Provided is a piezoelectric thin film containing a tetragonal crystal 1 of a perovskite type oxide and a tetragonal crystal 2 of the oxide. A (001) plane of the tetragonal crystal 1 and a (001) plane of the tetragonal crystal 2 are oriented in a normal direction of a surface of the piezoelectric thin film. An interval of the (001) plane of the crystal 1 is c1. An interval of a (100) plane of the crystal 1 is a1. An interval of the (001) plane of the crystal 2 is c2. An interval of a (100) plane of the crystal 2 is a2. c2/a2 is more than c1/a1. A peak intensity of diffracted X-rays of the (001) plane of the crystal 1 is I.sub.1. A peak intensity of diffracted X-rays of the (001) plane of the crystal 2 is I.sub.2. I.sub.2/(I.sub.1+I.sub.2) is from 0.50 to 0.90.

The present invention relates to an electrical element comprising a multilayer thin film ceramic member which is a dielectric exhibiting piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties which make it suitable for use in microelectromechanical systems. In one aspect, the present invention provides an electrical element for use in microelectromechanical systems comprising: i) a thin film ceramic member formed of a plurality of layers of ceramic material having a major proportion of a perovskite (ABX.sub.3) phase, said thin film ceramic member having a first side and an opposing second side spaced apart in a thickness direction; ii) first and second electrodes disposed adjacent to the thin film ceramic member, wherein, relative to each other, one of the first or second electrodes is a higher potential electrode and the other one of the first and second electrodes is a lower potential electrode, such that a potential difference may be established between the first and second electrodes and through the thin film ceramic member during operation; wherein the thin film ceramic member comprises: a first layer of ceramic material doped with: I) one or more transition metal ions capable of Jahn-Teller distortion of the perovskite crystal structure of the ceramic material and/or II) one or more non-transition metal ions which have a lower oxidation state and/or one or more transition metal ions which preferentially undergo reduction, compared to the B-site cation of the perovskite crystal structure of the ceramic material; and a second layer of ceramic material not doped with any of the one or more metal ions as defined for the first layer of ceramic material; and wherein said first layer of ceramic material is located, over the thickness of the thin film ceramic member, so as to be: a) in contact with both of the first and second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes are both disposed adjacent to one of the first or second sides of the thin film ceramic member; or b) in contact with the one of the first or second electrodes which is the lower potential electrode, wherein first and second electrodes are interposed by the thin film ceramic member.

The present invention relates to a process for annealing a poled ceramic over a heating period during which the temperature is raised incrementally to “lock-in” desirable high temperature characteristics.

An apparatus is provided which comprises: a ferromagnetic (FM) region with magnetostrictive (MS) property; a piezo-electric (PZe) region adjacent to the FM region; and a magnetoelectric region adjacent to the FM region. An apparatus is provided which comprises: a FM region with MS property; a PZe region adjacent to the FM region; and a magnetoelectric region, wherein the FM region is at least partially adjacent to the magnetoelectric region. An apparatus is provided which comprises: a FM region with MS property; a PZe region adjacent to the FM region; a magnetoelectric region being adjacent to the FM and PZe regions; a first electrode adjacent to the FM and PZe regions; a second electrode adjacent to the magnetoelectric region; a spin orbit coupling (SOC) region adjacent to the magnetoelectric region; and a third electrode adjacent to the SOC region.

The piezoelectric composition is represented by the following Chemical Formula (1):
x[Bi.sub.mFeO.sub.3]-y[Ba.sub.mTiO.sub.3]-z[Bi.sub.mAlO.sub.3](1)
wherein 0.5x0.7995, 0.2y0.4, 0.0005z0.1, x+y+z=1, 0.96m1.04.

A piezoelectric composition comprises a plurality of crystal particles, wherein the piezoelectric composition includes bismuth, iron, barium, titanium, and oxygen; the crystal particle include a core and a shell having a contents of bismuth higher than that in the core and covering the core; and the total area of the cross sections of the cores exposed to the cross section of the piezoelectric composition is expressed as S.sub.CORE, the total area of the cross sections of the shells exposed to the cross section of the piezoelectric composition is expressed as S.sub.SHELL, and 100.Math.S.sub.CORE/(S.sub.CORE+S.sub.SHELL) is 50 to 90.

A piezoelectric element includes a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate, a piezoelectric layer, which is a layered structure of a plurality of piezoelectric films each containing potassium, sodium, and niobium, formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer. A sodium concentration in the piezoelectric layer has a Na local maximum value, which is a local maximum value of the sodium concentration, in a first piezoelectric film, which is among the plurality of piezoelectric films, in the vicinity of the first electrode, a sodium concentration gradient decreasing from the Na local maximum value toward the second electrode, and a Na local minimum value, which is a local minimum value of the sodium concentration, near a boundary between the first piezoelectric film and a second piezoelectric film formed immediately above the first piezoelectric film.

Disclosed are methods, devices, apparatuses, and systems for poling a piezoelectric film. A poling system can be a corona poling system including a corona source with one or more corona wires configured to transfer a corona discharge onto a major surface of the piezoelectric film. The poling system can further include a grid electrode interposed between the corona source and the piezoelectric film. A substrate including the piezoelectric film may be supported on a substrate support, where the substrate and the corona source are configured to move relative to each other during poling.

An external rear view device for a motor vehicle includes a casing which has at least one part made from a polymer, wherein the at least one part of the casing comprises piezo-electrical particles and at least one conductive element which is in electrical contact with the piezo-electrical particles and inductively coupled to a power storage unit. A motor vehicle with such a rear view device is also described.

A liquid composition for forming a piezoelectric film formed of a metal oxide including at least Bi, Na, and Ti. A raw material of the Na is a sodium alkoxide, a raw material of the Ti is a titanium alkoxide, a diol and an amine-based stabilizer are included, and a molar ratio of the amine-based stabilizer with respect to the titanium alkoxide (titanium alkoxide:amine-based stabilizer) is 1:0.5 to 1:4. It is preferable that the metal oxide is included as 4% by mass to 20% by mass with respect to 100% by mass of the liquid composition.