A piezoelectric ceramic sputtering target containing a perovskite type oxide represented by chemical formula (I) of ABO.sub.3 as a main component, wherein the component A of the chemical formula (I) contains at least K (potassium) and/or Na (sodium), the component B of the chemical formula (I) contains at least one selected from the group consisting of Nb (niobium), Ta (tantalum) and Zr (zirconium) with Nb (niobium) as a necessity, the piezoelectric ceramic sputtering target is composed of a plurality of crystal grains and grain boundaries existing among the crystal grains, and in the grain boundary, the molar ratio of at least one of Nb (niobium), Ta (tantalum), and Zr (zirconium) in the B components is higher than the molar ratio in the interior of the crystal grains by 30% or more.

The piezoelectric element comprises a piezoelectric body extending in a lateral direction and a first and second electrodes that are provided on the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body has an active portion sandwiched between the first and second electrodes in a thickness direction that is vertical to the lateral direction, and an inactive portion connected to the active portion in the lateral direction. The first electrode has an active electrode portion disposed on the active portion. The active electrode portion includes an interface region that is adjacent to the interface of the active portion and the inactive portion in the lateral direction, and an inner region that is separated from the interface of the active portion and the inactive portion in the lateral direction. The cross sectional surface area per unit length of the interface region in the cross section of the active electrode portion is greater than the cross sectional area per unit length of the inner region.

A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator device includes a bottom electrode disposed over a substrate and an acoustic reflector, a seed layer formed of a dielectric material disposed over the bottom electrode, a split piezoelectric layer disposed on the seed layer, and a top electrode disposed over the split piezoelectric layer. The split piezoelectric layer includes a first portion having a positive polarity due to the seed layer, a second portion having a negative polarity that is substantially opposite to the positive polarity of the first portion, and a metal interposer between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion of the piezoelectric layer has a first thickness and the second portion of the piezoelectric layer has a second thickness that is not equal to the first thickness, thereby lowering a coupling coefficient kt.sup.2 of the BAW resonator device.

A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator comprises: a seed layer disposed over a substrate; a first electrode disposed over the seed layer; and a second electrode disposed over a piezoelectric layer. The seed layer has a thickness in the range of approximately 30 Å to approximately 150 Å.

A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric body having a main phase configured by lead zirconate titanate and a heterogenous phase configured by a different component to lead zirconate titanate, and a pair of electrodes provided on the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body has a surface region within 10 μm of a surface, and an inner region more than 10 μm from the surface. A surface area coverage of the heterogenous phase in a cross section of the surface region is at least 0.75% greater than a surface area coverage of the heterogenous phase in a cross section of the inner region.

The present disclosure relates to a Wafer-level-packaged Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) device, which includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode, a top electrode lead, a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between the bottom and the top electrodes, an enclosure, and an anti-reflective layer (ARL). Herein, an active region for a resonator is formed where the bottom electrode and the top electrode overlap. The top electrode lead is over the piezoelectric layer and extending from the top electrode. The enclosure includes a cap and an outer wall that extends from the cap toward the piezoelectric layer to form a cavity. The top electrode resides in the cavity and a first portion of the outer wall resides over the top electrode lead. The ARL, with a reflectance less than 40% R, is between the first portion of the outer wall and the top electrode lead.

The present disclosure relates to the bulk manufacture of transducer arrays, including arrays having at least one 3D printed (or otherwise additive manufactured) acoustic matching layers. In certain implementations, the manufactured transducers include a composite-piezoelectric transducer on a de-matching layer. In one implementation, by producing multiple arrays at once on a common carrier, and by using direct-deposit additive processes for the matching layers, the described processes greatly reduce the number of parts and the number of manual operations.

An electronic component includes an inner electrode inside of a main body and exposed at a surface of the main body, and an outer electrode on a surface of the main body and electrically connected to the inner electrode, wherein a plurality of recesses are provided in a surface of the outer electrode, and each of the plurality of recesses includes a portion in which a diameter of an opening of the recess gradually decreases toward an opening side of the recess.

An ultrasonic transducer includes a stack of flat electrodes between which are interposed ceramic wafers of substantially same surface area as the electrodes, stacked contours of the ceramic wafers and electrode wafers defining substantially flat or cylindrical side faces of the stack. A method of manufacturing the transducer includes: alternatively stacking a ceramic wafer and an electrode wafer, placing between each ceramic wafer and its two neighboring electrodes a composition of which at least 75% by weight, or at least 80% by weight, that includes silver nanoparticles having a grain size of smaller than or equal to 80 nanometers, or smaller than or equal to 60 nanometers; and compressing the stack by heating to a temperature of less than or equal to 280° C., or between 200° C. and 250° C.

The present invention provides a piezoelectric material not containing lead and potassium, having a high relative density, a high Curie temperature, and a high mechanical quality factor, and exhibiting good piezoelectricity. The piezoelectric material contains 0.04 percent by mole or more and 2.00 percent by mole or less of Cu relative to 1 mol of metal oxide represented by General formula (1) below.
((Na.sub.1-zLi.sub.z).sub.xBa.sub.1-y)(Nb.sub.yTi.sub.1-y)O.sub.3 (in Formula, 0.70≦x≦0.99, 0.75≦y≦0.99, and 0<z<0.15, and x<y)  General formula (1)