A metal stack for templating the growth of AlN and ScAlN films is disclosed. The metal stack comprises one, two, or three layers of metal, each of which is compatible with CMOS post-processing. The metal stack provides a template that promotes the growth of highly textured c-axis {002} AlN and ScAlN films. The metal stacks include one or more metal layers with each metal layer having either a hexagonal {002} orientation or a cubic {111} orientation. If the metal stack includes two or more metal layers, the layers can alternate between hexagonal {002} and cubic {111} orientations. The use of ScAlN results in a higher piezoelectric constant compared to that of AlN for ScAlN alloys up to approximately 44% Sc. The disclosed metal stacks resulted in ScAlN films having XRD FWHM values of less than approximately 1.1° while significantly reducing the formation of secondary grains in the ScAlN films.

The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a device. The method includes depositing a first layer of getter material on a substrate. A first electrode is formed in a first conductive layer deposited on the first layer of getter material. An insulator element is formed in a piezoelectric layer deposited on the first electrode. A second electrode is formed in a second conductive layer deposited on the insulator element. A first input-output electrode is formed to be conductively connected to the first layer of getter material and a second input-output electrode is formed to be conductively connected to the second electrode.

A displacement magnification device has a first link portion including a first rigid body and a first plate spring that couples the first rigid body to a supporting portion and a movable portion. A second link portion includes a second rigid body and a second plate spring that couples the second rigid body to the supporting portion and the movable portion. In this structure, the first rigid body and the second rigid body play roles to suppress the bending of the first plate spring and the second plate spring. In addition, a connection portion between the first plate spring and the supporting portion, a connection portion between the second plate spring and the supporting portion, a connection portion between the first plate spring and the movable portion, and a connection portion between the second plate spring and the movable portion play roles of elastic hinges.

A multilayer piezoelectric ceramic is constituted by: piezoelectric ceramic layers which do not contain lead as a constituent element, have a perovskite compound expressed by the composition formula Li.sub.xNa.sub.yK.sub.1−x−yNbO.sub.3 (where 0.02<x≤0.1, 0.02<x+y≤1) as the primary component, and contain 0.2 to 3.0 mol of Li relative to 100 mol of the primary component; and internal electrode layers which are constituted by a metal that contains silver by 80 percent by mass or more; wherein the multilayer piezoelectric ceramic is such that Li compounds other than the primary component are localized therein. The multilayer piezoelectric element can offer excellent insulating property.

A piezoelectric actuator 10 includes: a piezoelectric element 11; an external electrode 12 covering partially a first surface 11a of the piezoelectric element 11 in a first direction; a wiring member 14; and a conductive joining member 20 joining the wiring member 14 to the external electrode 12, wherein the conductive joining member 20 has an air gap 70 formed between the external electrode 12 and the wiring member 14 in a region overlapping with the wiring member 14 as viewed in the first direction, and wherein the conductive joining member 20 extends to an edge 21 of the external electrode 12 or extends to the first surface 11a of the piezoelectric element 11 beyond the edge 21 of the external electrode 12.

A piezoelectric transducer device includes a support, a piezoelectric element, a first connecting element and a second electrical connecting element, the piezoelectric element being carried by the support and each of the first and second electrical connecting elements being electrically connected, respectively, to a first area and a second area, distinct from the first area, of the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element including a lower face opposite the support and an upper face, opposite to the lower face, wherein the upper face is integrally exposed or is covered, partially or not, only with the second electrical connecting element.

In a MEMS device in which a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer are stacked in this order from a first surface side of a substrate, a first wiring layer is stacked on a second surface on a side opposite to a first surface of the substrate and the first electrode layer and the first wiring layer are connected to each other via a through wiring passing through the substrate.

A piezoelectric MEMS microphone comprising a multi-layer sensor that includes at least one piezoelectric layer between two electrode layers, with the sensor being dimensioned such that it provides a near maximized ratio of output energy to sensor area, as determined by an optimization parameter that accounts for input pressure, bandwidth, and characteristics of the piezoelectric and electrode materials. The sensor can be formed from single or stacked cantilevered beams separated from each other by a small gap, or can be a stress-relieved diaphragm that is formed by deposition onto a silicon substrate, with the diaphragm then being stress relieved by substantial detachment of the diaphragm from the substrate, and then followed by reattachment of the now stress relieved diaphragm.

A MEMS component includes, on a substrate, component structures, contact areas connected to the component structures, metallic column structures seated on the contact areas, and metallic frame structures surrounding the component structures. A cured resist layer is seated on frame structure and column structures such that a cavity is enclosed between substrate, frame structure and resist layer. A structured metallization is provided directly on the resist layer or on a carrier layer seated on the resist layer. The structured metallization includes at least external contacts of the component and being electrically conductively connected both to metallic structures and to the contact areas of the component structures.

An ultrasonic transducer includes: two metal blocks; a plurality of piezoelectric elements having rectangular surfaces and stacked between the metal blocks; and bonding materials bonding the metal block and the piezoelectric element and the piezoelectric elements to each other. Thermal expansion coefficients in the diagonal directions from the center of the surface of the piezoelectric element to the four corners thereof are equal to each other.