An ultrasonic sensor includes: a first electrode that is provided in an ultrasonic microphone including a vibration element having a function of performing conversion between mechanical vibration and an electrical signal; a second electrode that is provided at a position different from the first electrode in an in-plane direction intersecting a directional axis of the ultrasonic microphone; and a detection section that is provided to detect the presence or absence of attached matter attached to the ultrasonic sensor on the basis of a change in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

A transducer supported by the eardrum provides a piezoelectric material exchanging energy with the eardrum through a nanoscale membrane, the latter serving to boost the coupling between the piezoelectric material and the eardrum.

A wafer level ultrasonic chip module includes a substrate, a composite layer, a conducting material, and a base material. The substrate has a through slot that passes through an upper surface of the substrate and a lower surface of the substrate. The composite layer includes an ultrasonic body and a protective layer. A lower surface of the ultrasonic body is exposed from the through slot. The protective layer covers the ultrasonic body and a partial upper surface of the substrate. The protective layer has an opening, from which a partial upper surface of the ultrasonic body is exposed. The conducting material is in contact with the upper surface of the ultrasonic body. The base material covers the through slot, such that a space is formed among the through slot, the lower surface of the ultrasonic body and an upper surface of the base material.

An ultrasonic transducer that includes a delay line, a piezoelectric element, and a metal conductive layer between the delay line and the piezoelectric element. The delay line and the piezoelectric element are acoustically joined with an atomic diffusion bond to facilitate coupling ultrasonic waves from the piezoelectric element into the delay line or from the delay line into the piezoelectric element.

A wafer level ultrasonic chip module includes a substrate, a composite layer and a base material. The substrate has a through slot passing through an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate. The composite layer includes an ultrasonic body and a protective layer. A lower surface of the ultrasonic body is exposed from the through slot. The protective layer covers the ultrasonic body and a partial upper surface of the substrate. The composite layer has a groove passing through an upper surface and a lower surface of the protective layer, and communicating with the through slot. Rhe ultrasonic body corresponds to the through slot. The base material covers the through slot, such that a space is formed among the through slot, the lower surface of the ultrasonic body and an upper surface of the base material.

An adhesive apparatus with an electrostatic adhesive including a microstructured adhesive disposed over an electrode and/or a piezoelectric element. The adhesive can be added to any robotic gripper, such as a gripper finger formed of a flexible material and including a grip surface. The electrode and/or a piezoelectric element can be used for applying an electrostatic field and/or ultrasonic vibration, configured for cleaning the microstructured adhesive, releasing the adhesive, and/or sensing a load on the adhesive apparatus.

A Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) device includes 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 having non-uniform stiffness. The membrane includes a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode and a second electrode coupled to opposing sides of the piezoelectric layer, and a mechanical support layer coupled to one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

The invention provides a Diagonal Resonance (DR) mode for sound and ultrasound generation and reception. This new driving mode is made possible due to the anisotropic sound velocity in piezoelectric single crystals. This gives rise to a crossed slab active material, which contains the crossed-diagonals of the substantially rectangular shaped active material, exhibiting comparable resonance frequency. Due to reasonably large Piosson's ratios of lead-based relaxor single crystal, the resonance vibration of the active material in crossed face or body diagonal directions induces sufficiently large vibration amplitudes for sound and ultrasound generation via any free surface which could be normal or at an angle to the resonating diagonal directions. Said DR mode typically has lower resonance frequency than conventional longitudinal and transverse width modes but high TVR and can be combined or coupled with said two driving modes to make broadband to extra-broadband sonic and ultrasonic transducers.

An ultrasonic transceiver includes: piezoelectric body including opposing surfaces having first electrode and second electrode respectively, piezoelectric body being segmented into a plurality of elements by groove recessed from a surface having first electrode among the opposing surfaces; conductor electrically connected to first electrode on each of elements. The ultrasonic transceiver further includes reinforcement section provided in a part of second electrode, the part corresponding to a bottom of groove. With this configuration, a decrease in a strength of piezoelectric body in the bottom of groove, which is caused by groove provided in piezoelectric body, can be prevented and occurrence of a crack can be prevented.

A transducer supported by the eardrum provides a piezoelectric material exchanging energy with the eardrum through a nanoscale membrane, the latter serving to boost the coupling between the piezoelectric material and the eardrum