An article composed of sintered particles is produced by depositing ligand-containing particles on a substrate, then scanning the substrate with an electron beam that generates sufficient surface and subsurface heating to substantially eliminate the ligands and melt or sinter the particles into a cohesive film with superior charge carrier properties. The particles are sintered or melted together to form a polycrystalline layer that is substantially ligand-free to form, for example, a film such as a continuous polycrystalline film. The scanning operation is conducted so as to heat treat a controllably localized region at and below a surface of the particles by selecting a rate of deposited energy at the region to exceed a rate of conduction away from the substrate.

The invention relates to a ceramic material, comprising lead zirconate titanate, which additionally contains K and optionally Cu. The ceramic material can be used in an electroceramic component, for example a piezoelectric actuator. The invention also relates to methods for producing the ceramic material and the electronic component.

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)

An electronic component includes external electrodes formed on an external surface of a body to be electrically connected to internal electrodes, and containing metal particles and glass, wherein the metal particles include particles having a polyhedral shape.

A method for producing a ceramic multilayer element is disclosed. In an embodiment the method includes forming a plurality of multilayer segments in a green state, wherein each multilayer segment is formed by pressing together a plurality of ceramic layers in the green state and pressing together the multilayer segments in the green state to form a multilayer element that is in the green state. The method further includes sintering the multilayer element that is in the green state to form a ceramic multilayer element that includes the ceramic layers and electrode layers arranged one on top of another, wherein at least one or more of a temperature at which the multilayer segments are pressed together, a pressing force applied during the pressing of the multilayer segments, and/or a duration of the pressing of the multilayer segments are adjusted.

The present application relates to a method for producing ceramic multi-layer components (100), comprising the following steps: providing green layers (5) for the ceramic multi-layer components (100), stacking the green layers (5) into a stack and subsequently pressing the stack into a block (1), singulating the block (1) into partial blocks (3) each having a longitudinal direction (X), thermally treating the partial blocks (3) and subsequently machining surfaces of the partial blocks (3), wherein recesses (11) are produced on the surfaces of the partial blocks (3) during the machining, and singulating the partial blocks (3). The application further relates to a multi-layer component.

A vibrating body includes a substrate, a piezoelectric element comprising a piezoelectric layer and electrode layers and joined to the substrate, and a ceramic layer between the substrate and the piezoelectric element. The ceramic layer comprises a first region and a second region which is adjacent to the first region in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the ceramic layer. The first region has a square shape, each side of the first region having a length equal to a thickness of the ceramic layer, the second region has a square shape, each side of the second region having the length equal to the thickness of the ceramic layer, and a difference between a porosity of the first region and a porosity of the second region is not greater than 15%.

There are provided a piezoelectric element in which the peeling of a surface electrode is suppressed, and a piezoelectric vibrating device, a portable terminal, an acoustic generator, an acoustic generating device and an electronic apparatus including the same. A piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element including a plate-shaped stacked body including inner electrodes and piezoelectric layers laminated, a surface electrode disposed on one of main surfaces of the stacked body, the surface electrode being electrically connected to the inner electrodes. The surface electrode has a first area and a second area. The first area is an area mainly containing silver, and the second area is an area mainly containing silver and palladium and disposed so as to contact a piezoelectric layer.

Provided is a piezoelectric material that is free of lead and potassium, has satisfactory insulation property and piezoelectricity, and has a high Curie temperature. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1): General formula (1) (Na.sub.xM.sub.1-y)(Zr.sub.z(Nb.sub.1-wTa.sub.w).sub.y(Ti.sub.1-vSn.sub.v).sub.(1-y-z))O.sub.3 where M represents at least any one of Ba, Sr, and Ca, and relationships of 0.80≦x≦0.95, 0.85≦y≦0.95, 0<z≦0.03, 0≦v<0.2, 0≦w<0.2, and 0.05≦1−y−z≦0.15 are satisfied.

A piezoelectric element which is a single-layer or laminated piezoelectric element has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric ceramic layer. The first electrode and second electrode contain silver by 50 percent by weight or more. The piezoelectric ceramic layer is placed between the first electrode and second electrode, and constituted by a polycrystalline substance of alkali niobate piezoelectric ceramic containing at least one alkali earth metal being calcium, strontium, or barium, and silver. According to this constitution, the electrical resistance and piezoelectric property can be improved, and consequently high reliability and good piezoelectric characteristics can be achieved.