Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a piezoelectric/electrorestrictive film type device including a vibrating laminate obtained by laminating electrode films and piezoelectric/electrorestrictive films on a substrate containing a cavity. The method of producing the vibrating laminate includes: producing the substrate with a cavity, forming the first photoresist film on first principal surface of substrate, irradiating substrate from the second principal surface side of the substrate, transferring the plane shape of the cavity to the first photoresist film, developing and removing the first photoresist film formed in the region where the shape of cavity was formed, forming a lowermost electrode film by plating, and forming additional films other than the lowermost electrode film constituting the vibrating laminate.

Abstract: A substrate 20 is prepared. “A piezoelectric material layer 32a which has not been fired” and which will become a piezoelectric membrane is formed above a first principal surface 20a of the substrate 20. A first mask 131 is formed above the piezoelectric material layer 32a. “The piezoelectric material layer 32a existing within a portion where the first mask 131 does not exist” is eliminated by injecting a blast media including at least one of abrasive grains or an organic solvent onto the first principal surface 20a of the substrate 20. Thereafter, the first mask 131 is eliminated, and the piezoelectric material layer 32a is fired. The substrate has a hollow portion, however, it does not necessarily have the hollow portion.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type element and a film constituting a laminated vibrator made of laminations of an electrode film and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film in a plane position. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type element includes a substrate, a lower electrode film provided on the substrate, and a laminated vibrator made of laminations of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film and an upper electrode film. The lower electrode film is formed by a photolithography method with the substrate, where a cavity is filled with a light shielding agent, as a mask. Thereafter, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film is formed by electrophoresis of powder of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive material toward the lower electrode film, and the upper electrode film is formed by the photolithography method with the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film as a mask.

Abstract: A substrate 20 is prepared. “A piezoelectric material layer 32a which has not been fired” and which will become a piezoelectric membrane is formed above a first principal surface 20a of the substrate 20. A first mask 131 is formed above the piezoelectric material layer 32a. “The piezoelectric material layer 32a existing within a portion where the first mask 131 does not exist” is eliminated by injecting a blast media including at least one of abrasive grains or an organic solvent onto the first principal surface 20a of the substrate 20. Thereafter, the first mask 131 is eliminated, and the piezoelectric material layer 32a is fired. The substrate has a hollow portion, however, it does not necessarily have the hollow portion.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type device, the method making it possible to increase the coating ratio of the lowermost electrode film and also, to prevent the deviation of the plane position of the lowermost electrode film from the plane position of the cavity. In the production of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film provided with a substrate formed with a cavity and an vibrating laminate obtained by laminating a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film and an upper electrode film which are aligned with the plane position of the cavity, on the surface of the substrate, the lower electrode film is formed using, as a mask, the substrate in which a light-shielding agent is filled in the cavity by photolithography. The lower electrode film is formed by electroless plating after the catalyst layer is formed.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type element and a film constituting a laminated vibrator made of laminations of an electrode film and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film in a plane position. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type element includes a substrate, a lower electrode film provided on the substrate, and a laminated vibrator made of laminations of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film and an upper electrode film. The lower electrode film is formed by a photolithography method with the substrate, where a cavity is filled with a light shielding agent, as a mask. Thereafter, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film is formed by electrophoresis of powder of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive material toward the lower electrode film, and the upper electrode film is formed by the photolithography method with the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film as a mask.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided including a substrate section and an operation section disposed on the substrate section. The operation section includes a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film and an electrode film, and the device operates by displacement of the operation section. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive films and electrode films are alternately laminated so that uppermost and lowermost layers form the electrode films. The operation section and the substrate section are integrally fired, and the substrate section is ceramic material containing a titanium element.

Abstract: A multi-layered piezoelectric device includes a plurality of piezoelectric portions and a plurality of electrodes electrically connected to the piezoelectric portions that are formed in layers on a ceramic substrate. A first piezoelectric portion is made of a piezoelectric ceramic composition containing Ni in an amount of 0.08 to 0.31% by mass (in terms of NiO), and second and upper piezoelectric portions are made of a piezoelectric ceramic composition of higher Ni content than in the first piezoelectric portion. An electrode is provided at least between the first piezoelectric portion and the second piezoelectric portion.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which has superior piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties and which exhibits a sufficient durability even in a case where a flexural displacement is repeated a large number of times. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive body 30 is constituted of a large number of crystal grains 31 having the piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties in the form of a film or a layer having one or more layers. A number ratio of crystal grains 32, a part of which is exposed to at least one of interfaces 35a, 35b between the bodies and the outside in a thickness direction, is 80% or more of a large number of crystal grains 31 observed in an arbitrary section in the thickness direction.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which has superior piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties and which exhibits a sufficient durability even in a case where a flexural displacement is repeated a large number of times. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is constituted of a large number of crystal grains having the piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties in the form of a film or a layer having one or more layers. A number ratio of crystal grains whose grain diameters W in a width direction are longer than grain diameters T in a thickness direction is 70% or more of a large number of crystal grains observed in an arbitrary section in the thickness direction.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition capable of constituting a bulk-like or film-like piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which is dense and which has a large strain or displacement. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition contains: a PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3—PbTiO3—PbZrO3 ternary solid solution system composition as a main component; and 0.05 to 3.0 mass % of Ni in terms of NiO, or contains: a Pb(Mg, Ni)1/3Nb2/3O3—PbTiO3—PbZrO3 ternary solid solution system composition as a main component; and at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg2SiO4, Ni2SiO4 and (Mg, Ni)2SiO4, and a total content ratio of Mg2SiO4, Ni2SiO4 and (Mg, Ni)2SiO4 is 0.2 mol % or less.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric device which has a remarkably high piezoelectric characteristic and which is superior in a vibration transmitting property between a substrate and a piezoelectric portion and in which linearity of a flexural displacement with respect to a voltage is high up to a high voltage region and which exhibits a high durability even in a case where the device is used with a large flexural displacement for a long period. The piezoelectric device is provided with: a substrate 2 made of a ceramic; a piezoelectric portion 1 constituted of a piezoelectric porcelain composition containing as a major component a Pb(Mg, Ni)1/3Nb2/3O3—PbZrO3—PbTiO3 ternary solid solution system composition represented by a predetermined formula; and an electrode 3 electrically connected to the piezoelectric portion 1, and the piezoelectric portion 1 is solidly attached onto the substrate 2 directly or via the electrode 3.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which has superior piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties and which exhibits a sufficient durability even in a case where a flexural displacement is repeated a large number of times. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive body 30 is constituted of a large number of crystal grains 31 having the piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties in the form of a film or a layer having one or more layers. A number ratio of crystal grains 32, a part of which is exposed to at least one of interfaces 35a, 35b between the bodies and the outside in a thickness direction, is 80% or more of a large number of crystal grains 31 observed in an arbitrary section in the thickness direction.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which has superior piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties and which exhibits a sufficient durability even in a case where a flexural displacement is repeated a large number of times. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is constituted of a large number of crystal grains having the piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties in the form of a film or a layer having one or more layers. A number ratio of crystal grains whose grain diameters W in a width direction are longer than grain diameters T in a thickness direction is 70% or more of a large number of crystal grains observed in an arbitrary section in the thickness direction.

Abstract: A method for producing a piezoelectric element by superposing a piezoelectric material made of a piezoelectric ceramic composition containing a PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3—PbZrO3—PbTiO3 ternary system solid solution composition represented by the general formula Pbx(Mgy/3Nb2/3)aTibZrcO3 as a main component, and 0.05 to 10.0 mass % of NiO on a ceramic substrate or on an electrode formed on the ceramic substrate, and subjecting the superposed piezoelectric material to a thermal treatment in an atmosphere where 0.03–0.5 mg/cm3 (NiO conversion amount per unit volume of a space in a container) of an atmosphere-controlling material having the same composition as the piezoelectric material is coexisted.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type actuator is provided including a ceramic substrate and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device disposed on the ceramic substrate that is provided with a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive films and electrode films. The device is driven by displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device includes a plurality of layers of piezoelectric/electrostrictive films, and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive films and electrode films are alternately laminated such that an electrode film forms an uppermost layer and a lowermost layer of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device made of piezoelectric/electrostrictive film which includes: a substrate section; and an operation section disposed on the substrate section and constituted of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film and an electrode film and which operates by displacement of the operation section. The operation section comprises the piezoelectric/electrostrictive films and electrode films alternately laminated so that uppermost and lowermost layers form the electrode films, the operation and substrate sections are integrally fired, and the substrate section is constituted of a ceramic which contains a titanium element. For the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device made of piezoelectric/electrostrictive film, a residual stress after firing hardly exists, therefore larger displacement is obtained with the same driving voltage, response speed is higher, and generation force is larger.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device made of piezoelectric/electrostrictive film which includes: a substrate section; and an operation section disposed on the substrate section and constituted of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film and an electrode film and which operates by displacement of the operation section. The operation section comprises the piezoelectric/electrostrictive films and electrode films alternately laminated so that uppermost and lowermost layers form the electrode films, the operation and substrate sections are integrally fired, and the substrate section is constituted of a ceramic which contains a titanium element. For the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device made of piezoelectric/electrostrictive film, a residual stress after firing hardly exists, therefore larger displacement is obtained with the same driving voltage, response speed is higher, and generation force is larger.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive film-type actuator has a ceramic base and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element, which has piezoelectric/electrostrictive films and electrode films and which is disposed on the ceramic base, and is driven in accordance with a dislocation of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is formed such that the piezoelectric/electrostrictive films and the electrode films are alternately laminated so as to construct the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer with the electrode films. Also, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive films have two layers and no pores, containing a different phase formed by a decomposed material thereof, in the boundary sandwiched therebetween. In addition, the upper layer of the two-layered piezoelectric/electrostrictive films is thicker than the lower layer.

Abstract: A multi-layered piezoelectric device includes a plurality of piezoelectric portions and a plurality of electrodes electrically connected to the piezoelectric portions that are formed in layers on a ceramic substrate. A first piezoelectric portion is made of a piezoelectric ceramic composition containing Ni in an amount of 0.08 to 0.31% by mass (in terms of NiO), and second and upper piezoelectric portions are made of a piezoelectric ceramic composition of higher Ni content than in the first piezoelectric portion. An electrode is provided at least between the first piezoelectric portion and the second piezoelectric portion.