In some embodiments, a piezoelectric biosensor is provided. The piezoelectric biosensor includes a semiconductor substrate. A first electrode is disposed over the semiconductor substrate. A piezoelectric structure is disposed on the first electrode. A second electrode is disposed on the piezoelectric structure. A sensing reservoir is disposed over the piezoelectric structure and exposed to an ambient environment, where the sensing reservoir is configured to collect a fluid comprising a number of bio-entities.

A piezoelectric device comprising a transparent substrate; a transparent barrier layer on the substrate; a transparent piezoelectric layer on the transparent barrier layer; a transparent layer of interdigitated electrodes on the transparent piezoelectric layer; wherein the piezoelectric device further comprises a transparent dielectric layer at least on the portion of piezoelectric layer that is between successive fingers of the transparent layer of interdigitated electrodes, the transparent dielectric layer having a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the transparent layer of interdigitated electrodes and a dielectric strength superior to 3 MV/m.

An energy harvester includes a frame having a base, a first side member affixed to the base, and a second side member affixed to the base and spaced apart from the first side member. A beam is coupled between the first side member of the frame and the second side member of the frame. The beam has a substrate layer with a first end affixed to the first side member of the frame, a second end affixed to the second side member of the frame, a first face, and a second face opposite to the first face. The substrate is elastically deformable in response to the vibratory force. The beam further includes a first piezoelectric layer joined to the first face of the substrate layer and having a terminal for electrical connection to a load, the first piezoelectric layer comprising at least one piezoelectric patch.

Artificial muscles comprising a body of dielectric elastomer, wherein the body contains a pair of microfluidic networks are presented. Each microfluidic network includes a plurality of channels fluidically coupled via a manifold. The channels of the microfluidic networks are interdigitated and filled with conductive fluid such that each set of adjacent channels functions as the electrodes of an electroactive polymer (EAP) actuator. By using the manifolds as compliant wiring to energize the electrodes, artificial muscles in accordance with the present disclosure mitigate some or all of the reliability problems associated with prior-art artificial muscles.

A piezoelectric device comprises at least one piezoelectric layer P interposed between two conductive layers E, each layer E forming an electrode, characterized in that the layer P comprises at least one piezoelectric composition based on at least one elastomer matrix comprising predominantly at least one diene elastomer, a piezoelectric inorganic filler, a carbon black and a crosslinking system, and in that the content of piezoelectric inorganic filler is greater than or equal to 5% by volume, relative to the total volume of the piezoelectric composition, and the content of carbon black is greater than or equal to 6% by volume, relative to the total volume of the piezoelectric composition. A tire comprising at least one piezoelectric device defined above is also set forth.

A substrate having a recessed portion, a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric actuator are provided, the diaphragm includes a first layer containing silicon as a constituent element, and a third layer disposed between the first layer and the piezoelectric actuator and containing zirconium as a constituent element, and a laminated side surface of the first layer and the third layer is covered with a moisture-resistant protective film containing at least one selected from the group made of oxide, nitride, metal, and diamond-like carbon.

A piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (PMUT) device may include a plurality of layers including a structural layer, a piezoelectric layer, and electrode layers located on opposite sides of the piezoelectric layer. Conductive barrier layers may be located between the piezoelectric layer and the electrodes to the prevent diffusion of the piezoelectric layer into the electrode layers.

A dielectric elastomer transducer according to the present invention includes a dielectric elastomer layer, and a pair of electrode layers sandwiching the dielectric elastomer layer. The electrode layers contain a binder and carbon black. The carbon black has a particle size distribution as measured by dynamic light scattering in which not less than 95% falls in a range of 0.15 to 8.0 μm. The carbon black has a particle size as measured by laser scattering ranging from 0.4 to 50 μm. The particle size distribution of the carbon black as measured by dynamic light scattering has a first peak that falls in a first range of 0.15 to 1.0 μm and a second peak that falls in a second range of 1.0 μm to 8.0 μm. This structure achieves both stretchability and electrical conductivity of the electrode layers.

An electric controlled bi-directional bending actuator with deformability and stiffness tunable capacity is disclosed. The electric controlled bi-directional bending actuator with deformability and stiffness tunable capacity comprises three kinds of functional layers that are electro-deformable layers, electro-variable stiffness layers and flexible electrodes. From up to bottom, they are the first flexible electrodes layer, the first electro-deformable layer, the second flexible electrodes layer, the electro-variable stiffness layer, the third flexible electrode layer, the second electro-deformable layer and the fourth flexible electrode layer. The adjacent layers are glued together. The electro-deformable layer is made from dielectric elastomers. The electro-variable stiffness layer is made from electro-rheological materials, including electro-rheological fluids, electro-rheological gels or electro-rheological elastomers. Compared with the present pneumatic actuators with deformability and stiffness tunable capacity, the invention has such merits as simple structure, precise regulation, quick response, convenient control and insensitive to environmental.

The present disclosure provides a haptic feedback base plate, a haptic feedback apparatus and a haptic feedback method. The haptic feedback base plate comprises: a substrate and a deformation unit disposed on one side of the substrate. The deformation unit comprises a first electrode, a piezoelectric material layer and a second electrode that are arranged in a stacked manner, the first electrode is arranged close to the substrate, the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to form an alternating electric field, and the piezoelectric material layer vibrates under the effect of the alternating electric field and drives the substrate to resonate, wherein a difference between a frequency of the alternating electric field and an inherent frequency of the substrate is less than or equal to a preset threshold.