Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes: a base substrate; a lower electrode formed above the base substrate; a piezoelectric layer that is formed above the lower electrode, and formed from a perovskite type oxide; and an upper electrode formed above the piezoelectric layer, wherein the piezoelectric layer is oriented to (100) crystal orientation in the pseudo-cubic crystal expression, and a crystal of the perovskite type oxide in a direction parallel to a lower surface of the piezoelectric layer has a lattice constant greater than a lattice constant of the crystal of the perovskite type oxide in a direction orthogonal to the lower surface of the piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device, including the following on a substrate in the order listed below: a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film which contains a Pb containing perovskite oxide represented by a general expression (P) below, and an upper electrode, in which the piezoelectric film has a layer of pyrochlore oxide on the surface facing the lower electrode, and the average layer thickness of the pyrochlore oxide layer is not greater than 20 nm. AaBbO3??(P) where, A: at least one type of A-site element containing Pb as a major component, B: at least one type of B-site element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Sc, Co, Cu, In, Sn, Ga, Zn, Cd, Fe, and Ni, and O: an oxygen element.

Abstract: An acoustic resonator comprises a first electrode, a second electrode and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and comprising a C-axis having an orientation. A polarization-determining seed layer (PDSL) is disposed beneath the piezoelectric layer, the seed layer comprising a metal-nonmetal compound. A method of fabricating a piezoelectric layer over a substrate comprises forming a first layer of a polarization determining seed layer (PDSL) over the substrate. The method further comprises forming a second layer of the PDSL over the first layer. The method further comprises forming a first layer of a piezoelectric material over the second layer of the PDSL; and forming a second layer of the piezoelectric material over the first layer of the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material comprises a compression axis (C-axis) oriented along a first direction.

Abstract: An acoustic wave resonator device comprising a resonant layer that comprises a series of side-by-side areas of first and second dielectric materials. In one embodiment the first dielectric material is a piezoelectric, in particular the first dielectric material can be a piezoelectric and the second dielectric material can be non-piezoelectric. In another embodiment, the first dielectric material is a piezoelectric of first polarity and the second dielectric material is a piezoelectric of opposite polarity or different polarity. Where needed, the resonant layer is supported on a reflector composed of series of layers of high acoustic impedance material(s) alternating with layers of low acoustic impedance material(s). For example, the reflector comprises AlN, Al2O3, Ta2O5, HfO2 or W as high impedance material and SiO2 as low impedance material.

Abstract: A quartz crystal unit comprises a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator capable of vibrating in a flexural mode of an inverse phase and having at least one groove having at least one stepped portion formed in at least one of opposite main surfaces of each of first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines. An electrode is disposed on the at least one stepped portion of the at least one groove so that the electrode of the first quartz crystal tuning fork tine has an electrical polarity opposite to an electrical polarity of the electrode of the second quartz crystal tuning fork tine. The quartz crystal unit comprising the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator has a capacitance ratio r1 of a fundamental mode of vibration less than a capacitance ratio r2 of a second overtone mode of vibration.

Abstract: A plurality of application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips with different functions is provided. Each of the ASICs performs one or more functions along an ultrasound data path. The chips include communications protocols or processes for allowing scaling. For example, ASICs for backend processing include data exchange ports for communicating between other ASICs of the same type. As another example, receive beamformer ASICs cascade for beamformation. By providing ASICs implementing many or most of the ultrasound data path functions, with scalability, the same ASICs may be used for different system designs. A family of systems from high end to low-end using the same types of ASICs, but in different configurations, is provided.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element has a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode. The first electrode is preferentially oriented along the (111) plane in the direction parallel to the film surface and, in the direction perpendicular to the film surface, the sum of the (111) and (200) planes relative to the sum of the (111), (200), and (220) planes is 20% or less in terms of the abundance ratio.

Abstract: The piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is represented by a composition formula ABO3 (A includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Li, Na and K, and B includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, Sb and Mn), and the body is formed so that a main phase is a tetragonal system, and the orientation degree of a (001) face after a polarization treatment is smaller than that of a (100) face, in a plane vertical to the applying direction of an electric field applied so as to perform the polarization treatment. The present inventive piezoelectric/electrostrictive body has a ratio between a diffraction peak intensity I001 of the (001) face and a diffraction peak intensity I100 of the (100) face of I001/I100?1, in an X-ray diffraction pattern in the same plane after the polarization treatment.

Abstract: Making a transducer having a plastic matching layer which includes providing a transducer housing having a proximal end and a distal end, and bonding a plastic to the distal end of the transducer housing (the plastic fluidly sealing and occluding the distal end). The bonding further includes inserting a cylinder comprising a mold-release chemical into the transducer housing, bonding plastic onto the distal end of the transducer housing, and removing the cylinder when the plastic has hardened.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film formed above a Si substrate. The piezoelectric film is formed of a potassium sodium niobate expressed by a general formula (K,Na)NbO3 with perovskite structure. A film thickness of the piezoelectric film is within a range from 0.3 ?m to 10 ?m. An intermediate film is formed between the Si substrate and the piezoelectric film. The intermediate film generates a stress in a compressive direction in the piezoelectric film.

Abstract: A single cavity acoustic resonator comprises: a first electrode; a second electrode; a third electrode disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The single cavity acoustic resonator also comprises: a first piezoelectric layer disposed between the third electrode and the first electrode, and comprising a first C-axis having an orientation; and a second piezoelectric layer disposed between the third electrode and the second electrode, and comprising a second C-axis having an orientation parallel to the first C-axis. Application of a time varying electrical signal at a drive frequency to either the third electrode or to the first and second electrodes results in a resonance of the single cavity acoustic resonator at twice a fundamental resonant frequency and a cancellation of substantially all even-order mixing products in the single cavity resonator. An electrical filter and a duplexer are also described.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film device according to the present invention comprises a lower electrode, a piezoelectric thin film and a upper electrode, in which the piezoelectric thin film is formed of an alkali niobium oxide-based perovskite material expressed by (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0<x<1), and in which a (001)KNN plane diffraction peak of the piezoelectric thin film indicates an angle 2? from 22.1° to 22.5° in an X-ray diffraction 2?/? measurement to a surface of the piezoelectric thin film, and the (001)KNN plane diffraction peak occupies 80% or more of diffraction peaks of the piezoelectric thin film.

Abstract: A focused ultrasound transducer includes a first ultrasonic emitter and at least one metallic ultrasonic lens acoustically coupled thereto. The emitter generates ultrasonic energy that propagates along a beam path projecting therefrom. The at least one metallic ultrasonic lens is positioned at least partially in the beam path so that it can direct (e.g., focus, defocus, and/or collimate) in at least one direction (or along at least one plane) at least some of the ultrasonic energy propagating from the emitter. The metallic lens may be formed by extrusion, by molding (e.g., diecast molding or thermoforming), or by sintering (e.g., powder metallurgy). The metallic lens also advantageously functions as a heat sink, improving thermal performance of the ultrasound transducer.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin-film acoustic wave device formed of a piezoelectric thin film of AlN on the +C plane and having the polarization strength of not lower than 0.63×10?20 F/V and an information processing unit using the same are disclosed. This is the result of the inventors having studied the factors other than the C-axis orientation affecting the electromechanical coupling factor and developing a method of improving the electromechanical coupling factor in view of the occasional fact that the electromechanical coupling factor cannot be improved by improving the C-axis orientation and the electromechanical coupling factor required for the piezoelectric thin-film acoustic wave device is not obtained. In such a case, the receiving sensitivity of the receiving system may be deteriorated and the transmission strength of the transmission system is required to be increased undesirably having an adverse effect on the power saving efforts.

Abstract: To stably provide a KNN piezoelectric thin film element having piezoelectric characteristics replaceable with a PZT thin film. A piezoelectric thin film element includes: a piezoelectric thin film on a substrate, having an alkali niobium oxide series perovskite structure expressed by a general formula (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0<x<1), wherein an intensity of a higher angle side skirt field is stronger than an intensity of a lower angle side skirt field of a diffraction peak in a KNN (002) diffraction peak in an X-ray diffraction 2?/? pattern of the piezoelectric thin film element.

Abstract: A flexural vibration piece includes: a base portion; a vibrating arm extending from the base portion and having a first surface, a second surface opposing the first surface, and side surfaces connecting the first surface and second surface, wherein a laminated structure including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first electrode and second electrode, is formed on each of the first surface and second surface, the piezoelectric layer formed on the first surface side and the piezoelectric layer formed on the second surface side have mutually opposite polarization directions, and the first electrode formed on the first surface side and the first electrode formed on the second surface side are connected to each other.

Abstract: To provide A piezoelectric thin film element, comprising a piezoelectric thin film lamination with at least a lower electrode, a piezoelectric thin film represented by a general formula (NaxKyLiz)NbO3 (0?x 1?, 0?y?1, 0?z?0.2, x+y+z=1), and an upper electrode disposed on a substrate, wherein the piezoelectric thin film has a crystal structure of a pseudo-cubic crystal or a tetragonal crystal or an orthorhombic crystal, or has a composition in which one of these crystals exists or at least two or more of them coexist, and is preferentially oriented to a specific axis smaller than or equal to two axes of these crystals, and in the ratio of component (001) to component (111), volume fraction of the component (001) falls within a range of 60% or more and 100% or less, and the volume fraction of the component (111) falls within a range of 0% or more and 40% or less, in a case that the total of the component (001) and the component (111) is set to be 100%.

Abstract: Provided are a piezoelectric thin film including a lead-free ferroelectric material and exhibiting high piezoelectric performance comparable to that of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and a method of manufacturing the piezoelectric thin film. The piezoelectric thin film of the present invention includes: a LaNiO3 film having a (001) orientation; an interface layer having a (001) orientation and composed of a compound represented by a chemical formula ABO3 (where A is represented by (Bi,Na)1-xCx (0?x?1), B is Ti or TiZr, and C is an alkali metal other than Na); and a (Bi,Na,Ba)TiO3 film having a (001) orientation. The LaNiO3 film, the interface layer, and the (Bi,Na,Ba)TiO3 film are laminated in this order.

Abstract: A method for producing a dielectric film, comprising: a coating step of coating a colloidal solution containing an organometallic compound containing a metal constituting a dielectric film containing at least a lead component to form a dielectric precursor film; a drying step of drying the dielectric precursor film; a degreasing step of degreasing the dielectric precursor film; and a sintering step of sintering the dielectric precursor film to form a dielectric film, and wherein the drying step includes a first drying step of heating the dielectric precursor film to a temperature lower than the boiling point of a solvent, which is a main solvent of the material, and holding the dielectric precursor film at the temperature for a certain period of time to dry the dielectric precursor film, and a second drying step of drying the dielectric precursor film at a temperature in the range of 140° C. to 170° C., the degreasing step is performed at a degreasing temperature of 350° C. to 450° C.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes: a piezoelectric layer formed by a film formation method so as to have orientation in a prescribed orientation direction; and a pair of electrodes, disposed on a same surface which is substantially perpendicular to the orientation direction of the piezoelectric layer, for applying to the piezoelectric layer an electric field in a direction substantially perpendicular to the orientation direction.

Abstract: In an actuator including at least one active electrode disposed in an electrolyte and comprising at least two webs of an electrically conductive material with a plurality of geometrically anisotropic nanoparticles disposed thereon and oriented uni-directionally in a preferential direction with an electrically conductive connection between the nanoparticles and the webs and a potential difference with respect to ground can be applied to the active electrode by a voltage or current source, the nanoparticles are connected in each case to two webs and the connections are material-interlocking.

Abstract: Provided are a bismuth-based piezoelectric material whose insulation property is improved while its performance as a piezoelectric body is not impaired and a piezoelectric device using the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1): Bix(Fe1-yCoy)O3??(1) where 0.95?x?1.25 and 0?y?0.30, and a root mean square roughness Rq (nm) of a surface of the piezoelectric material satisfies a relationship of 0<Rq?25y+2 (0?y?0.30).

Abstract: A piezoelectric film is formed on a substrate by a sputtering technique at a film formation temperature higher than a Curie temperature. An electric field is formed across the piezoelectric film in a direction heading from a surface side of the piezoelectric film toward the substrate side before a temperature of the piezoelectric film having been formed falls to a temperature lower than the Curie temperature, polarization processing being caused to begin by the formation of the electric field across the piezoelectric film. The temperature of the piezoelectric film is allowed to fall to a temperature lower than the Curie temperature in the state in which the electric field is being formed.

Abstract: An acoustic wave device having an improved frequency-temperature characteristic and in which a spurious response of the higher order mode is suppressed includes a piezoelectric substrate made of LiNbO3, a SiO2 layer laminated on the piezoelectric substrate, and an IDT electrode disposed in an interface of the piezoelectric substrate and the SiO2 layer, wherein ? and ? of Euler angles expressed by (?, ?, ?) of LiNbO3 substrate satisfy ?=0° and 80°???130°, respectively. The acoustic wave device using an acoustic wave primarily having an SH wave, wherein ? is set to satisfy 5°???30°.

Abstract: A MEMS device with a thin piezoelectric actuator is described. A substrate with a first surface has a crystalline orientation prompting layer on the first surface. A piezoelectric portion contacts the crystalline orientation prompting layer and has an orientation corresponding to the orientation of the crystalline orientation prompting layer. A dielectric material surrounds the piezoelectric portion. The dielectric material is formed of an inorganic material.

Abstract: A composition of matter having multiple layers of different conductors separated by thin layers of dielectric materials has a high piezoelectric coefficient when the conductors are metals having a significant difference in work function and the dielectric materials have a low elastic modulus when the metal layers are connected to form a capacitive circuit. Alternatively, when the conductors are semi-conductors they should have a significant difference in Fermi levels.

Abstract: A capacitive ultrasonic transducer includes a flexible layer, a first conductive layer on the flexible layer, a support frame on the first conductive layer, the support frame including a flexible material, a membrane over the support frame being spaced apart from the first conductive layer by the support frame, the membrane including the flexible material, a cavity defined by the first conductive layer, the support frame and the membrane, and a second conductive layer on the membrane.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin-film acoustic wave device formed of a piezoelectric thin film of AlN on the +C plane and having the polarization strength of not lower than 0.63×10?20 F/V and an information processing unit using the same are disclosed. This is the result of the inventors having studied the factors other than the C-axis orientation affecting the electromechanical coupling factor and developing a method of improving the electromechanical coupling factor in view of the occasional fact that the electromechanical coupling factor cannot be improved by improving the C-axis orientation and the electromechanical coupling factor required for the piezoelectric thin-film acoustic wave device is not obtained. In such a case, the receiving sensitivity of the receiving system may be deteriorated and the transmission strength of the transmission system is required to be increased undesirably having an adverse effect on the power saving efforts.

Abstract: A force sensor chip which comprises: a base member, which includes an action portion to which an external force is applied through an attenuator, a support portion supporting the action portion, and a connection portion which connects the action portion and the support portion and deflects according to the applied external force; and a plurality of strain resistance elements which are arranged in the connection portion and detect the applied external force based on a deflection of the connection portion, wherein longitudinal directions of the plurality of the strain resistance elements are oriented in an identical direction.

Abstract: A composite structure of a backing material with enhanced conductivity for use in a transducer is presented. The composite structure includes a plurality of layers of backing material alternatingly arranged with a plurality of thermal conductive elements, wherein the plurality of thermal conductive elements are configured to transfer heat from a center of the transducer to a plurality of points on the composite structure of backing material.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a polymer-based capacitive ultrasonic transducer, which comprises the steps of: (a) providing a substrate; (b) forming a first conductor on the substrate; (c) coating a sacrificial layer on the substrate while covering the first conductor by the same; (d) etching the sacrificial layer for forming an island while maintaining the island to contact with the first conductor; (e) coating a first polymer-based material on the substrate while covering the island by the same; (f) forming a second conductor on the first polymer-based material; (g) forming a via hole on the first polymer-based material while enabling the via hole to be channeled to the island; and (h) utilizing the via hole to etch and remove the island for forming a cavity.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device is provided and includes a substrate, a first electrode film, a piezoelectric film, and a second electrode film. The first electrode film is formed on the substrate. The piezoelectric film is represented by Pb1+X(ZrYTi1?Y)O3+X(0?X?0.3, 0?Y?0.55) and a peak intensity of a pyrochlore phase measured by an X-ray diffraction method is 10% or less with respect to a sum of peak intensities of a (100) plane orientation, a (001) plane orientation, a (110) plane orientation, a (101) plane orientation, and a (111) plane orientation of a perovskite phase, the piezoelectric film being formed on the first electrode film with a film thickness of 400 nm or more and 1,000 nm or less. The second electrode film is laminated on the piezoelectric film.

Abstract: A method of producing a dielectric layer made of a polycrystalline dielectric material having anisotropy in the coefficient of thermal expansion is provided, including the steps of providing a raw material powder, and heat treating the raw material powder at least to a temperature sufficient to cause a phase change from a first crystal orientation at room temperature to a different crystal orientation to provide an aggregate of oriented raw material particles having the same chemical composition as the raw material powder but having the different crystal orientation. The method also includes a step of forming a compact from the aggregate of oriented raw material particles, including a step of applying a shearing force to the aggregate and firing the compact to form the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A piezoelectric substance which is made of oxide with perovskite type structure which is made of ABO3, where a principal component of A is Pb, and principal components of B contain at least two kinds of elements among Nb, Mg, Zn, Sc, Cd, Ni, Mn, Co, Yb, In, and Fe, and Ti, characterized by being a uniaxial orientation crystal or a single crystal which has an a-domain and a c-domain of tetragonal.

Abstract: Electroactive P(VDF-CTFE) copolymers comprising CTFE in ranges between 5 mol % to 20 mol % are disclosed. The electroactive P(VDF-CTFE) copolymers are formed into films that exhibit strain values of 2% or more in response to one or more electromagnetic fields. The electroactive P(VDF-CTFE) copolymer films are deposited using ink-jet printing, slide coating, spin-coating, extrusion coating, meniscus coating, dip coating, spray coating or a combination thereof. Patterned P(VDF-CTFE) copolymer films are formed using lithographic techniques, nanoimprint techniques, nanolithography techniques or a combination thereof. The electroactive P(VDF-CTFE) copolymer films are used in the activation and/or operation of micro-mechanical devices and/or electrical devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a monolithic multilayered actuator comprising a stack of thin active piezoceramic films with applied metallic inner electrodes which reciprocally lead from the stack and are electrically connected in parallel using outer electrodes.

Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer formed of a body of piezoelectric material having first and second opposed sides and first and second electrically conductive layers on the first and second sides respectively of the piezoelectric body, wherein the piezoelectric body and the electrically conductive layers are so constructed that they form a plurality of separate adjacent series-connected transducer elements. A method of manufacturing such a transducer is also disclosed. The piezoelectric body may have a substantially uniform direction of polarization, or alternating zones of opposite polarization. The conductive layers may be continuous or discontinuous, together forming isolated electrode pairs to define the individual transducer elements. The elements can be hard wired or connected through a switching circuit to display either circumferential or axial or other ultrasonic focal patterns, and may be connected in a parallel, rather than a series configuration.

Abstract: An actuator device includes: a layer provided on a single crystal silicon (Si) substrate, and made of silicon dioxide (SiO2); at least one buffer layer provided on the layer made of silicon dioxide (SiO2); a base layer provided on the buffer layer, and made of lanthanum nickel oxide (LNO) having the (100m) plane orientation; and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element includes: a lower electrode provided on the base layer, and made of platinum (Pt) having the (100) plane orientation; a piezoelectric layer made of a ferroelectric layer whose plane orientation is the (100) orientation, the piezoelectric layer formed on the lower electrode by epitaxial growth where a crystal system of at least one kind selected from a group consisting of a tetragonal system, a monoclinic system and a rhombohedral system dominates the other crystal systems; and an upper electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic sensor including a case, a piezoelectric element having first and second electrodes, and a conductive member having first and second conductive parts is disclosed. The method includes the steps of a) forming the conductive member by integrally forming the first and second conductive parts and a joining part that joins portions of the first and second conductive parts, b) mounting the piezoelectric element and the conductive member in the case so that the first conductive part is connected to the first electrode and the second conductive part is connected to the second electrode, and the joining part and the portions of the first and second conductive parts joined by the joining part are positioned outside of the case, c) supplying a filling material into the case, and d) removing the joining part after step c).

Abstract: A vibratory structure includes: a first X-cut crystal substrate; a second X-cut crystal substrate stacked on the first X-cut crystal substrate so that the x-axis of the second X-cut crystal substrate is parallel to the x-axis of the first X-cut crystal substrate; a base formed by the first X-cut crystal substrate and the second X-cut crystal substrate; and vibratory arm sections formed so as to be integrated together with the base in one body, and protruding from the base.

Abstract: An exemplary CNT-based actuator includes a first electrode, a second electrode opposite to the first electrode, and a CNT layer sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode. The CNT layer includes two opposite surfaces in contact with the first and the second electrodes respectively, and a plurality of CNTs substantially parallel to each other. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured for cooperatively creating therebetween an electric field with an electric field direction substantially parallel to the CNTs so as to adjust a thickness of the CNT layer, thereby moving the second electrode relative to the first electrode.

Abstract: Piezoelectric crystal elements are provided having preferred cut directions that optimize the shear mode piezoelectric properties. In the discovered cut directions, the crystal elements have super-high piezoelectric performance with d15, d24 and d36 shear modes at room temperature. The d15 shear mode crystal gives a maximum d value and is free from the cross-talk of d11 and d16. The d36 mode is extremely reliable compared to other shear elements due to its ready re-poling capability. The crystal elements may be beneficially used for high-sensitive acoustic transducers.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film resonator is formed on a base substrate such as made of Si in which the resonance frequency is substantially determined by the lateral size not by the thickness of the resonator, whereby a resonator for use in TCXO, etc. is provided by the thin film technique, which enables to reduce the thickness of the film and the size of the resonator and integration with Si-based IC incorporating the resonator in one identical substrate.

Abstract: An objective is to provide an SH wave type SAW device which is a surface acoustic wave device using a quartz substrate and which is small in size and has a large Q value and excellent frequency aging characteristics. An SH wave type surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate and an IDT electrode provided on the piezoelectric substrate and constituted of Al or an alloy mainly containing Al and that uses a SH wave as an excitation wave. The piezoelectric substrate is a crystal plate in which a cut angle ? of a rotary Y cut quartz substrate is set in a range of ?64.0°<?<?49.3° in a counter-clockwise direction from a crystal axis Z and in which a surface acoustic wave propagation direction is set at 90°±5° with respect to a crystal axis X. In the SH wave type surface acoustic wave device, an electrode film thickness H/? standardized by a wavelength of the IDT electrode is 0.04<H/?<0.

Abstract: In a filter having a half-ladder structure comprising an alternating series of series branches and shunt branches, including a signal input and a signal output related to a common ground, at least one series branch or one parallel branch of the filter is configured as a BAW device comprising a first BAW resonator and a second BAW resonator connected either antiparallel or antiseries. The second harmonic emission generated by the first BAW resonator substantially cancels the second harmonic emission of the second BAW resonator and the second harmonic emission of at least one other series branch or one other parallel branch of the filter. By this method, the filter's second harmonic emissions are reduced.

Abstract: A filter circuit includes at least one series resonator having a first terminal and a second terminal, where the first and second terminals of the at least one series resonator are coupled to an input and an output of the filter circuit, respectively. The filter circuit further includes at least one shunt resonator having a first terminal and a second terminal, where the first terminal of the at least one shunt resonator is coupled to the input of the filter circuit and the second terminal of the at least one shunt resonator is coupled to ground. A polarity of the first terminal of the at least one series resonator and a polarity of the first terminal of the at least one shunt resonator are selected so as to reduce harmonic signal generation and other types of distortion in the filter circuit.

Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric single-crystal device which can stably attain an electromechanical coupling factor k31 of 60% or more in the lateral vibration mode and a method of manufacturing the same. Specifically, the piezoelectric single-crystal device has the polarization direction 3 in the [110] axis of a pseudocubic system and has the direction normal to an end face 10c of the piezoelectric device within the solid angle range of the [001] axis ±35° including the [001] axis approximately orthogonal to the polarization direction 3. The electromechanical coupling factor k31 in the direction orthogonal to the polarization direction 3, in the so-called lateral vibration mode, is 60% or more.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin-film element formed with a niobate lithium potassium sodium thin-film having a well-developed Perovskite structure and having an excellent piezoelectric characteristic. The piezoelectric thin-film 4 is a dielectric thin-film composed of a alkaline-niobic oxide represented by (Nax1Ky1Liz1) NbO3 (0<x1<1, 0<y1<1, 0?z1<1, x1+y1+z1=1) and having a Perovskite structure, and the base dielectric thin film 6 composed of a alkaline-niobic oxide represented by (Nax2Ky2Liz2) NbO3 (0<x2<1, 0<y2<1, 0?z2<1, x2+y2+z2=1) and having a Perovskite structure is provided between the lower electrode 3 and the piezoelectric thin-film 4.

Abstract: A self-poling piezoelectric based MEMS device is configured for piezoelectric actuation in response to application of a device operating voltage. The MEMS device comprises a beam, a first electrode disposed on the beam, a layer of piezoelectric material having a self-poling thickness disposed overlying a portion of the first electrode, and a second electrode overlying the layer of piezoelectric material. The layer of piezoelectric material is self-poled in response to application of the device operating voltage across the first and second electrodes. In addition, the self-poled piezoelectric material has a poling direction established according to a polarity orientation of the device operating voltage as applied across the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: This invention provides a hybrid Stockbarger zone-leveling melting method for seeded crystallization and the manufacture of homogenous large-sized crystals of lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) based solid solutions and related piezocrystals. The invention provides three temperature zones resulting in increased compositional homogeneity and speed of crystal growth, in a cost effective multi-crucible configuration.