A crystal element includes a vibration part, a holding part, an electrode part, and a recess that corresponds to a recess and/or protrusion. The vibration part has a pair of vibration-part main surfaces. The holding part is formed integrally with the vibration part to be connected to an outer edge of vibration part and has a pair of holding-part main surfaces and holding-part side surfaces. The electrode part is provided at the vibration-part main surfaces. The recess is located at the holding-part side surfaces.

A method is disclosed of fabricating a MEMS device that includes one or more wafers configured as pump or valve. The pump or valve includes an inlet port to receive fluid and an outlet port to release the fluid within the pump or valve. The method comprises growing silicon dioxide on a silicon layer of the one or more wafers to form a silicon dioxide layer on the silicon layer, depositing silicon nitride on the silicon dioxide layer of the one or more wafers to form a silicon nitride layer on the silicon dioxide layer, spinning a front side to create a pattern thereon defining an area for the pump or valve, dry etching the one or more wafers at the area for the pump or valve to remove the silicon dioxide and silicon nitride layers to define an opening for the pump or valve.

An apparatus includes a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor, an injector column that provides a metal organic precursor vapor into the CVD reactor, a heater in thermal communication with the injector column, and a control circuit configured to control the heater and thereby maintain the metal organic precursor vapor in the injector column above a saturation temperature. The control circuit may be configured to control the heater to maintain a temperature of the metal organic precursor vapor in the injector column in a temperature range from about 85 degrees Centigrade to about 200 degrees Centigrade. A temperature of the metal organic precursor vapor entering the injector column may be in a range from about 160 degrees Centigrade to about 200 degrees Centigrade and a pressure of the metal organic precursor vapor entering the injector column may be in a range from about 50 mbar to about 1000 mbar.

An apparatus includes a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor, an injector column that provides a metal organic precursor vapor into the CVD reactor, a heater in thermal communication with the injector column, and a control circuit configured to control the heater and thereby maintain the metal organic precursor vapor in the injector column above a saturation temperature. The control circuit may be configured to control the heater to maintain a temperature of the metal organic precursor vapor in the injector column in a temperature range from about 85 degrees Centigrade to about 200 degrees Centigrade. A temperature of the metal organic precursor vapor entering the injector column may be in a range from about 160 degrees Centigrade to about 200 degrees Centigrade and a pressure of the metal organic precursor vapor entering the injector column may be in a range from about 50 mbar to about 1000 mbar.

An ultrasound probe has an acoustic window (10) or lens (20) through which ultrasound is transmitted and received by a transducer array (30) located behind the lens or window inside a probe enclosure. The external, patient-contacting surface (24) of the acoustic lens or window is textured. The texturing of the surface of the lens or window better retains gel spread over the lens or window for an ultrasound procedure, reduces reverberation artifacts, and diminishes the appearance of scratches on the lens or window.

An ultrasound probe has an acoustic window (10) or lens (20) through which ultrasound is transmitted and received by a transducer array (30) located behind the lens or window inside a probe enclosure. The external, patient-contacting surface (24) of the acoustic lens or window is textured. The texturing of the surface of the lens or window better retains gel spread over the lens or window for an ultrasound procedure, reduces reverberation artifacts, and diminishes the appearance of scratches on the lens or window.

A barium titanate fiber is useful as a filler for a polymer composite piezoelectric body, a polymer composite piezoelectric body has high piezoelectric properties, and a piezoelectric element utilizes the polymer composite piezoelectric body. In the barium titanate fiber, the molar ratio of barium atoms to titanium atoms (Ba/Ti ratio) falls within the range of 1.01 to 1.04. The polymer composite piezoelectric body includes a resin composition containing the barium titanate fiber and a polymer. The piezoelectric element including an electrically conductive layer on one surface or both surfaces of the polymer composite piezoelectric body.

An electronic device and associated methods are disclosed. In one example, the electronic device includes a MEMS die located within a substrate, and below a processor die. In selected examples, the MEMS die includes a resonator. Example methods of forming MEMS resonator devices are also shown.

A method of forming an Al.sub.1-xSc.sub.xN film can include heating a substrate, in a reactor chamber, to a temperature range, providing a precursor comprising Sc to the reactor chamber, providing a dopant comprising Mg, C, and/or Fe to the reactor chamber, and forming an epitaxial Al.sub.1-xSc.sub.xN film on the substrate in the temperature range, the epitaxial Al.sub.1-xSc.sub.xN film including the dopant in a concentration in a range between about 1×10.sup.17/cm.sup.3 and about 2×10.sup.20/cm.sup.3 on the substrate.

A method for forming a MEMS device is provided. The method includes forming a stack of piezoelectric films and metal films on a base layer, wherein the piezoelectric films and the metal films are arranged in an alternating manner. The method also includes forming a first trench in the stack of the piezoelectric films and the metal films. The method further includes forming at least one void at the side wall of the first trench. In addition, the method includes forming a spacer structure in the at least one void. The method further includes forming a contact in the first trench after the formation of the spacer structure.