A leaf spring manufactured from composite material has a variable cross sectional area. The leaf spring is manufactured by die forming a core of a constant cross section, then winding fibers onto the core to create a spring with a variable cross section and then cutting the spring to size. A ply lay-up station is shown which winds fiber onto a die formed workpiece as it moves through the station.

An illustrative humidity sensor may include a substrate and a sensing field effect transistor. The sensing field effect transistor may comprise a source formed on the substrate, a drain formed on the substrate, a gate, and a piezoelectric layer disposed over the gate. Another illustrative humidity sensor may comprise a substrate, a semi-conductor layer disposed over the substrate, a piezoelectric layer disposed over the semi-conductor layer, a first electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer. In some instances, the piezoelectric layer may comprise aluminum nitride.

A thin film X.sub.yAl.sub.(1-y)N alloy preferably deposited with an intrinsic tensile stress significantly enhances the piezoelectric properties of AlN. The alloy contains y percent of the compound XN, where X is selected from the group consisting of Yb, Ho, Dy, Lu, Tm, Tb, and Gd. The percentage of XN preferably lies in the range 10-60%, and the stress is preferably in the range 200 MPa-1.5 GPa. The film is useful in MEMS devices.

Provided is an electroacoustic converter film including: a polymeric composite piezoelectric body having piezoelectric particles dispersed in a viscoelastic matrix which is formed of a polymer material exhibiting viscoelasticity at ordinary temperatures; thin film electrodes formed on both sides of the polymeric composite piezoelectric body; and protective layers formed on surfaces of the thin film electrodes. The electroacoustic converter film serves as a speaker capable of being integrated with a flexible display without impairing lightweightness or flexibility, and has considerable frequency dispersion in the storage modulus and also has a local maximum of the loss tangent around ordinary temperatures. A flexible display, a vocal cord microphone and a musical instrument sensor, in each of which the electroacoustic converter film is used, are also provided.

Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having satisfactory piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a device driving temperature range (−30° C. to 50° C.) The piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula 1, a first auxiliary component composed of Mn, and a second auxiliary component composed of Bi or Bi and Li. The content of Mn is 0.040 parts by weight or more and 0.500 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. The content of Bi is 0.042 parts by weight or more and 0.850 parts by weight or less and the content of Li is 0.028 parts by weight or less (including 0 parts by weight) based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 . . . (1), wherein, 0.030≦x<0.090, 0.030≦y≦0.080, and 0.9860≦a≦1.0200.

Apparatus and techniques are described, such as for obtaining information indicative of an acoustic characteristic of a formation, including using a transducer assembly, comprising a base plate, a first piezoelectric slab and a second piezoelectric slab. The base plate includes a first region extending axially in a first direction beyond the first and second piezoelectric slabs along a specified axis of the base plate and a second region extending axially in a second direction, opposite the first direction, beyond the first and second piezoelectric slabs. In various examples, a length of the first region along the specified axis is different than a length of the second region to provide an asymmetric configuration. In various examples, an anchoring element is mechanically coupled to the base plate at a location corresponding to a node location of a specified acoustic vibration mode.

Systems and methods are disclosed that describe a MEMS device and a method of sensing based on a consensus algorithm. The MEMS device is a sensor comprising multiple piezoelectric layers attached to a microcantilever. It can be used to sense deflections or variations in corresponding parameters of systems in micro- and nano-scales. Multiple piezoelectric elements on a microcantilever can provide a more accurate measurement of the microcantilever's deflection. The device can eliminate bulky laser sensors in SPMs and provide additional use as a biosensor, or chemical sensor at the micro- and nano-scale. The consensus sensing algorithm can provide added robustness into the system. If one of the sensing elements or electrodes fails during a sensing process, other elements can compensate and allow for near zero-error measurement.

A piezoelectric resonator includes a piezoelectric thin film including a functional conductor, a fixing layer provided on a principal surface of the piezoelectric thin film to define a void that overlaps a functional portion region, and a support substrate on a principal surface of the fixing layer. A sacrificial layer is provided on a principal surface of a piezoelectric substrate and the fixing layer is provided on the principal surface of the piezoelectric substrate to cover the sacrificial layer. The support substrate is attached to a surface of the fixing layer and the piezoelectric thin film is peeled from the piezoelectric substrate. The functional conductor is provided on the piezoelectric thin film, a through hole is provided in the piezoelectric thin film to straddle a boundary between the fixing layer and the sacrificial layer, and the sacrificial layer is removed by wet etching using the through hole to form the void.

Provided is a piezoelectric element capable of reliably performing an electrical connection to an electrode layer. A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric layer, electrode layers formed on both sides of the piezoelectric layer, and a protective layer laminated on a surface of the electrode layer opposite to a surface on the polymer composite piezoelectric body side. The protective layer has a hole that penetrates from the surface to the electrode layer. The piezoelectric element further includes a filling member consisting of a conductive material, which is formed from the inside of the hole to a part of a surface of the protective layer and is electrically connected to the electrode layer, a conductive member which covers at least a part of the filling member and is electrically connected to the filling member, and a fixing member for fixing the conductive member.

An object of the present invention is to provide a piezoelectric film capable of preventing a short circuit caused by electrodes protruding from a piezoelectric layer in the piezoelectric film having electrode layers and protective layers on both surfaces of the piezoelectric layer, and a method of producing the piezoelectric film. The object can be achieved by the piezoelectric film that includes a laminated film including a piezoelectric layer, an electrode layer provided on each of both surfaces of the piezoelectric layer, and a protective layer covering the electrode layer, and an insulating end surface coating layer which covers at least a part of an end surface of the laminated film.