Abstract: An actuator includes: a substrate; a fixed electrode provided on a major surface of the substrate; a first dielectric film provided on the fixed electrode, and made of crystalline material; a movable beam opposed to the major surface, and held above the substrate with a gap thereto; a movable electrode; and a second dielectric film. The movable electrode is provided on a surface of the movable beam facing the fixed electrode, and has an alternate voltage applied between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode. The second dielectric film is provided on a surface of the movable beam facing the fixed electrode, and is made of crystalline material.

Abstract: An infrared-detecting element includes: a substrate; a laminated body; an anchor coupling a part of the laminated body with the substrate and supporting the laminated body with a gap above the substrate; and an amplifier provided on the substrate and connected to at least one of the lower electrode and the upper electrode. The laminated body has a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and a piezoelectric film made of aluminum nitride which is provided between the lower electrode and the upper electrode and in which a c-axis is oriented almost perpendicularly to a film plane. The amplifier has a circuit performing conversion into voltage according to a charge generated in the laminated body.

Abstract: An actuator includes a first beam, a first fixed part, a second beam, a first connective part, and a first fixed electrode. The first beam extends from a first fixed end to a first connective end, and the first fixed part connects the first fixed end and the substrate and supports the first beam above a main surface of the substrate with a gap. The second beam extends from a second connective end to a first action end and is provided in parallel to the first beam, and has a first division part divided by a first slit extending from the first action end toward the second connective end. The first connective part connects the first connective end and the second connective end and holds the second beam above the main surface of the substrate with a gap. The first fixed electrode is provided on the main surface of the substrate being configured to be opposed to a part of the first division part on a side of the first action end.

Abstract: A micro-mechanical device includes a first piezoelectric actuator including a piezoelectric film, and lower and upper electrodes interleaving the piezoelectric film, and extending from a first fixing part on a substrate to a first operating end, and a second piezoelectric actuator connected to the first piezoelectric actuator via a connecting part at the first operating end of the first piezoelectric actuator, and extending from the connecting part to a second operating end, the second piezoelectric actuator being shorter than the first piezoelectric actuator.

Abstract: A thin-film piezoelectric resonator has a piezoelectric film which is formed via a space on a substrate and is supported on the substrate at least one location, an upper electrode which has a plurality of electrode layers and a connection part connecting the electrode layers to each other, each of the electrode layers being formed on the piezoelectric film, having the same width and being arranged at the same interval as the width, a lower electrode formed under the piezoelectric film, a first pad which is formed on the substrate and is electrically connected to the upper electrode, and a second pad which is formed on the substrate and is electrically connected to the lower electrode.

Abstract: An actuator includes a substrate, a fixed electrode provided on a major surface of the substrate, a movable beam opposed to the major surface and held above the substrate with a gap thereto, and a dielectric film provided between the fixed electrode and the movable beam. The dielectric film is made of aluminum nitride oriented along c-axis with an orientation full width at half maximum of 4.6 degrees or less.

Abstract: A MEMS apparatus includes a MEMS unit formed on a semiconductor substrate and a cover provided with a pore and serving to seal the MEMS unit. The pore is sealed with a sealing material shaped in a sphere or a hemisphere.

Abstract: A piezoelectric driven MEMS apparatus includes: a substrate; a support part provided on the substrate; a fixed electrode provided on the substrate; and an actuator having a first electrode film, a piezoelectric film formed on the first electrode film, and a second electrode film formed on the piezoelectric film, a first end of the actuator being supported by the support part, a second end of the actuator being disposed so as to be opposed to the fixed electrode. The second end of the actuator is divided into a plurality of electrode parts by a plurality of slits which pass through the first electrode film, the piezoelectric film and the second electrode film, at least a part of each electrode part is linked to parts of adjacent electrode parts, and each electrode part is capable of generating bending deformation individually.

Abstract: In a MEMS type variable capacity having a piezoelectric driving mechanism, a movable head having movable electrodes are arranged thereon, stationary electrodes is positioned to face the movable electrodes, and a piezoelectric driving beam structure is joined to the movable head and have one end fixed to the substrate. The movable electrode and the stationary electrode form a variable capacity. In the variable capacity, the distance and capacitance between the movable electrode and the stationary electrode of the variable capacity can be maintained constant so as to realize a reproducibility and a reliable controllability.

Abstract: It makes possible to inject a current into the current confinement region substantially uniformly. A surface emitting type optical semiconductor device includes a semiconductor active layer provided above a substrate; a first and second reflecting mirror layers sandwiching the semiconductor active layer to form an optical cavity in a direction perpendicular to the substrate; a plurality of current confinement regions provided in the second reflecting mirror layer so as to be separated by an impurity region having impurities; a semiconductor current diffusion layer provided on the second reflecting mirror layer so as to cover the current confinement regions; and an electrode portion which injects a current into the semiconductor active layer. The electrode portion comprising a first electrode provided on the semiconductor current diffusion layer so as to surround the current confinement regions and a second electrode provided on an opposite side of the substrate from the semiconductor active layer.

Abstract: A film bulk acoustic-wave resonator encompasses a substrate having a cavity; a bottom electrode partially fixed to the substrate, part of the bottom electrode is mechanically suspended above the cavity; a piezoelectric layer provided on the bottom electrode; and a top electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer having crystal axes oriented along a thickness direction of the piezoelectric layer, a full width at half maximum of the distribution of the orientations of the crystal axes is smaller than or equal to about six degrees.

Abstract: A thin film piezoelectric actuator comprises a driving part at least one end of which is supported by an anchor portion. The driving part includes: a piezoelectric film, a first lower electrode provided under a first region of the piezoelectric film, a second lower electrode provided under a second region different from the first region of the piezoelectric film, a first upper electrode provided opposite to the first lower electrode on the piezoelectric film, a second upper electrode provided opposite to the second lower electrode on the piezoelectric film, a first connection part that electrically connects the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode via a first via hole formed in the piezoelectric film, and a second connection part that electrically connects the second lower electrode and the first upper electrode via a second via hole formed in the piezoelectric film.

Abstract: A piezoelectric-driven MEMS device can be fabricated reliably and consistently. The piezoelectric-driven MEMS device includes: a movable flat beam having a piezoelectric film disposed above a substrate with a recessed portion such that the piezoelectric film is bridged over the recessed portion, piezoelectric drive mechanisms disposed at both ends of the piezoelectric film and configured to drive the piezoelectric film, and a first electrode disposed at the center of the substrate-side of the piezoelectric film, and a second electrode disposed on a flat part of the recessed portion of the substrate and facing the first electrode of the movable flat beam.

Abstract: A phase demodulator has a high frequency amplifier which amplifies a received signal modulated by phase, a voltage control oscillator which conducts oscillation operation in tune with the received signal amplified by the high frequency amplifier, a phase comparator which detects a phase difference between an output signal of the voltage control oscillator and a reference oscillation signal, and a demodulator which conducts demodulation process based on the phase difference.

Abstract: A receiver has a first voltage control oscillator configured to generate a first oscillation signal, a second voltage control oscillator configured to generate a second oscillation signal having a first phase, a first phase comparator configured to detect a phase difference between the first and second oscillation signals, a demodulator configured to perform demodulation processing of the received signal and to generate timing information of a second phase included in the first oscillation signal, a second phase comparator configured to detect the phase difference between the first and second oscillation signals, and a first control voltage generator configured to generate a first control voltage for controlling a phase and a frequency of the second voltage control oscillator based on the phase difference detected by the second phase comparator.

Abstract: A variable inductor element has a substrate, a first inductor element which is fixedly arranged on the substrate, a second inductor element which is supported by the substrate, is magnetically coupled with the first inductor element and variably control a mutual conductance with the first inductor element, and at least one piezoelectric actuator pair which torsionally drives the second inductor element.

Abstract: It is made possible to provide a MEMS device that has a low operation voltage, a large contact pressure force, and a large separation force. A MEMS device includes: a substrate; a supporting unit that is provided on the substrate; a fixed electrode that is provided on the substrate; an actuator that includes a first electrode, a first piezoelectric film formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the first piezoelectric film, one end of the actuator being fixed onto the substrate with the supporting unit, the actuator extending in a direction connecting the supporting unit and the fixed electrode, the first electrode being located to face the fixed electrode; and a stopper unit that is located above a straight line connecting the supporting unit and the fixed electrode, and is located on the substrate so as to face the first electrode.

Abstract: It makes possible to inject a current into the current confinement region substantially uniformly. A surface emitting type optical semiconductor device includes a semiconductor active layer provided above a substrate; a first and second reflecting mirror layers sandwiching the semiconductor active layer to form an optical cavity in a direction perpendicular to the substrate; a plurality of current confinement regions provided in the second reflecting mirror layer so as to be separated by an impurity region having impurities; a semiconductor current diffusion layer provided on the second reflecting mirror layer so as to cover the current confinement regions; and an electrode portion which injects a current into the semiconductor active layer. The electrode portion comprising a first electrode provided on the semiconductor current diffusion layer so as to surround the current confinement regions and a second electrode provided on an opposite side of the substrate from the semiconductor active layer.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film device includes an amorphous metal film disposed on a substrate and a piezoelectric film disposed on the amorphous metal. One of crystal axis of the piezoelectric film is aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the amorphous metal.

Abstract: A piezoelectric-driven MEMS device can be fabricated reliably and consistently. The piezoelectric-driven MEMS device includes: a movable flat beam having a piezoelectric film disposed above a substrate with a recessed portion such that the piezoelectric film is bridged over the recessed portion, piezoelectric drive mechanisms disposed at both ends of the piezoelectric film and configured to drive the piezoelectric film, and a first electrode disposed at the center of the substrate-side of the piezoelectric film, and a second electrode disposed on a flat part of the recessed portion of the substrate and facing the first electrode of the movable flat beam.