There is provided a piezo-electric actuator comprising an assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and at least one piezoelectric layer located between said first electrode and said second electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is split into at least two different sub-electrodes, wherein at least part of the assembly is configured to move along an axis perpendicular to a surface of the assembly, in response to an electrical stimulus applied to at least one of said first and second electrodes.

The present invention is a novel electroactive actuator device provides high active and passive performances for electromechanical and smart systems. The electroactive actuator device is capable of operating in a manner that achieve good passive isolation characteristics, amplifies the stroke displacement per applied voltage, and also enhances the active forces of the electroactive mechanism without weight or size penalties. The electromechanical responses can be transferred to the objective systems using lightweight electrical-mechanical connectors fastened at the center of the piezoelectric actuator elements. When an alternating voltage potential is across the upper and lower electrodes of a piezoelectric actuator element, the center portions of all the piezoelectric actuator elements, as well as the electrical-mechanical connectors attached thereto, reciprocate harmoniously in one direction generating high electroactive forces and dynamic responses.

A MEMS actuator device of a piezoelectric type formed on a substrate, with a base unit including a base beam element having a main extension in a extension plane and a thickness in a thickness direction perpendicular to the extension plane, smaller than the main extension. A piezoelectric region extends over the beam element. An anchor region is rigid to the base beam element and to the substrate. A base constraint structure is connected to one end of the base beam element and is configured to allow a deformation of the base beam element in the extension plane and substantially reduce a deformation of the base beam element in the thickness direction.

A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode having a film shape and provided on a base portion, a second electrode having a film shape and opposed to the first electrode on an opposite side of the first electrode from the base portion, a piezoelectric film interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and partially covered with the second electrode, and an insulation film covering the second electrode and the piezoelectric film with extending over at least a part of an outer edge of the second electrode. The insulation film may cover a whole of the outer edge of the second electrode without covering an inner region of the second electrode. Accordingly, a withstand voltage of the piezoelectric film can be increased.

A reflector has a reflective surface on first and second directions. Each of torsion beams extends to each opposite side of the reflective surface in the first direction. Each of coupling portions is to each opposite side of the reflector in the first direction and includes a central portion with U-shape having two projection portions and a bottom portion joined to the torsion beam. The projection portions include first concave portions opposing across the torsion beam by being penetrated in thickness direction. Each first concave portion extends in the second direction from an opening to a side surface facing the torsion beam towards an opposite side surface up to a bottom. A distance between the bottoms of the first concave portions across the torsion beam is greater than a distance between the side surfaces each facing the torsion beam of the projection portions.

A piezoelectric actuator part which generates a driving force to rotate a mirror part about a rotation axis includes a first actuator part and a second actuator part having a both-end supported beam structure in which base end parts on both sides in an axial direction of the rotation axis are fixed. Upper electrodes and lower electrodes of the first actuator part and the second actuator part are divided to correspond to a stress distribution of principal stresses in a piezoelectric body during resonance mode vibration, a piezoelectric portion corresponding to positions of a first piezoelectric conversion part and third piezoelectric conversion parts and a piezoelectric portion corresponding to positions of second piezoelectric conversion parts and a fourth piezoelectric conversion part generate stresses in opposite directions.

To enhance properties of a ferromagnetic film formed on a substrate. One aspect of the present invention is a film structure body having a single crystal substrate, and a first ferromagnetic film oriented and formed on the single crystal substrate.

The disclosure relates to a piezoelectric drive, such as for permanently protected use in a moist environment, which includes a housing having a chamber, which chamber is hermetically sealed by at least one elastic membrane, and includes a piezoelectric drive unit in the hermetically sealed chamber for driving a drive element. The piezoelectric drive unit can include at least one piezoelectric bending actuator, which produces a bending deflection transversely to the elastic membrane when electrically activated. For example, two bending actuators can be arranged in series or parallel.

A transducer includes: a film support portion having a hollow portion; a vibration film displaceable in a film thickness direction; a piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element including a pair of electrodes and a piezoelectric film; and in regions overlapping the hollow portion, a plurality of first regions having a first total film thickness which is a sum of a film thickness of the vibration film and a film thickness of the piezoelectric element, and a plurality of second regions having a second total film thickness which is a sum of a film thickness of the vibration film and a film thickness of the piezoelectric element, the second total film thickness being different from the first total film thickness. The first regions and the second regions are alternately arranged, and one of the first regions is adjacent to a connection portion between the film support portion and the vibration film.

An optical reflection element includes a movable part and a drive part configured to rotate the movable part about a rotation axis. At least a layer structure that is the same as in a range from a piezoelectric layer to an upper surface of a substrate in a region of the drive part is placed in a region of an outer peripheral portion of the movable part on the substrate. A layer structure that is the same as in a range from a lower electrode layer to the upper surface of the substrate in the region of the drive part is placed in a region of a center portion of the movable part on the substrate. An upper surface of the lower electrode layer in the region of the center portion is exposed to outside to constitute a reflection surface.