In an angular velocity sensor, a pair of support parts are separated from each other in an x-axis direction in an orthogonal coordinate system xyz. A main part extends along the x-axis. A pair of extension parts connect two ends of the main part and inner sides of the support parts. The driving arms extend from the main part alongside each other in a y-axis direction separated from each other in the x-axis direction. The detecting arm extends from the main part in the y-axis direction at a position which is between the pair of driving arms. The driving circuit supplies voltages so that the pair of driving arms vibrate so as to bend to inverse sides from each other in the x-axis direction. The detecting circuit detects the signal generated due to bending deformation of the detecting arm in the z-axis direction.

A piezoelectric element that includes a substrate, a lower electrode layer on the substrate, an intermediate layer on the lower electrode layer, and an upper electrode layer on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes a first piezoelectric layer including an aluminum nitride as a main component thereof and located between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer, a first buffer layer including an aluminum nitride as a main component and located between the first piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode layer, a first intermediate electrode layer located between the first buffer layer and the upper electrode layer, and a second piezoelectric layer located between the first intermediate electrode layer and the upper electrode layer.

A piezoelectric device includes a piezoelectric body at least a portion of which can bend and vibrate, an upper electrode on an upper surface of the piezoelectric body and in which distortion of a crystal lattice is reduced as a distance from the upper surface of the piezoelectric body increases, a lower electrode on a lower surface of the piezoelectric body and in which distortion of a crystal lattice is reduced as a distance from the upper surface of the piezoelectric body increases, and a support substrate below the piezoelectric body, in which a recess extending from a lower surface of the support substrate toward the lower surface of the piezoelectric device is provided.

A piezoelectric actuator including an upper piezoelectric bimorph beam having a first upper piezoelectric layer, a second upper piezoelectric layer and at least three upper electrode layers extending between a first end and a second end of the upper piezoelectric bimorph beam; a lower piezoelectric bimorph beam having a first lower piezoelectric layer, a second lower piezoelectric layer and at least three lower electrode layers extending between a first end and a second end of the lower piezoelectric bimorph beam, and wherein the first end of the lower piezoelectric bimorph beam is coupled to the first end of the upper piezoelectric bimorph beam by a first joint, and the second end of the lower piezoelectric bimorph beam is coupled to second end of the upper piezoelectric bimorph beam; and a base member coupled to a center region of the lower piezoelectric bimorph beam.

An improved structure and tactile sensation providing apparatus are provided. A structure is configured to provide a tactile sensation. The structure comprises an abutment configured to abut an actuator that causes the structure to vibrate according to expansion and contraction displacement of a piezoelectric element. The abutment is non-adherent to the actuator.

There is provided a control method for a piezoelectric driving device including a vibrating body including a piezoelectric element for driving and configured to vibrate when a driving signal is applied to the piezoelectric element for driving, a section to be driven that is driven by the vibration of the vibrating body, and a driving-signal generating section configured to generate the driving signal using a pulse signal generated based on a target pulse duty ratio. When the target pulse duty ratio is smaller than a predetermined value, the driving signal generated by the driving-signal generating section is an intermittently generated periodic signal.

A piezoelectric haptic structure includes a thin film, a structural plate and a piezoelectric actuator. The thin film is stacked on the structural plate. The structural plate includes a plate body, a vibrating portion and an elastic portion. The plate body has an inner wall. The inner wall defines a space. The vibrating portion is located in the space and is away from the inner wall. The vibrating portion has an outer wall. The outer wall and the inner wall define a gap therebetween. The elastic portion is elastically connected between the outer wall and the inner wall. The elastic portion seals the gap. The piezoelectric actuator is sandwiched between the thin film and the vibrating portion.

An optical transformer includes a plurality of light emitters, a plurality of photovoltaic cells positioned to receive light from at least a first subset of the plurality of light emitters, the plurality of photovoltaic cells including at least a first photovoltaic cell and a second photovoltaic cell, and one or more optically triggered switches positioned to receive light from at least a second subset of the plurality of light emitters, the one or more optically triggered switches including at least a first optically triggered switch electrically coupled to the first photovoltaic cell and the second photovoltaic cell. A method of operating the optical transformer is also described.

A piezoelectric vibration module has a first soft circuit board and a plurality of piezoelectric units. The first soft circuit board includes a plurality of cutting areas. Two adjacent cutting areas are spaced with a cut through groove. Each piezoelectric unit is respectively configured below each cutting area.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is proposed a capacitive radiofrequency MicroElectroMechanical System or capacitive RF MEMS comprising a metallic membrane suspended above an RF transmission line and resting on ground planes, and exhibiting a lower face, an upper face opposite to the lower face and a first layer comprising a refractory metallic material at least partially covering the upper face of the membrane so as to prevent the heating of the membrane.