The invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor device (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising an ultrasonic sensor (2), which has a membrane (5) for emitting and/or receiving ultrasonic waves, and comprising a stiffening unit (15) for attachment to a trim element (27) of the motor vehicle and for stiffening the trim element (27), wherein the stiffening unit (15) has a through-opening (17) for the membrane (5) of the ultrasonic sensor (2), wherein the stiffening unit (15) is formed from at least two separate stiffening elements (18 to 21) for attachment to a trim element (27).

Switchable and/or tunable filters, methods of manufacture and design structures are disclosed herein. The method of forming the filters includes forming at least one piezoelectric filter structure comprising a plurality of electrodes formed on a piezoelectric substrate. The method further includes forming a fixed electrode with a plurality of fingers on the piezoelectric substrate. The method further includes forming a moveable electrode with a plurality of fingers over the piezoelectric substrate. The method further includes forming actuators aligned with one or more of the plurality of fingers of the moveable electrode.

A piezoelectric actuator array includes a substrate plate with a number of signal leads and at least one common lead, and a number of piezoelectric bodies arranged in a row on one surface of the substrate plate and formed by dividing a common piezoelectric block. The piezoelectric bodies include a number of active bodies each of which has, on a first side of the row, a signal electrode in contact with one of the signal leads and, on an opposite second side of the row, a common electrode in contact with the common lead. The substrate plate has at least one connector lead disposed on the first side of the row and electrically connected to the common lead on the second side of the row. At least one piezoelectric body has a conductive outer surface layer that establishes an electrically conductive path from the connector lead to the common lead.

A resonance apparatus that processes an electrical loss using a conductive material and a method of manufacturing the resonance apparatus are provided. The resonance apparatus includes a lower electrode formed at a predetermined distance from a substrate, and a piezoelectric layer formed on the lower electrode. The resonance apparatus further includes an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, and a conductive layer formed on the upper electrode or the lower electrode.

There is provided a method for producing a liquid transport apparatus includes: a pressure chamber plate partially defining a pressure chamber that communicates with a nozzle for ejecting liquid; an insulating ceramics layer located on a surface of the pressure chamber plate to cover the pressure chamber; a piezoelectric layer located on the insulating ceramics layer; and a first electrode located on the piezoelectric layer. The method includes: forming the insulating ceramics layer on the pressure chamber plate by heating an insulating ceramic material; forming the piezoelectric layer and the first electrode on the insulating ceramics layer; forming the piezoelectric layer including annealing the piezoelectric layer at the annealing temperature; and forming the pressure chamber by removing a part of the pressure chamber plate so that a part of the insulating ceramics layer is exposed on the pressure chamber.

Embodiments described herein involve methods of forming an interactive card with indicators on a substrate. A plurality of indicators are formed on the substrate by way of a printed electronics process. A plurality of displaceable regions of piezoelectric material are formed on the substrate by way of a printed electronics process. Electrical interconnections are formed on the substrate by way of a printed electronics process, the electrical interconnections connecting an indicator and an associated displaceable region of piezoelectric material such that displacement of the associated displaceable region of piezoelectric material generates a voltage therein that is provided to the indicator in order to actuate the indicator and thereby indicate displacement of the associated displaceable region of piezoelectric material.

A piezoelectric bulk wave device that includes a piezoelectric thin plate that is made of LiTaO.sub.3, and first and second electrodes that are provided in contact with the piezoelectric thin plate. The piezoelectric bulk wave device utilizes the thickness shear mode of the piezoelectric thin plate made of LiTaO.sub.3. The first and second electrodes are each formed by a conductor having a specific acoustic impedance higher than the specific acoustic impedance of a transversal wave that propagates in LiTaO.sub.3. When the sum of the film thicknesses of the first and second electrodes is defined as an electrode thickness, and the thickness of the piezoelectric thin plate made of LiTaO.sub.3 is defined as an LT thickness, the electrode thickness/(electrode thickness+LT thickness) is not less than 5% and not more than 40%.

An aspect of the present invention relates to a vibration element comprising: a substrate; a ceramic layer containing glass and provided on the substrate; and a piezoelectric element comprising an electrode layer fixed to the substrate with the ceramic layer therebetween and a piezoelectric layer, wherein the piezoelectric layer, the electrode layer, the substrate, and the ceramic layer are integrated by the piezoelectric layer, the electrode layer, the substrate, and the ceramic layer being sintered together at a sintering temperature of from 800° C. or higher to 940° C. or lower.

A method for producing a composite piezoelectric body includes: forming a composite piezoelectric body by filling a non-conductive polymer between a plurality of piezoelectric materials arranged in an array state at predetermined intervals, and polishing one surface of the composite piezoelectric body, from which surface at least the piezoelectric materials and the polymer are exposed, by using an abrasive film in which an abrasive particle is applied to a base film.

A method and structure for a transfer process for an acoustic resonator device. In an example, a bulk acoustic wave resonator (BAWR) with an air reflection cavity is formed. A piezoelectric thin film is grown on a crystalline substrate. Patterned electrodes are deposited on the surface of the piezoelectric film. An etched sacrificial layer is deposited over the electrodes and a planarized support layer is deposited over the sacrificial layer. The device can include a dielectric protection layer (DPL) that protects the piezoelectric layer from etching processes that can produce rough surfaces and reduces parasitic capacitance around the perimeter of the resonator when the DPL's dielectric constant is lower than that of the piezoelectric layer. The DPL can be configured between the top electrode and the piezoelectric layer, between the bottom electrode and the piezoelectric layer, or both.