A semiconductor device comprising a passive magnetoelectric transducer structure adapted for generating a charge via mechanical stress caused by a magnetic field. The first transducer structure has a first terminal electrically connectable to the control terminal of an electrical switch, and having a second terminal electrically connectable to the first terminal of the electrical switch for providing a control signal for opening/closing the switch. The switch may be a FET. A passive magnetic switch using a magnetoelectric transducer structure. Use of a passive magnetoelectric transducer structure for opening or closing a switch without the need for an external power supply.

Textured ceramic compositions having improved piezoelectric characteristics as compared with their random counterparts are provided. Methods of making the compositions and devices using them are also included. More particularly, compositions comprising textured ceramic Na.sub.0.5Bi.sub.0.5TiO.sub.3—BaTiO.sub.3(NBT-BT) materials synthesized from high aspect ratio NBT seeds exhibit improved characteristics, including an increased longitudinal piezoelectric constant (d.sub.33) and magnetoelectric coupling coefficient over randomly oriented NBT-BT. Additionally provided are compositions comprising of nanostructured Na.sub.0.5B.sub.0.5TiO.sub.3—BaTiO.sub.3 ferroelectric whiskers having a high aspect ratio. Nanostructured whiskers can be used to improve the piezoelectric properties of the bulk ceramics. The inventive materials are useful in microelectronic devices, with some finding particular application as multilayer actuators and transducers.

The present invention relates to a room-temperature multiferroicity material, a method for preparing same, and an electronic device comprising same. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a room-temperature multiferroicity material according to an aspect of the present disclosure comprises a compound in chemical Formula (2) below in a compound matrix in chemical formula (1) below. Chemical formula (1) (Pb.sub.1-xTM.sub.x)Fe.sub.1/2Nb.sub.1/2O.sub.3 (in chemical formula (1), TM comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni and Co, and x is a number greater than 0 and smaller than 1). Chemical formula (2) ABO.sub.3 (in chemical formula (2), A comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Pb, Bi and Ba, and B comprises Ti and/or Zr).

A transducer sensor apparatus can include a sensor, and a multilayer transducer can include a plurality of piezoelectric elements. The sensor can include the multilayer transducer, and the multilayer transducer can improve a signal-to-noise ratio during sensing operations by the sensor by overcoming an external noise source.

A film comprising a piezoelectric polymer has an upper surface and a lower surface. The film has an active region comprising the piezoelectric polymer, which extends from the upper surface of the film to the lower surface of the film. The film also comprises an adhesive sheet, which defines part of the upper or lower surface of the film. Circuit sheets may be bonded to the upper and lower surfaces in a lamination process to produce a laminated piezoelectric device.

A piezoelectric body of a sensor includes a driving arm and detecting arm which extend from a base part in a y-axis direction. Excitation electrodes vibrate the driving arm in an x-axis direction. Detecting electrodes enable detection of a signal due to deformation in a z-axis direction of the detecting arm. The piezoelectric body has anisotropy causing vibration of torsional deformation when the driving arm vibrates in the x-axis direction. When the driving arm bends to a +x side, the base part flexes so that a connection position in the base part is displaced to one side in the z-axis direction. The cross-section of the driving arm perpendicular to the y-axis direction causes a bending stiffness to the +x side and to the other side in the z-axis direction is smaller than a bending stiffness to the +x side and to the one side in the z-axis direction.

An electrical generator comprises a converter including two electrical terminals for converting a variation in a magnetic field into a potential difference between the terminals. The generator includes a stack of a first layer comprising an anisotropic magnetostrictive material defining a reference plane and a second layer comprising a piezoelectric material. The first layer has at least one preferential axis of deformation in the reference plane and the second layer has a polarization axis parallel to the reference plane, the preferential axis of deformation of the first layer being aligned to within 15° with the polarization axis of the second layer. The generator includes a source that generates the magnetic field, the strength of which is insufficient to magnetically saturate the material of the first layer. The source and converter are able to rotate with respect to each other so as to vary the orientation of the magnetic field.

A subtractive forming method that includes providing a material stack including a samarium and selenium containing layer and an aluminum containing layer in direct contact with the samarium and selenium containing layer. The samarium component of the samarium and selenium containing layer of the exposed portion of the material stack is etched with an etch chemistry comprising citric acid and hydrogen peroxide that is selective to the aluminum containing layer. The hydrogen peroxide reacts with the aluminum containing layer to provide an oxide etch protectant surface on the aluminum containing layer, and the citric acid etches samarium selectively to the oxide etch protectant surface. Thereafter, a remaining selenium component of is removed by elevating a temperature of the selenium component.

A subtractive forming method for piezoresistive material stacks includes applying an etch chemistry to an exposed first portion of a piezoresistive material stack. The etch chemistry includes a citric acid component for removing a first element of a piezoelectric layer of the piezoresistive material stack selectively to a surface oxide. At least one second element of the piezoelectric layer remains. The method further includes heating the piezoresistive material stack after said applying the etch chemistry to vaporize the at least one second element. A second portion of the piezoresistive material stack is protected from the removal and the heating by a mask.

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a deformable film portion, and a first sensing element provided at the film portion. The first sensing element includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers. The first intermediate layer is nonmagnetic. The first magnetic layer includes a first film including Fe and Co, a second film including Fe and Co, a third film, and a fourth film. The third film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ru, Ag, Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Re, and Os and is provided between the first and second films. The fourth film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sc, Ti, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ba, La, Hf, Ta, and W and is provided between the third and second films.