A vibration sensor based on piezoelectric thin films, or smart cuts of piezoelectric materials, integrated into a functional, metallic housing that transmits vibration deformations applied to the housing correctly into the sensor in a frequency range that is typicallybut not limited to1 Hz to 20 kHz. The sensor comprises a low-stiffness layer, for instance a PCB layer, providing a controllable contact force between sensor structure machine parts, and transforming the relative movements into a mechanical stress acting onto the piezoelectric layer.

A method for producing a micro-electromechanical oscillatory system. A carrier substrate with a first surface is provided and a first passivation layer is applied onto the first surface. A first polysilicon layer grows on top of the first passivation layer and/or the first surface of the carrier substrate and a second passivation layer is applied onto a second surface of the first polysilicon layer. A second polysilicon layer grows on top of the first polysilicon layer and/or the second passivation layer. A transducer element is applied onto a third surface of the second polysilicon layer. A first trench is produced through the carrier substrate and the first polysilicon layer in the direction of the transducer element. The first trench extends as far as the second passivation layer, such that an oscillatable transducer plate of the micro-electromechanical oscillatory system is produced adjoining the first trench using the second polysilicon layer.

A piezoelectric thin film is formed by adding a donor element to lead zirconate titanate. In the piezoelectric thin film, a molar ratio of lead to a total sum of zirconium and titanium is 105% or higher, and, when positive and negative coercive electric fields in polarization and electric field hysteresis are referred to as Ec (+) and Ec (?), respectively, a value of |Ec (+) |/|Ec (?) | is 0.5 or more and 1.5 or less.

A piezoelectric device includes in a piezoelectric layer, a recessed portion which is provided outside an active portion and opens on the side opposite to a substrate is provided, in a lamination direction of the substrate and a piezoelectric element, a first barrier layer formed of a material other than the zirconium oxide is formed in a region of a vibration plate opposite to the substrate and overlapping a bottom surface of the recessed portion, and the first barrier layer is not formed in a portion of a region overlapping the active portion in the lamination direction.

A piezoelectric element, in which a piezoelectric body, and a vibrating plate having [111]-oriented single crystal silicon as a vibrating material are laminated is provided. In addition, a manufacturing method of a piezoelectric element including: cutting out a vibrating material to be used in the vibrating plate from a [111]-oriented single crystal silicon wafer; and laminating a piezoelectric body and the vibrating plate is provided.

According to an embodiment, a microelectromechanical systems MEMS transducer includes a deflectable membrane attached to a support structure, an acoustic valve structure configured to cause the deflectable membrane to be acoustically transparent in a first mode and acoustically visible in a second mode, and an actuating mechanism coupled to the deflectable membrane. Other embodiments include corresponding systems and apparatus, each configured to perform various embodiment methods.

A tactile feedback device includes a vibrating device and a touch sensor. The vibrating device comprises a flexible diaphragm and a film which deforms in response to the application of electrical energy thereto, the film being attached to the flexible diaphragm at two spaced locations with a major surface of the film facing a major surface of the flexible diaphragm. The vibrating device further includes a spacer located between the two spaced locations and ensuring that the major surface of the flexible diaphragm is spaced from the major surface of the film. The touch sensor is coupled to the diaphragm and generates an output signal in response to a touch operation. Means are provided to apply electrical energy to the film in response to the output signal.

An integrated circuit film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) device having multiple resonator thicknesses is formed on a common substrate in a stacked configuration. In an embodiment, a seed layer is deposited on a substrate, and one or more multi-layer stacks are deposited on the seed layer, each multi-layer stack having a first metal layer deposited on a first sacrificial layer, and a second metal layer deposited on a second sacrificial layer. The second sacrificial layer can be removed and the resulting space is filled in with a piezoelectric material, and the first sacrificial layer can be removed to release the piezoelectric material from the substrate and suspend the piezoelectric material above the substrate. More than one multi-layer stack can be added, each having a unique resonant frequency. Thus, multiple resonator thicknesses can be achieved on a common substrate, and hence, multiple resonant frequencies on that same substrate.

A strain sensor unit and a skin sensor module comprising the same are provided. The strain sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a substrate having a through-hole, and including a first electrode and a second electrode formed at one side and the other side of the through-hole on one surface of the substrate, a piezoelectric device drawn from the first electrode and extending inward the through-hole, and a piezoresistor drawn from the second electrode and extending inward the through-hole, wherein the piezoresistor overlaps with a whole or part of the piezoelectric device.

Methods for making metastable lead-free piezoelectric materials are presented herein.