Abstract: A transducer assembly operable to transmit ultrasonic energy in a desired direction towards a zone adapted to be acoustically coupled to an object or area of interest is disclosed which has a transducer layer, a backing material disposed behind the transducer layer with respect to the desired direction, and a back-matching layer disposed between the transducer layer and the backing material to reflect towards the transducer layer part of the ultrasonic energy directed from the transducer layer to the backing material. The backing layer has an acoustic impedance higher than the acoustic impedance of the back-matching layer. The back-matching material has an impedance less than the impedance of the transducer layer and the transducer layer has a thickness greater than a ¼ of the wavelength of the ultrasound waves the assembly is configured to generate. A process for manufacturing a transducer assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sound vibration sensor using a piezoelectric element having a cantilever structure. The sound vibration sensor includes a housing forming an exterior, a piezoelectric element having a cantilever structure installed in the housing, a support structure supporting a fixed end of the piezoelectric element, a weight attached to a free end of the piezoelectric element, and an energizing part configured to transmit an output from the piezoelectric element, wherein the sound vibration sensor comes into contact with a speaker's body, receives vibration of the body generated when the speaker utters a sound through the housing, and amplifies the vibration by the free end of the piezoelectric element to detect the voice vibration of the speaker using a piezoelectric characteristic of the piezoelectric element.

Abstract: The present embodiment relates to a terminal assembly comprising: a power supply terminal module, which comprises a power supply terminal and a support part, the power supply terminal including a body part and an insertion part bent and extended from an end of the body part and the support part being coupled to the power supply terminal so as for the body part to penetrate therethrough; and a bus bar terminal module, which comprises a bus bar guide groove, in which the insertion part is inserted, and a bus bar terminal, which is placed in the bus bar guide groove and is in contact with the insertion part.

Abstract: An electroactive device may include (1) an electroactive polymer element having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the electroactive polymer element comprising a nanovoided polymer material, (2) a primary electrode abutting the first surface of the electroactive polymer element, and (3) a secondary electrode abutting the second surface of the electroactive polymer element. The electroactive polymer element may be deformable from an initial state to a deformed state by application of an electrostatic field produced by a potential difference between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode. Various other devices, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting ultrasonic waves, the apparatus including a microchip (300) for driving a resonant circuit and a resonant circuit which is at least one of an inductance (L) capacitance (C) circuit (LC tank), an antenna and a piezoelectric transducer. The microchip (300) is a single unit which includes a plurality of interconnected embedded components and subsystems including at least an oscillator (315), a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generator subsystem (329), an analogue to digital converter (ADC) subsystem (318) and a digital to analogue converter (DAC) subsystem (327).

Abstract: A microchip (300) for driving a resonant circuit, wherein the resonant circuit is an inductance (L) capacitance (C) circuit (LC tank), an antenna or a piezoelectric transducer, and wherein the microchip (300) is a single unit which includes a plurality of interconnected embedded components and subsystems including at least an oscillator (315), a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generator subsystem (329), an analogue to digital converter (ADC) subsystem (318) and a digital to analogue converter (DAC) subsystem (327).

Abstract: A production method for a surface acoustic wave device comprises the following steps: a step of providing a piezoelectric substrate comprising a transducer arranged on the main front face; a step of depositing a dielectric encapsulation layer on the main front face of the piezoelectric substrate and on the transducer; and a step of assembling the dielectric encapsulation layer with the main front face of a support substrate having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of the piezoelectric substrate. In additional embodiments, a surface acoustic wave device comprises a layer of piezoelectric material equipped with a transducer on a main front face, arranged on a substrate support of which the coefficient of thermal expansion is less than that of the piezoelectric material. The transducer is arranged in a dielectric encapsulation layer, between the layer of piezoelectric material and the support substrate.

Abstract: An acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate made of LiNbO3 or LiTaO3 and including first and second main surfaces that face each other, a functional electrode provided on the first main surface of the piezoelectric substrate to excite acoustic waves, and a Li2CO3 layer provided on the second main surface of the piezoelectric substrate.

Abstract: In a non-limiting embodiment, a device may include a substrate, and a hybrid active structure disposed over the substrate. The hybrid active structure may include an anchor region and a free region. The hybrid active structure may be connected to the substrate at least at the anchor region. The anchor region may include at least a segment of a piezoelectric stack portion. The piezoelectric stack portion may include a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer over the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer over the piezoelectric layer. The free region may include at least a segment of a mechanical portion. The piezoelectric stack portion may overlap the mechanical portion at edges of the piezoelectric stack portion.

Abstract: A piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (PMUT) device may include a plurality of layers including a structural layer, a piezoelectric layer, and electrode layers located on opposite sides of the piezoelectric layer. Conductive barrier layers may be located between the piezoelectric layer and the electrodes to the prevent diffusion of the piezoelectric layer into the electrode layers.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer in which a plurality of pMUT cells are arranged. The pMUT cells have a plurality of resonance frequencies. Each of the pMUT cells includes a piezoelectric film that is polarized in a first direction that is a thickness direction or a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A wafer level ultrasonic chip module includes a substrate, a composite layer, a conducting material, and a base material. The substrate has a through slot that passes through an upper surface of the substrate and a lower surface of the substrate. The composite layer includes an ultrasonic body and a protective layer. A lower surface of the ultrasonic body is exposed from the through slot. The protective layer covers the ultrasonic body and a partial upper surface of the substrate. The protective layer has an opening, from which a partial upper surface of the ultrasonic body is exposed. The conducting material is in contact with the upper surface of the ultrasonic body. The base material covers the through slot, such that a space is formed among the through slot, the lower surface of the ultrasonic body and an upper surface of the base material.

Abstract: An energy converting device includes a base, which is fixed; a methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3) material having a first end fixedly attached to the base and a second end free to move; and an actuator block attached to the second end of the MAPbBr3 material. The actuator block moves relative to the base when the MAPbBr3 material is exposed to light.

Abstract: An actuator device includes at least one actuator element, which consists at least partially of a magnetically shape-shiftable material and which is configured at least for the purpose of causing a movement of at least one actuation element in at least one direction of movement by means of a contraction, and having a magnetic contraction unit, which is configured for the purpose of supplying a magnetic field acting upon the actuator element in order to generate a contraction of the actuator element. In the region of the actuator element, field lines of the magnetic field are aligned at least substantially parallel to the direction of movement.

Abstract: A method of manufacture and resulting structure for a single crystal electronic device with an enhanced strain interface region. The method of manufacture can include forming a nucleation layer overlying a substrate and forming a first and second single crystal layer overlying the nucleation layer. This first and second layers can be doped by introducing one or more impurity species to form a strained single crystal layers. The first and second strained layers can be aligned along the same crystallographic direction to form a strained single crystal bi-layer having an enhanced strain interface region. Using this enhanced single crystal bi-layer to form active or passive devices results in improved physical characteristics, such as enhanced photon velocity or improved density charges.

Abstract: A very small piezoelectric sensor capable of being mass produced includes a core, a piezoelectric layer on a surface of the core; and a conductive layer on a surface of the piezoelectric layer away from the core. The core is flexible and threadlike, the core is a first electrode of the piezoelectric sensor, and the conductive layer is a second electrode of the piezoelectric sensor. An array of such sensors allows the “skin” of a robot for example to simulate the sensitivity of hair-covered human skin. A method for making the piezoelectric sensor and an electronic device using the piezoelectric sensor are also disclosed.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric layer having a perovskite structure including lead, zirconium, and titanium, and an electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer is provided. In the piezoelectric layer, in a range of 50 nm or smaller from an interface between the piezoelectric layer and the electrode in a thickness direction, a ratio c/a of a lattice spacing a in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and a lattice spacing c in the thickness direction satisfies 0.986?c/a?1.014.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film includes a substrate having flexibility, and at least two piezoelectric elements provided to the substrate so as to be arranged at intervals of a first dimension along a first direction, the piezoelectric elements are each configured by stacking a first electrode film, a piezoelectric film made of an inorganic material, and a second electrode film along a thickness direction of the substrate, and an area between the piezoelectric elements adjacent to each other along the first direction forms a vibrational region which can be displaced in the thickness direction.

Abstract: A system may include a magnetic shape memory (MSM) element having a long axis that extends from a first end of the MSM element to a second end of the MSM element. The system may further include a first solenoid, where a longitudinal axis of the first solenoid is positioned at a first angle relative to the long axis of the MSM element. The system may also include a second solenoid, where a longitudinal axis of the second solenoid is positioned at a second angle relative to the long axis of the MSM element and at a third angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first solenoid, where the longitudinal axis of the first solenoid and the longitudinal axis of the second solenoid are not parallel.