Abstract: An ultrasound transmitting configuration includes at least one ultrasound generating device for exposing a medium which has an acoustic medium impedance and a medium speed of sound to ultrasonic waves. The ultrasound generating device has at least two ultrasound transducers which can be excited through actuating electrodes for emitting ultrasound and which have an acoustic transducer impedance. The ultrasound transducers are separated from one another and disposed alongside one another. An ultrasound lens which has an acoustic lens impedance and a lens speed of sound is disposed between the ultrasound generating device and the medium. The ultrasound generating device is acoustically coupled on a coupling side to the ultrasound lens. The ultrasound transducers extend toward the medium over a transducer depth, they extend toward one another over a transducer width, and they extend at right angles to both the transducer depth and the transducer width over a transducer length.

Abstract: In a small rotary actuator having a rotor and a plurality of oscillators, each having a piezoelectric element that is excited by application of energy thereto so that the piezoelectric element oscillates at a resonance frequency thereof, the resonance frequency of the respective oscillators varies to some degree. This variation reduces the efficiency of rotation of the rotor. In order to reduce this variation, one or more of the piezoelectric elements of the oscillators is etched so that its resonance frequency is increased to match the resonance frequency of the other oscillators.

Abstract: A resonant-type transducer providing a narrow band, high output or high sensitivity signal to a radiation medium, the resonant transducer comprising a vibrator body comprising piezoelectric or electrorestricitive material having a first acoustic impedance at a resonant condition, and a matching layer for acoustically matching the piezoelectric vibrator body at resonance to the radiation medium.

Abstract: A piezoelectric acoustic component includes a unimorph-type vibration body, a mounting substrate, and a cover. The vibration body includes a substantially rectangular piezoelectric plate and a substantially rectangular metallic plate bonded to the back side of the piezoelectric plate. Longitudinal opposite end portions of the vibration body are fixed onto the mounting substrate via respective support members. The metallic plate of the vibration body is fixedly connected to a first electrode located on the mounting substrate via one of the support members, whereas the electrode located on the front side of the piezoelectric plate is connected to a second electrode located on the mounting substrate via a conductive wire. A gap between the mounting substrate and each of lateral opposite end portions of the vibration body is charged with silicone rubber, thereby defining an acoustic space between the vibration body and the mounting substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is a piezoelectric device fabricated on a semiconductor that also contains electronic circuitry. A cooling device is used to lower the temperature of the resonator. Electronic circuitry can provide feedback to the resonator to compensate for microphonics that occur at low temperatures. Alternatively, piezoelectric materials that can operate at high temperatures can create a high temperature frequency source.

Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator is constructed to be vibrated in a square type vibration mode and to minimize the variations in the resonant frequency caused by the manufacturing process. The resonator includes a piezoelectric substrate having a pair of main surfaces, electrodes disposed on the pair of main surfaces and grooves provided on one of the main surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate. The grooves divide at least one of the electrodes into a plurality of divided electrodes. One of the plurality of divided electrodes defines an input/output electrode. A maximum distance between the outer edges of two of the grooves disposed opposite to each other across the input/output electrode is about 0.5 to about 0.55 times the length of one side edge of the piezoelectric substrate.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor composed of a cylindrical stator having a vibration converting member and a cylindrical rotor slidably rotatable on the stator. Ultrasonic longitudinal vibration is generated in the stator by imposing high frequency voltage on piezoelectric elements disposed in the stator. A part of the longitudinal vibration is converted into twisting vibration by operation of slits formed on the vibration converting member. Both the longitudinal and twisting vibrations are compounded into elliptic vibration which drives the rotor. The vibration converting member is made by laminating a number of element plates each having cut-out portions or by combining several divided blocks. The slits are automatically formed on the vibration converting member without being machined, when the vibration converting member is formed by assembling the element plates or the divided blocks.

Abstract: An actuator assembly having a first and a second stack of piezoelectric materials having electrode layers connecting the stacks to a voltage source. A cavity is defined within said first stack and is adapted to receive a first end of the second stack. A first opening and a second opening are defined within the stack wherein each is in fluid communication with the cavity and wherein the first opening has a flat surface within the cavity. A flat face opposite the first opening forms a contact seal with the flat surface. The first and second stacks are adapted to unseal the face from the surface in response to a voltage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element composed of an actuator section of a uni-morph type comprising a main actuator element including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer and a pair of electrodes formed on a first principal surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer; a vibrating section which contacts with a second principal surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer for supporting the main actuator element; and a fixed section for supporting the vibrating section in a vibrative manner; wherein a relationship of y=ax is satisfied, and an expression of {fraction (1/10)}≦a≦100 is satisfied provided that x represents a distance between the pair of electrodes (1 &mgr;m≦x≦200 &mgr;m), and y represents a thickness of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer (1 &mgr;m≦y≦100 &mgr;m).

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin piezoelectric film having a high piezoelectric strain constant and a good adhesion with a lower electrode which can be produced without being cracked. The present invention also provides an ink jet recording head comprising this thin piezoelectric film as a vibrator. The thin piezoelectric film element of the present invention comprises a PZT film 14 made of a polycrystalline substance, and an upper electrode 16 and a lower electrode 12 arranged with the PZT film interposed therebetween. The grain boundary of the crystalline constituting the PZT film is present almost perpendicular to the surface of the electrode. Further, the orientation of the crystalline constituting the PZT film is controlled to a desired range.

Abstract: The invention relates to a piezoelectric actuator, in particular for actuating control valves or injection valves in internal combustion engines of motor vehicles, having a piezoelectric actuator body in the form of a multi-layer laminate of stacked layers of piezoelectric material and metal or electrically conductive layers, acting as electrodes, located between them, in which one of the face ends of the actuator body is fixed to a stationary metal actuator base, and the other face end borders a metal retaining plate that is movable with the actuator stroke. The piezoelectric actuator is characterized in that the piezoelectric material has blind metal electrodes on both face ends, each of which electrodes is located in a passive piezoceramic cover layer between the respective outermost active piezoceramic layer and the movable retaining plate and actuator base.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave device includes a quartz substrate, a reflector disposed on the quartz substrate, a piezoelectric thin film disposed on a portion of the quartz substrate which excludes at least a portion of the quartz substrate on which the reflector is disposed, and an interdigital transducer disposed to contact the piezoelectric thin film.

Abstract: A transducer suitable for ultrasonic applications, fluid drop ejection and scanning force microscopy. The transducer comprises a thin piezoelectric ring bonded to a thin fully supported clamped membrane. Voltages applied to said piezoelectric ring excite axisymmetric resonant modes in the clamped membrane.

Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator vibrates in a square vibration mode and includes a piezoelectric substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface, electrodes provided on the first major surface and the second major surface of the piezoelectric substrate and a groove provided in at least one of the first major surface and the second major surface of the piezoelectric substrate. The groove divides at least one of the electrodes into a plurality of areas such that the electrostatic capacitance of the resonator is changed by varying the position, the width and the depth of the groove provided on the piezoelectric substrate.

Abstract: An adjustable surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducer is fabricated on a piezoelectric substrate. The adjustable SAW transducer includes a plurality of SAW interdigital transducer (IDT) fingers disposed on the substrate. Miniature switches are used to provide a plurality of interconnection patterns between the SAW IDT fingers such that a plurality of SAW characteristics can be generated from a single set of SAW IDT fingers.

Abstract: The invention provides systems, methods and apparatus for processing delicate parts within a process tank such as an ultrasonic tank. Typically, one or more transducers connect to the tank and respond to drive signals from a generator to produce ultrasound within process liquid within the tank.

Abstract: A pair of electrodes are formed on the front surface and the rear surface of each vibrator in a longitudinal direction, and dielectric polarization is performed in the direction from the front surface to the rear surface. When I/V converters constituted by operational amplifiers are connected to electrodes of the middle vibrator, the detection electrodes can be grounded to a reference potential Vref through the imaginary short circuits of the I/V converters, so that a gyroscope can be vibrated without a conventional ground electrode. Therefore, the number of electrodes of the vibrators can be reduced, and an interval size between the drive electrodes or between the detection electrodes can be assured. For this reason, sufficient dielectric polarization can be performed when a high voltage is applied.

Abstract: A vibrating gyroscope includes a vibrator having a node and a support member having a thin flexible portion and an expanded portion which is connected to the thin flexibly portion and has a larger area than the thin flexible portion. The expanded portion of the support member is fixed to the vibrator at the node.

Abstract: A bi-layer encapsulation system for a planar acoustic wave device, e.g., a SAW device, employs a layer of controlled particles to contact the active surface of the SAW device, and another layer to lock the first layer in place. A back surface of the device is bonded to a supporting substrate, e.g., a ceramic backing. The particles may be glass microspheres of a nominal 50 micron size. A layer of microspheres cover the acoustically active area of the device. Then, an epoxy or other suitable potting material covers the glass microspheres and bonds to the device and to the supporting substrate. The glass spheres may be solid glass or balloon-like microspheres filled with nitrogen or another gas. A second layer of glass microspheres may be applied over the first layer and around the edges of the first layer. This layer may contain an appropriate B-stage epoxy or a commercially available syntactic foam material. A plurality of devices can be packaged and encapsulated together while in wafer form.

Abstract: A vibrating gyroscope includes two planar vibrating plates arranged to oppose each other. The two vibrating plates vibrate under buckling vibration mode and a second-order bending vibration mode which is degenerated with or close to the buckling vibration mode. The vibrating gyroscope detects Coriolis force by detecting displacements in amplitude balance of the second-order bending vibration modes generated when an angular rotation velocity around an axis parallel to surfaces of the vibrating plates is applied.