A lead-free piezoelectric material includes perovskite-type metal oxide containing Na, Nb, Ba, Ti, and Mg and indicates excellent piezoelectric properties. The piezoelectric material satisfies the following relational expression (1): 0.430≤a≤0.460, 0.433≤b≤0.479, 0.040≤c≤0.070, 0.0125≤d≤0.0650, 0.0015≤e≤0.0092, 0.9×3e≤c−d≤1.1×3e, a+b+c+d+e=1, where a, b, c, d, and e denote the relative numbers of Na, Nb, Ba, Ti, and Mg atoms, respectively.

A piezoelectric component that has a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric ceramic layer and a sintered metal layer on at least a first main surface of the piezoelectric ceramic layer and containing a non-precious metal, and a protective layer containing an elastic body covering first and second opposed main surfaces of the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric ceramic layer contains 90 mol % or more of a perovskite compound that contains niobium, an alkali metal, and oxygen. A thickness of the piezoelectric element is 100 μm or less.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated chip including a piezoelectric membrane overlying a substrate. A plurality of conductive layers is disposed within the piezoelectric membrane. The plurality of conductive layers comprises a first conductive layer over a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer comprises a first electrode and the second conductive layer comprises a second electrode. A first conductive via is disposed in the piezoelectric membrane and contacts the first electrode. A second conductive via is disposed in the piezoelectric membrane and contacts the second electrode. A sidewall of the second conductive via comprises a vertical sidewall segment overlying a slanted sidewall segment.

A piezoelectric thin film includes a first piezoelectric layer and a second piezoelectric layer directly stacked on the first piezoelectric layer. The first piezoelectric layer contains a tetragonal crystal 1 of a perovskite-type oxide. The second piezoelectric layer contains a tetragonal crystal 2 of a perovskite-type oxide. A (001) plane of the tetragonal crystal 1 is oriented in a normal direction do of a surface of the piezoelectric thin film. A (001) plane of the tetragonal crystal 2 is oriented in the normal direction dn of the surface of the piezoelectric thin film. An interval of the (001) plane of the tetragonal crystal 1 is c1, an interval of a (100) plane of the tetragonal crystal 1 is a1, an interval of the (001) plane of the tetragonal crystal 2 is c2, an interval of a (100) plane of the tetragonal crystal 2 is a2, c2/a2 is more than c1/a1 and c1/a1 is from 1.015 to 1.050.

In a chip-on-array approach, acoustic and electronic modules are separately formed. The acoustic stack is connected to one interposer, and the electronics are connected to another interposer. Different connection processes (e.g., using low temperature bonding for the acoustic stack and higher temperature-based interconnect for the electronics) may be used. This arrangement may allow for different pitches of the transducer elements and the I/O of the electronics by staggering vias in the interposers. The two interposers are then connected to form the chip-on-array.

The disclosure provides an electricity generating insert for a piece of footwear, the insert can be removably placed in the heel portion, e.g. under the insole. The insert comprises a multilayer piezoelectric stack that alternatively flexes under the compression-decompression that occurs during locomotion, which flexing causes friction in the stack to generate electricity capable of charging electronic devices and the like, e.g. via a port on the footwear.

An actuator assembly includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, and an electroactive polymer layer disposed between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, where the electroactive polymer layer includes a non-vertical (e.g., sloped) sidewall with respect to a major surface of at least one of the electrodes. The electroactive polymer layer may be characterized by a non-axisymmetric shape with respect to an axis that is oriented orthogonal to an electrode major surface.

A piezoelectric element that includes a substrate, a lower electrode layer on the substrate, an intermediate layer on the lower electrode layer, and an upper electrode layer on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes a first piezoelectric layer including an aluminum nitride as a main component thereof and located between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer, a first buffer layer including an aluminum nitride as a main component and located between the first piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode layer, a first intermediate electrode layer located between the first buffer layer and the upper electrode layer, and a second piezoelectric layer located between the first intermediate electrode layer and the upper electrode layer.

A piezoelectric device includes a piezoelectric body at least a portion of which can bend and vibrate, an upper electrode on an upper surface of the piezoelectric body and in which distortion of a crystal lattice is reduced as a distance from the upper surface of the piezoelectric body increases, a lower electrode on a lower surface of the piezoelectric body and in which distortion of a crystal lattice is reduced as a distance from the upper surface of the piezoelectric body increases, and a support substrate below the piezoelectric body, in which a recess extending from a lower surface of the support substrate toward the lower surface of the piezoelectric device is provided.

A piezoelectric actuator assembly is described. The assembly including a first layer including a top and a bottom surfaces. The assembly including a second layer having a top and a bottom surfaces, the bottom surface of the second layer is disposed over the top surface of the first layer. The assembly including a third layer having a top and a bottom surfaces, the bottom surface of the third layer is disposed over the top surface of the second layer. The assembly includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode. The third electrode is configured to be shorter than the second electrode such that the active PZT length of the second layer and the third layer is shorter than the active PZT length of the first layer.