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.

A vibrator device includes a package including a base that is a semiconductor substrate and a lid that is a semiconductor substrate and has a housing section, a vibrator element and a passive element housed in the housing section and placed at the base, an oscillation circuit placed at the base and electrically coupled to the vibrator element, and a circuit that is placed at the base or the lid, is electrically coupled to the passive element, and operates based on an oscillation signal from the oscillation circuit.

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.

An electroactive device may include (1) an electroactive polymer element having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, (2) a primary electrode abutting the first surface, and (3) a secondary electrode abutting the second surface. The electroactive polymer element may be transformed from an initial state to a deformed state and may achieve substantially uniform strain by the application of an electrostatic field produced by a potential difference between the electrodes. Various other devices, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

An electronic component includes external electrodes formed on an external surface of a body to be electrically connected to internal electrodes, and containing metal particles and glass, wherein the metal particles include particles having a polyhedral shape.

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.

The present invention relates to a piezoelectric driving device 10 capable of moving the movable member 14 along the axis direction engaged in a movable manner to the axial direction with respect to the shaft 16. A pair of the external electrodes 26 and 27 respectively comprises the first external connection part 26a and the second external connection part 27a formed at the lower end face in Z axis direction by being insulated against each other. At the opposing face of the weight member 30 facing against the lower end face of the element 20, the first circuit pattern 36 and the second circuit pattern 37 are formed by being insulated against each other; and the first circuit pattern 36 and the second circuit pattern 37 are respectively connected to the first external connection part 26 and the second external connection part 27 by a metal bonding.

A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed of a first piezoelectric film which is formed on the first electrode and which includes potassium, sodium, and niobium and a plurality of second piezoelectric films which are formed on the first piezoelectric film and which include potassium, sodium, and niobium, and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, in which the piezoelectric layer is a stack of a plurality of piezoelectric films, the first piezoelectric film has a thickness of 30 nm to 70 nm, a concentration of sodium in each of the piezoelectric films is along a gradient in the film thickness direction with the first electrode side being high and the second electrode side being low.

A metallization, for carrying current in an electrical component, includes a bottom layer overlying a substrate surface and includes titanium (Ti) or a titanium compound as main constituent. An upper layer overlies the bottom layer and includes copper (Cu) as main constituent. The bottom layer and the upper layer form a base layer. A top layer is in direct contact with the upper layer and includes aluminum (Al) as main constituent. The base layer further includes a middle layer, consisting of silver, that is arranged between the bottom layer and the upper layer.

A piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element, a connection member of a shaft or weight connected to an element end surface of the piezoelectric element, the other one of the shaft and weight connected to a first end surface constituting an end surface opposing to the element end surface of the piezoelectric element, a wiring portion, and a resin portion. The piezoelectric element forms external electrodes on surfaces thereof, alternately laminates internal electrode layers with piezoelectric layers therebetween, and provides part of the external electrodes on the element end surface. The wiring portion has conductive portions corresponding to the external electrodes. The resin portion fixes the piezoelectric element, the connection member, and the wiring portion so that the element end surface opposes to the connection member with the wiring portion therebetween and that the conductive portions are electrically connected to the external electrodes.