A piezoelectric element includes a lower electrode layer, an upper electrode layer, an orientation control layer disposed between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer, and a piezoelectric layer formed on an upper surface of the orientation control layer. The piezoelectric layer is oriented in a (001) plane or a (100) plane and has a perovskite structure including Pb(Mg.sub.1/3, Nb.sub.2/3)O.sub.3. The orientation control layer has a perovskite structure, is oriented in the (001) plane or the (100) plane, and contains a part of components forming the piezoelectric layer, as an additive.

A material deposition method comprising: preparing a precursor solution of Pb(Zr.sub.x,Ti.sub.1-x)O.sub.3 using 1-methoxy-2-propanol as a solvent and acetylacetone as a modifier; and forming a seed layer for a electroactive film by spin coating the precursor solution on a substrate. The electroactive film can be PZT, PZO or BFO, spin-coated or inkjet printed on the seed layer. Experience shows pure orientation for the piezoelectric film thanks to the use of 1-methoxy-2-propanol when preparing the seed layer. This orientation is attributed to the formation of nano crystals on the seed layer constituting a pre-crystallization.

Cost effective connectors of high bending stiffness for making high-performance piezoelectric actuators and derivative devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, the connector has circumferentially alternating recesses of circular cross-section which can be cost-effectively machined out with conventional machining techniques. The circular recesses can be adopted to house circular or non-circular cross-sectioned piezoelectric active elements to make cost effective 2-level (2×) piezoelectric displacement actuators. In another embodiment, the non-circular cross-sectioned recesses in the connector include suitable wall openings to enable said recesses to be machined out cost effectively via conventional machining techniques, or via reduced use of non-conventional machining techniques. Additional stiffening mechanisms can be added to minimize the bending displacement of the base of recesses when desired. Cost effective derivative devices, such as high-performance multi-level displacement actuators and compact Langevin low-frequency underwater projectors, can be made from such connectors.

Magnetoelectric devices based on piezoelectric/magnetostrictive bilayers are provided. Also provided are methods of using the devices to modulate or to sense the magnetization of the magnetostrictive material. The devices include an island of magnetostrictive material that is strain-coupled to a thin layer of a piezoelectric material at an interface. A bottom electrode is placed in electrical communication with one surface of the piezoelectric film, and an unpaired top electrode is placed in electrical communication with a second, opposing surface of the piezoelectric film.

The present disclosure is related to a display panel. The display panel may include a plurality of switch units. Each of the plurality of the switch units may include a first electrode; a second electrode; a third electrode; a fourth electrode opposite the first electrode; a piezoelectric material layer between the first electrode and the fourth electrode; a connecting electrode above the fourth electrode and electrically insulated from the fourth electrode; and a driving transistor comprising a driving gate. The driving gate may be the third electrode. An orthogonal projection of the second electrode and an orthogonal projection of the third electrode on a plane of the connecting electrode may overlap the connecting electrode respectively.

An ultrasonic probe has a transduction layer in which a plurality of transducers are placed, a backing layer provided at a rear side of the transduction layer with a wiring layer therebetween, and a plurality of heat dissipation members provided in the backing layer. The plurality of heat dissipation members extend in a line form in the backing layer, and are placed with an aligned direction of extension. An area occupancy percentage of the heat dissipation member at a center region of the backing layer is larger than that at an outer side of the center region. The center region is not positioned at ends of the cross section intersecting the direction of extension of the heat dissipation member, includes a center of gravity of the cross section, and occupies an area less than or equal to a half of an area of the cross section.

The present disclosure describes a strained dielectric material comprising at least one type of component containing a domain wall variant pattern, or superdomain structure, that is in phase-co-existence with, or in close phase proximity to, a paraelectric state achieved at zero electric field or over a finite range of non-zero electric field, wherein the at least one type of component comprises one or more of an in-plane sub-domain polarization component, a plane-normal sub-domain polarization component, or a solid solution of a ferroelectric.

Provided is a piezoelectric single crystal comprising an internal bias electric field, a method of manufacturing the same, and piezoelectric and dielectric application components using the piezoelectric single crystal. The piezoelectric single crystal shows that as a change in each composition of [A] site ions, [B] site ions and [O] site ions from a perovskite type crystal structure ( [A] [B] O.sub.3), and oxygen partial-pressure during heat treatment in terms of a manufacturing process are controlled, while maintaining the inherent high dielectric constant and piezoelectric constant, the high internal bias electric field (EI) characteristic essential for the electrical stability of the piezoelectric single crystal is simultaneously satisfied. Therefore, piezoelectric application components and dielectric application components using the piezoelectric single crystal having excellent characteristics can be used in a wide temperature range and operating voltage conditions.

In an example, an energy harvesting system includes a support apparatus and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element may be configured as a plate supported at its periphery by the support apparatus to enable a central portion of the piezoelectric element to move along an axis that is orthogonal to a contact surface of the plate. A body having a mass is configured to move in a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis of the plate and apply force to deform the contact surface of the plate, such that electrical energy is generated by the piezoelectric element based on the applied force.

A fluid jet dispenser using at least two multilayer piezoelectric actuators is provided. The fluid jet dispenser includes a dispensing head and an electrical driver. The dispensing head includes at least two d.sub.31-mode multilayer piezoelectric actuators, a displacement magnifying element mechanically coupled to the d31-mode multilayer piezoelectric actuators, a piston, and a nozzle. More preferably, the two d31-mode multilayer piezoelectric actuators operate in an anti-phase condition. The electrical driver is electrically coupled to the d31-mode multilayer piezoelectric actuators for displacing the actuators in directions substantially perpendicular to polarization of piezoelectric layers in the d31-mode multilayer piezoelectric actuators in response to charging and discharging of the actuators by the electrical driver, to generate a fast movement of the piston to jet a pressurized fluid out of the nozzle of the dispensing head.