to a distance from the rear side, and of which at least one second inner actuating electrode extends in a negative depthwise direction from the rear side up to a distance from the front side. At least one first inner actuating electrode of each actuator is provided for electrical connection to a first connection pole of an actuating device, a rear-side layer which is formed from electrically conductive material arranged on the rear side of the actuator device.

A piezoelectric actuator comprises a substantially rectangular parallelepiped piezoelectric element. One outer surface of the piezoelectric element includes a first region, and a second region located such as to project from the first region and to overlap a region corresponding to an active portion in the one outer surface. The second region has a flat surface configured to come into contact with a body to be driven and to generate a frictional force therewith. The flat surface is shorter in a longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric element than in a lateral direction thereof. The flat surface is longer in the longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric element at a lateral center region thereof than at a lateral end region thereof.

According to one embodiment, a liquid discharge head includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) connected to piezoelectric elements. The FPC has a first end in the first direction. A wiring layer of the FPC has a first region at the first end and a cover layer covering on a second region. The piezoelectric elements are spaced from each other in a second direction and each has a first electrode on a side surface facing towards the FPC. The first side has a joint surface facing the first region of the wiring layer. The first electrode is electrically connected to the wiring layer at the joint surface. The side surface includes a step portion that is recessed from the joint surface. A portion of the cover layer protrudes into a space adjacent to the step portion.