An ultrasonic sensor comprises a substrate, a piezoelectric member disposed at the substrate and an upper electrode disposed on the piezoelectric member. The upper electrode includes a silver paste.

The present invention relates to: a paste composition including ceramic particles surface-functionalized with an amine group and a maleic anhydride-grafted elastomer; and a preparation method therefor and, to: a paste composition enabling ceramic particles to have a high content and be highly dispersed, thereby enabling the composition to have a high generation capacity when a device is manufactured; and a preparation method therefor.

Energy harvesting device comprising: a first layer (1) of electrically conductive textile fabric material; a second layer (2) of electrically conductive textile fabric material; a layer of piezoelectric polymer film (3) arranged between the first (1) and the second (2) electrically conductive textile layers; wherein the piezoelectric polymer film layer (3) is laminated between the first (1) and second (2) electrically conductive textile layer.

The invention provides an electroactive polymer actuator comprising a capacitance compensation means adapted to at least partially offset any changes in the capacitance across the member induced by its deformation. In this way, the electronic control of the device is rendered much simpler, since a varying capacitance across the actuator member does not have to be accounted for when driving the actuator to perform a particular deformation.

An element 1 includes a pair of electrodes 2 and 3, and an intermediate layer 4 having deformability, arranged between the pair of electrodes 2 and 3, and containing, as a material, a silicon compound including an unpaired electron. The intermediate layer 4 may contain a particle including the unpaired electron. The intermediate layer 4 may have rubber elasticity. The intermediate layer 4 may have at least one peak at a g value between 2.070 and 2.001 when being measured at an environment temperature of −150° C. by using an electron spin resonance (ESR) device. The intermediate layer 4 may have at least one peak at a g value between 2.070 and 2.001 when being measured at an environment temperature of −150° C. by using the electron spin resonance (ESR) device.

Surface modifications and improvements to piezoelectric-based sensors, such as QCMs and other piezoelectric devices, that significantly increase the sensitivity and the specificity (selectivity). These modifications can comprise mechanical and chemical changes to the surfaces of the sensors, either individually or together. For example, nanosize structures may be provided on the surface to improve sensitivity. Additionally, chemical coatings may be tethered to the surfaces, walls, or crystal to provide targeted sensitivity. Additionally, porous, layered and multiple sensor arrays may be formed to enhance sensitivity and selectivity.

At least one silicone layer is applied to a substrate by a method employing laser transfer printing. The method is suitable for producing sensors, actuators and other EAP layer systems. The silicone layer in these systems may serve as an electrically conducting electrode layer or as a dielectric layer. The method may be configured to be continuous and may be combined with various other coating technologies.

To provide a piezoelectric body film that can suppress decrease in the piezoelectric constant d31, a method of producing a piezoelectric body film, and a piezoelectric body device. A piezoelectric body film comprising a fluororesin as a piezoelectric material, the fluororesin containing, as a main constituent unit, a repeating unit derived from vinylidene fluoride, a piezoelectric constant d31 of the piezoelectric body film being 20 pC/N or greater, and an extrapolated onset temperature at start of shrinkage determined by TMA measurement being not lower than 90° C. and not higher than 115° C. The difference between piezoelectric constants d31 measured before and after heating the piezoelectric body film at 100° C. for 24 hours relative to the piezoelectric constant d31 before the heating for 24 hours is 20% or less.

The present application relates to stacked piezoelectric energy harvesters that include compliant layers between piezoelectric layers. The energy harvesters are useful in various structures and devices, including tissue-stimulating implants, such as spinal fusion implants. The present application also relates to methods of increasing the power output of a piezoelectric energy harvester through the inclusion of compliant layers.

A form birefringent optical element includes a structured layer and a dielectric environment disposed over the structured layer. At least one of the structured layer and the dielectric environment includes a nanovoided polymer, the nanovoided polymer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Actuation of the nanovoided polymer can be used to reversibly control the form birefringence of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.