Systems and methods for converting consumer coins, cash, and/or other forms of value for use with mobile commerce platforms implemented on, for example, smart phones, PDAs, and other mobile devices. In one embodiment, a method for implementing a mobile commerce account on a mobile device includes receiving coins and/or other funds from a user at a consumer-operated kiosk. The method can further include counting the coins and/or other funds to determine a value, and then communicating at least a portion of the value from the kiosk to the hand-held mobile device for deposit in the mobile commerce account.

A touch-sensitive assembly and method of making includes a first electrically conductive layer disposed on a first substrate and a second electrically conductive layer disposed on a second substrate. A piezoelectric film is disposed between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer. The piezoelectric film includes a plurality of aligned piezoelectric particles disposed in a polymeric matrix and is characterized by a haze value of about 5% or less.

A flexible vibration module is disclosed. The flexible vibration module includes a piezoelectric composite layer, including: a plurality of piezoelectric portions each having a piezoelectric characteristic, where at least two of the plurality of piezoelectric portions have different sizes; and a flexible portion between the plurality of piezoelectric portions.

A composite substrate includes in this order: a support substrate; an intermediate layer; and a piezoelectric layer, wherein the intermediate layer contains bubbles.

Proposed is a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric composite material. The method includes the steps: wet mixing the ceramic powder, the polymer binder, the plasticizer, and the solvent for 4 to 72 hours to produce the mixed slurry, in which the amount of the polymer binder in the mixed slurry is 3 to 10 parts by weight, the amount of the plasticizer is 0.1 to 3 parts by weight, and the amount of the solvent is 30 or more to less than 50 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the ceramic powder in the mixed slurry; introducing the mixed slurry into a tape casting process to produce a piezoelectric composite sheet; drying and molding the piezoelectric composite sheet in a roll-to-roll process to form a molded piezoelectric composite sheet; laminating and compressing piezoelectric composite sheets molded to produce piezoelectric composite sheet laminates; and cutting the piezoelectric composite sheet laminate into the desired shape and size.

Provided is a polymer-based piezoelectric composite material film which has high conversion efficiency and is capable of reproducing a sound with a sufficient volume. The polymer-based piezoelectric composite material film is a film including a polymer-based piezoelectric composite material which contains piezoelectric particles in a matrix containing a polymer material, and two electrode layers which are laminated on both surfaces of the polymer-based piezoelectric composite material, in which a coefficient of variation of intensity ratio α.sub.1 of (002) plane peak intensity and (200) plane peak intensity derived from the piezoelectric particles=(002) plane peak intensity/((002) plane peak intensity+(200) plane peak intensity) in a case where the polymer-based piezoelectric composite material is evaluated by an X-ray diffraction method is less than 0.3.

A metal stack for templating the growth of AlN and ScAlN films is disclosed. The metal stack comprises one, two, or three layers of metal, each of which is compatible with CMOS post-processing. The metal stack provides a template that promotes the growth of highly textured c-axis {002} AlN and ScAlN films. The metal stacks include one or more metal layers with each metal layer having either a hexagonal {002} orientation or a cubic {111} orientation. If the metal stack includes two or more metal layers, the layers can alternate between hexagonal {002} and cubic {111} orientations. The use of ScAlN results in a higher piezoelectric constant compared to that of AlN for ScAlN alloys up to approximately 44% Sc. The disclosed metal stacks resulted in ScAlN films having XRD FWHM values of less than approximately 1.1° while significantly reducing the formation of secondary grains in the ScAlN films.

There is provided a piezoelectric composite comprising a piezoelectric polymer and particles of a filler dispersed in the polymer, wherein the filler is in micro or nanoparticle form and is present in a filler:polymer weight ratio between about 1:99 and about 95:5. There is also provided an ink and ink cartridge for 3D printing of the piezoelectric composite. There is also provided a piezoelectric 3D printed material comprising the piezoelectric composite and a bifunctional material comprising the piezoelectric composite with one or more conductive electrodes adjacent to the piezoelectric composite. Methods of manufacture and uses thereof are also provided, including methods for 3D printing of a piezoelectric 3D printed material via solvent-cast or FDM 3D printing starting from the piezoelectric composite and/or the ink.

Provided are a polymer composite piezoelectric body in which the conversion efficiency between electricity and sound is increased and thus the sound pressure level is improved, an electroacoustic transduction film, and an electroacoustic transducer. The polymer composite piezoelectric body includes a viscoelastic matrix formed of a polymer material having a cyanoethyl group, piezoelectric body particles which are dispersed in the viscoelastic matrix and have an average particle diameter of more than or equal to 2.5 μm, and dielectric particles dispersed in the viscoelastic matrix, in which the dielectric particles are formed of a material different from that of the piezoelectric body particles and have an average particle diameter of less than or equal to 0.5 μm and a relative permittivity of more than or equal to 80.

A method for producing a composite piezoelectric body includes: forming a composite piezoelectric body by filling a non-conductive polymer between a plurality of piezoelectric materials arranged in an array state at predetermined intervals, and polishing one surface of the composite piezoelectric body, from which surface at least the piezoelectric materials and the polymer are exposed, by using an abrasive film in which an abrasive particle is applied to a base film.