An ultrasonic device unit includes an ultrasonic device including 1-st through n-th vibrator elements and 1-st through n-th device-side terminals connected corresponding respectively to the vibrator elements, and a flexible printed wiring board to be connected to the ultrasonic device, in which the flexible printed wiring board includes a first connector section provided with 1-st through k-th external connection terminals, a second connector section provided with (k+1)-th through n-th external connection terminals, a device connection section which is disposed between the first connector section and the second connector section, and to which the 1-st through n-th device-side terminals are connected, and interconnections adapted to connect the i-th device-side terminal and the i-th external connection terminal to each other.

Systems and methods for non-invasive fat reduction can include targeting a region of interest below a surface of skin, which contains fat and delivering ultrasound energy to the region of interest. The ultrasound energy generates a thermal lesion with said ultrasound energy on a fat cell. The lesion can create an opening in the surface of the fat cell, which allows the draining of a fluid out of the fat cell and through the opening. In addition, by applying ultrasound energy to fat cells to increase the temperature to between 43 degrees and 49 degrees, cell apoptosis can be realized, thereby resulting in reduction of fat.

A transducer assembly comprises a housing and a plurality of frequency steered transducer array elements. Each of the transducer array elements includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements. The frequency steered transducer array elements are configured to receive a transmit electronic signal including a plurality of frequency components and to transmit an array of sonar beams into a body of water. Each sonar beam is transmitted in an angular direction that varies according to one of the frequency components of the transmit electronic signal. The frequency steered transducer array elements are positioned within the housing in a fan-shaped configuration where an end section of at least two of the frequency steered transducer array elements are within an intersection range of each other.

A method for producing an ultrasonic transducer or ultrasonic transducer array, the method comprising providing or depositing a layer of piezoelectric material on a substrate. The piezoelectric material is a doped, co-deposited or alloyed piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material comprises: a doped, co-deposited or alloyed metal oxide or metal nitride, the metal oxide or metal nitride being doped, co-deposited or alloyed with vanadium or a compound thereof; or zinc oxide doped, co-deposited or alloyed with a transition metal or a compound thereof. Optionally, the deposition of the layer of piezoelectric material is by sputter coating, e.g. using a sputtering target that comprises a doped or alloyed piezoelectric material. In examples, the layer of piezoelectric material is deposited onto the substrate using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS). Further enhancement may be obtained using substrate biasing (e.g. DC and/or RF) during deposition of the layer of piezoelectric material. In further examples, the substrate is provided on a rotating drum whilst tire layer of piezoelectric material is being deposited.

A vibration element includes: a base; an arm continuous with the base; a first electrode that includes a first layer of titanium nitride and a second layer containing nitrogen, titanium, and oxygen, and is disposed on the arm; an aluminum nitride layer in contact with the second layer; and a second electrode disposed on the aluminum nitride layer.

A display apparatus including a flexible vibration module and a method of manufacturing the flexible vibration module are provided. A display apparatus includes: a display panel configured to display an image, and a flexible vibration module on a rear surface of the display panel, the flexible vibration module configured to vibrate the display panel, the flexible vibration module including: a plurality of first portions having a piezoelectric characteristic, and a plurality of second portions respectively between pairs of the plurality of first portions, the plurality of second portions having flexibility.

An optical device includes: two non-waveguide regions arranged in a second direction intersecting a first direction with a spacing therebetween; an optical waveguide region that is located between the two non-waveguide regions, contains a liquid crystal material, and propagates light in the first direction; and an alignment film that aligns the liquid crystal material. Each of the two non-waveguide regions includes a low-refractive index member having a lower refractive index than the liquid crystal material. The alignment film is located between the liquid crystal material and the low-refractive index members.

A method for locating a plurality of elements comprising a flexible ultrasound phased array. The method includes constructing a matrix of traveltimes by iteratively transmitting a signal from one element of the plurality and receiving the signal at each of the other elements of the plurality. Traveltimes are derived from each received signal and arrayed in a matrix. Relative positions of the first element of the plurality and the last element of the plurality are established and the locations of the remaining elements of the plurality are iteratively modeled to fit the matrix of traveltimes.

A piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric body; and a vibrating plate including single crystal silicon having anisotropy having orientation with a relatively high Young's modulus and orientation with a relatively low Young's modulus (hereinafter, referred to as low Young's modulus orientation) as a vibrating material, in which the piezoelectric body and the vibrating plate are laminated on each other so that the low Young's modulus orientation is in a direction along a high expansion and contraction direction among a direction where a degree of expansion and contraction caused according to a support structure of the piezoelectric body is relatively high (hereinafter, referred to as high expansion and contraction direction) and a direction where a degree thereof is relatively low.

An ultrasonic transducer device including a substrate, an edge support structure connected to the substrate, and a membrane connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies. The membrane includes a first piezoelectric layer having a first surface and a second surface, a second piezoelectric layer having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface of the first piezoelectric layer faces the first surface of the second piezoelectric layer, a first electrode coupled to the first surface of the first piezoelectric layer, a second electrode coupled to the second surface of the second piezoelectric layer, and a third electrode between the first piezoelectric layer and the second piezoelectric layer.