Abstract: A stacked piezoelectric device 1 including a ceramic laminate formed by laminating piezoelectric ceramic layers and inner electrode layers alternately and a pair of side electrodes. The inner electrode layers 13 and 14 have inner electrode portions 131 and 141 and the recessed portions 132 and 142. The ceramic laminate 15 has the stress absorbing portions 11 and 12. A recessed distance of one of two of the recessed portions 132 and 142 which interleave the stress absorbing portions 11 and 12 therebetween which is located on the same side surface as the stress absorbing portion 11 or 12 is greater than the depth of the stress absorbing portion 11 and 12.

Abstract: A stacked piezoelectric device 1 includes a ceramic laminate 15 formed by laminating a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic layers 11 and a plurality of inner electrode layers 13 and 14 alternately and a pair of side electrodes 17 and 18 formed on side surfaces thereof. The inner electrode layers 13 and 14 are connected electrically to either of the side electrodes. The ceramic laminate 15 has absorbing portions 12 formed in slit-like areas recessed inwardly from the side surfaces thereof. The stress absorbing portions are easier to deform than the piezoelectric ceramic layers 11. Adjacent two of the inner electrode layers 13 and 14 interleaving the stress absorbing portion 12 therebetween are both connected electrically to the positive side electrode 17.

Abstract: A stacked piezoelectric device 1 including a ceramic laminate formed by laminating piezoelectric ceramic layers and inner electrode layers alternately and a pair of side electrodes. The inner electrode layers 13 and 14 have inner electrode portions 131 and 141 and the recessed portions 132 and 142. The ceramic laminate 15 has the stress absorbing portions 11 and 12. A recessed distance of one of two of the recessed portions 132 and 142 which interleave the stress absorbing portions 11 and 12 therebetween which is located on the same side surface as the stress absorbing portion 11 or 12 is greater than the depth of the stress absorbing portion 11 and 12.

Abstract: A method of producing a laminate-type piezoelectric element, wherein a ceramic laminated body therein is formed through an intermediate laminated body-forming step of forming an intermediate laminated body 100 by alternately laminating green sheets 110 that serve as the piezoelectric layers and the inner electrode layers 20, and a calcining step of forming the ceramic laminated body by calcining the intermediate laminated body 100. In the intermediate laminated body-forming step, an overlapped portion 108 and a non-overlapped portion 109 are formed in the intermediate laminated body 100, and voids 40 are formed, in advance, in at least part of the portion that becomes the non-overlapped portion 109. In the calcining step, relaxing layers including the voids 40 are formed.

Abstract: A laminate-type piezoelectric element has a ceramic laminated body obtained by alternately laminating piezoelectric layers made of a piezoelectric material and inner electrode layers having electrical conductivity. Outer electrodes are joined to side surfaces of the ceramic laminated body via an electrically conductive adhesive. The electrically conductive adhesive has buried therein mesh bodies obtained by forming a mesh by using a nonmetallic material. The mesh bodies are desirably constituted by using any one of a resin, ceramic, carbon or glass.

Abstract: A stacked-type piezoelectric device comprising a ceramic stacked body constituted by alternately stacking ceramic layers and internal electrode layers one upon another, and a pair of external electrodes bonded respectively to a pair of bond surfaces formed on an outer peripheral surface of the ceramic stacked body, in which the ceramic stacked body has, at least partially in a peripheral direction, a groove portion recessed in a groove shape from its outer peripheral surface in such a fashion as to be adjacent to a stacking surface of each internal electrode layer, and a production method thereof.

Abstract: A hollow laminated piezoelectric element having excellent durability and reliability and capable of obtaining a high output, and a method of manufacturing the hollow laminated piezoelectric element are provided. A hollow laminated piezoelectric element 1 comprises a ceramic laminate 10 that is formed by having alternately laminated piezoelectric layers 11 made of a piezoelectric material and internal electrode layers 21 and 22 having conductivity and by having a center through hole 14 formed to pass through the ceramic laminate 10 along a lamination direction. The ceramic laminate 10 has an internally terminated structure in the inside periphery having at least a portion of inside peripheral ends of the internal electrode layers 21 and 22 terminated within the ceramic laminate 10 so that at least a portion of the inside peripheral ends of the internal electrode layers 21 and 22 is not exposed to the inside peripheral surface 104 of the ceramic laminate 10.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lamination-type piezoelectric element includes forming a ceramic laminated body in which ceramic layers and inner electrode layers are alternately laminated on each other. A pair of outer electrodes are respectively joined to a pair of joining faces formed on an outer circumferential face of the ceramic laminated body. A belt-shaped outer circumferential groove portion coming into contact with an outer circumferential end portion of at least some part of the inner electrode layers is formed on the outer circumferential face of the ceramic laminated body. This outer circumferential groove portion has at least one dent portion protruding from the adjoining portion. The outer circumferential groove portion has at least one of an insulating portion made of insulating material and a conductive portion made of conductive material.

Abstract: The invention provides a laminate-type piezoelectric element comprising a ceramic laminate 10 with ceramic layers 11 and internal electrode layers 12 respectively stacked alternately, and a pair of external electrodes respectively connecting with a pair of connecting areas 15 formed at an outer peripheral area of the ceramic laminate 10. The internal electrode layer comprises an internal electrode part 120 with electric conductivity, and a non-pole part 120 where the internal electrode part 120 does not exist at the inside near an outer peripheral area. The ceramic laminate 10 comprises stress relaxation parts 13 able to modify more easily their shapes than the ceramic layers 11, along at least a part of said internal electrode layers. This stress relaxation part 13 is placed so as to overlap with the non-pole part 129 of either of the internal electrode layers 12, in a stacking direction of the ceramic laminate 10.

Abstract: This invention provides a stacked piezoelectric element that has excellent durability and reliability by ensuring reliable electrical conduction between internal electrode layer and conductive adhesive, and a method of fabricating such a stacked piezoelectric element, wherein the stacked piezoelectric element 1 comprises: a ceramic stack 10 constructed by alternately stacking piezoelectric layers 11 made of a piezoelectric material and internal electrode layers 21, 22 having electrical conductivity; and external electrodes 32 bonded to the side faces 101 and 102 of the ceramic stack 10 via an electrically conductive adhesive 31.

Abstract: This invention provides a laminated piezoelectric element that suppresses the peeling off of an electrically conductive adhesive and has excellent durability and high reliability, and a method of manufacturing the laminated piezoelectric element. A laminated piezoelectric element 1 has a ceramic laminate 10 formed by alternately laminating a piezoelectric layer 11 of a piezoelectric material and inner electrode layers 21 and 22 having electrical conductivity, and by having protection layers 12 of ceramics formed at both ends of the ceramic laminate 10 in a lamination direction, and that has an external electrode 34 connected to side surfaces 101 and 102 of the ceramic laminate 10 via an electrically conductive adhesive 33. One or more trenches 13 recessed inward are formed on side surfaces 121 and 122 of at least one of the protection layers 12 at both ends, and the electrically conductive adhesive 33 is filled in at least a part of the trenches 13.

Abstract: A laminate-type piezoelectric element 1 having a ceramic laminated body 10 obtained by alternately laminating piezoelectric layers 11 made of a piezoelectric material and inner electrode layers 20 having electrical conductivity, and having outer electrodes 34 joined to the side surfaces 101 and 102 of the ceramic laminated body 10 via an electrically conductive adhesive 33, wherein the electrically conductive adhesive 33 has buried therein mesh bodies 4 obtained by forming a mesh by using a nonmetallic material. The mesh bodies 4 are desirably constituted by using any one of a resin, ceramic, carbon or glass.

Abstract: A method of producing a laminate-type piezoelectric element, wherein a ceramic laminated body therein is formed through an intermediate laminated body-forming step of forming an intermediate laminated body 100 by alternately laminating green sheets 110 that serve as the piezoelectric layers and the inner electrode layers 20, and a calcining step of forming the ceramic laminated body by calcining the intermediate laminated body 100. In the intermediate laminated body-forming step, an overlapped portion 108 and a non-overlapped portion 109 are formed in the intermediate laminated body 100, and voids 40 are formed, in advance, in at least part of the portion that becomes the non-overlapped portion 109. In the calcining step, relaxing layers including the voids 40 are formed.

Abstract: A stacked piezoelectric element is produced by alternately stacking a piezoelectric layer and an inner electrode layer. The method includes producing a green sheet 110 for a base, forming a unit body 3 having a narrow stacked part 30 where a narrow piezoelectric material layer 115 having an area smaller than the green sheet 110 for base and an electrode material layer 20 having an area smaller than the green sheet 110 for base are stacked, the unit body being formed by disposing the narrow stacked part 30 on the green sheet 110 for base; forming a stacked body having groove parts by stacking a plurality of the unit bodies 3, the groove part having the bottom being defined by the side face of the narrow stacked part 30; and firing the stacked body.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a stacked piezoelectric element with excellent reliability and durability, a production method thereof and an electrically conducting adhesive. A stacked piezoelectric element comprising a ceramic stack obtained by alternately stacking a piezoelectric layer comprising a piezoelectric material and an internal electrode layer having electrical conductivity, and an electrically conducting adhesive layer provided to allow for electrical conduction to said internal electrode layer of the same polarity on the side surface of said ceramic stack, wherein said electrically conducting adhesive layer comprises a base resin having dispersed therein an electrically conducting filler and microparticles, and the boundary between said microparticle and said base resin is in a state that a void is formed at least in a part between those two members or in a state that when said base resin is elongated, a void can be formed between those two members.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a crystal-oriented ceramic comprising a sheet-making step, a crystallization-promoting layer-forming step and a calcining step is provided. At the sheet-making step, a green sheet 1 is made. At the crystallization-promoting layer-forming step, a crystallization-promoting layer 15 containing crystallization-promoting material particles 151 is formed so as to contact the green sheet 1. At the calcining step, the green sheet is calcined. A method for manufacturing a ceramic laminate comprising a laminate-making step and a calcining step is provided. At the laminate-making step, a laminate is made, where green sheets and electrode-printed layers are stacked. The crystallization-promoting layer, containing the crystallization-promoting material particles, which allow crystal grains in a polycrystalline substance to grow during calcining, is formed so as to contact the green sheet. At the calcining step, the laminate is calcined.

Abstract: This invention provides a stacked piezoelectric element that has excellent durability and reliability by ensuring reliable electrical conduction between internal electrode layer and conductive adhesive, and a method of fabricating such a stacked piezoelectric element. The stacked piezoelectric element 1 comprises: a ceramic stack 10 constructed by alternately stacking piezoelectric layers 11 made of a piezoelectric material and internal electrode layers 21, 22 having electrical conductivity; and external electrodes 32 bonded to the side faces 101 and 102 of the ceramic stack 10 via an electrically conductive adhesive 31.

Abstract: This invention provides a laminated piezoelectric element that suppresses the peeling off of an electrically conductive adhesive and has excellent durability and high reliability, and a method of manufacturing the laminated piezoelectric element. A laminated piezoelectric element 1 has a ceramic laminate 10 formed by alternately laminating a piezoelectric layer 11 of a piezoelectric material and inner electrode layers 21 and 22 having electrical conductivity, and by having protection layers 12 of ceramics formed at both ends of the ceramic laminate 10 in a lamination direction, and that has an external electrode 34 connected to side surfaces 101 and 102 of the ceramic laminate 10 via an electrically conductive adhesive 33. One or more trenches 13 recessed inward are formed on side surfaces 121 and 122 of at least one of the protection layers 12 at both ends, and the electrically conductive adhesive 33 is filled in at least a part of the trenches 13.

Abstract: A hollow laminated piezoelectric element having excellent durability and reliability and capable of obtaining a high output, and a method of manufacturing the hollow laminated piezoelectric element are provided. A hollow laminated piezoelectric element 1 comprises a ceramic laminate 10 that is formed by having alternately laminated piezoelectric layers 11 made of a piezoelectric material and internal electrode layers 21 and 22 having conductivity and by having a center through hole 14 formed to pass through the ceramic laminate 10 along a lamination direction. The ceramic laminate 10 has an internally terminated structure in the inside periphery having at least a portion of inside peripheral ends of the internal electrode layers 21 and 22 terminated within the ceramic laminate 10 so that at least a portion of the inside peripheral ends of the internal electrode layers 21 and 22 is not exposed to the inside peripheral surface 104 of the ceramic laminate 10.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lamination-type piezoelectric element includes forming a ceramic laminated body in which ceramic layers and inner electrode layers are alternately laminated on each other. A pair of outer electrodes are respectively joined to a pair of joining faces formed on an outer circumferential face of the ceramic laminated body. A belt-shaped outer circumferential groove portion coming into contact with an outer circumferential end portion of at least some part of the inner electrode layers is formed on the outer circumferential face of the ceramic laminated body. This outer circumferential groove portion has at least one dent portion protruding from the adjoining portion. The outer circumferential groove portion has at least one of an insulating portion made of insulating material and a conductive portion made of conductive material.