Abstract: Provided are an ultrasonic motor and a drive control system and the like using the ultrasonic motor. The ultrasonic motor includes an annular vibrator and an annular moving member arranged so as to be brought into pressure-contact with the vibrator. The vibrator includes an annular vibrating plate and an annular piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element includes an annular piezoelectric ceramic piece, a common electrode arranged on one surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece, and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the other surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece. The piezoelectric ceramic piece contains lead in a content of less than 1,000 ppm. The plurality of electrodes include two drive phase electrodes, one or more non-drive phase electrodes, and one or more detection phase electrodes.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic motor including an annular vibrator and an annular moving member that is brought into pressure-contact with the vibrator. The vibrator includes an annular vibrating plate and an annular piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element includes an annular lead-free piezoelectric ceramic piece, a common electrode arranged on one surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece, and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the other surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece. The plurality of electrodes include two drive phase electrodes, one or more non-drive phase electrodes, and one or more detection phase electrodes. A second surface of the vibrating plate includes a plurality of groove regions extending radially, and the depths of the groove regions change in a circumferential direction along a curve obtained by superimposing one or more sine waves on one another. The ultrasonic motor exhibits a sufficient drive speed while suppressing generation of an unnecessary vibration wave.

Abstract: Provided is a vibrator and an ultrasonic motor that are capable of exhibiting a sufficient drive speed even when a lead-free piezoelectric ceramics is used. The ultrasonic motor includes an annular vibrator and an annular moving member arranged so as to be brought into pressure-contact with the vibrator. The vibrator includes an annular vibrating plate and an annular piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element includes an annular piezoelectric ceramic piece, a common electrode arranged on one surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece, and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the other surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece. The piezoelectric ceramic piece contains lead in a content of less than 1,000 ppm. The plurality of electrodes include two drive phase electrodes, at least one non-drive phase electrode, and at least one detection phase electrode.

Abstract: There is provided a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high and stable piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range. A piezoelectric material mainly composed of a perovskite type metal oxide having the general formula (1), wherein manganese is incorporated in the metal oxide, and the Mn content is 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide. (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zSnyZrz)O3??(1) (1.00?a?1.01, 0.125?x?0.300, 0<y?0.020, and 0.041?z?0.069).

Abstract: A vibration wave driving device including a lead-free piezoelectric material that can be driven with high reliability over a wide operating temperature range, an image pickup device including the vibration wave driving device, and an optical apparatus including the vibration wave driving device are provided. The vibration wave driving device generates a vibration wave by applying an AC voltage to a piezoelectric element, and includes the piezoelectric element and a capacitor that satisfy 20[° C.]?T?(Cmax)?T?(Pmax)?75[° C.] and 0.50??(Cc)/?(Cmax)?0.80.

Abstract: A vibration wave driving device including a lead-free piezoelectric material that can be driven with high reliability over a wide operating temperature range, an image pickup device including the vibration wave driving device, and an optical apparatus including the vibration wave driving device are provided. The vibration wave driving device generates a vibration wave by applying an AC voltage to a piezoelectric element, and includes the piezoelectric element and a capacitor that satisfy 20[° C.]?T?(Cmax)?T?(Pmax)?75[° C.] and 0.50??(Cc)/?(Cmax)?0.80.

Abstract: There is provided a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high and stable piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range. A piezoelectric material mainly composed of a perovskite type metal oxide having the general formula (1), wherein manganese is incorporated in the metal oxide, and the Mn content is 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide. (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zSnyZrz)O3??(1) (1.00?a?1.01, 0.125?x?0.300, 0<y?0.020, and 0.041?z?0.

Abstract: An oscillatory wave drive device has an oscillatory wave driving unit having an electromechanical energy conversion element having drive phases and a detection phase, a diaphragm, and a rotor, in which a traveling wave is generated on the surface of the diaphragm of the electromechanical energy conversion element to drive the rotor, and the driving speed of the rotor is controlled based on a signal of the phase difference detecting unit. In the oscillatory wave drive device, a detection phase voltage step-down unit and a drive phase voltage step-down unit each containing a resistance voltage dividing circuit having at least two resistors are provided and the voltage dividing ratio in the resistance voltage dividing circuit of the detection phase voltage step-down unit is lower than 1/1 and higher than 1/20.

Abstract: A ceramic powder contains a metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1). The ceramic powder has a single perovskite-type crystal phase. The ceramic powder is composed of particles having an average equivalent circular diameter in the range of 100 nm or more and less than 1000 nm and has a ratio c1/a1 in the range of 1.000?c1/a1?1.010, wherein c1 and a1 denote the c-axis length and a-axis length, respectively, of unit cells of the perovskite-type metal oxide, c1 being greater than or equal to a1. (Ba1-xCax)?(Ti1-y-zZryMnz)O3(0.9900???1.0100, 0.125?x?0.300, 0.020?y?0.095, 0.003?z?0.

Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic includes a perovskite-type metal oxide containing barium titanate, and Mn. When a surface thereof along the remanent polarization direction is subjected to X-ray diffraction analysis at room temperature, the ratio of the diffraction intensity of the (002) plane to the diffraction intensity of the (200) plane is 1.0 or more, the diffraction peak of the (002) plane has a half width of 1.2° or less, and the lattice constant of the c-axis thereof and the lattice constant of the a-axis thereof satisfy the relationship 1.004?c/a?1.010.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula (1): (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-yZry)O3 (1.00?a?1.01, 0.125?x<0.155, and 0.041?y?0.074) as a main component. The metal oxide contains Mn in a content of 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having satisfactory and stable piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a wide practical use temperature range. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula (1): (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-yZry)O3 (wherein, 1.00?a?1.01, 0.125?x?0.300, and 0.041?y?0.074), Mn, and Mg. The content of Mn is 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the perovskite-type metal oxide on a metal basis. The content of Mg is 0.10 parts by weight or less (excluding 0 part by weight) based on 100 parts by weight of the perovskite-type metal oxide on a metal basis.