Abstract: A film bulk acoustic resonator includes: a piezoelectric thin film that is formed on a principal surface of a substrate; and a lower electrode and an upper electrode that are arranged to sandwich the piezoelectric thin film. In this film bulk acoustic resonator, the piezoelectric thin film is made of aluminum nitride, and at least one of the lower electrode and the upper electrode contains a ruthenium or ruthenium-alloy layer.

Abstract: Efficient transverse energy confinement, and provision of a surface acoustic wave filter having preferable characteristics of both insertion loss and shape factor are obtained. In the surface acoustic wave filter, electrode fingers of one comb electrode are laid in a state of being inserted to the electrode fingers of the other comb electrode, and a thick film thicker than each plurality of electrode fingers is produced in a partial area of the bus bar, and a tip gap is provided between the top of each plurality of electrode fingers and the end face of the opposed bus bar, with a distance therebetween set not greater than 0.2&lgr; (where, &lgr; is one period of the comb electrode).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a surface acoustic device that has a surface acoustic wave filter including comb-like electrodes, electrode pads, and wiring patterns formed on a joined substrate produced by joining a piezoelectric substrate and a supporting substrate to each other. This method includes the steps of: activating at least one of the joining surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate and the supporting substrate; and joining the piezoelectric substrate and the supporting substrate in such a manner that the activated joining surfaces face each other.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave device includes: a piezoelectric substrate that has two or more resonators formed on a surface; and a supporting substrate that is joined to another surface of the piezoelectric substrate. In this surface acoustic wave device, at least two of the resonators have exciting portions that overlap each other in the direction of propagating surface acoustic waves, and at least a part of the piezoelectric substrate is removed or modified to have different properties between at least one pair of overlapping resonators among the resonators having the overlapping portions.

Abstract: A film bulk acoustic resonator is fabricated in the following manner. First, a base layer is formed on an insulating substrate. Then, a resonator assembly is formed on the base layer. The resonator assembly includes a first electrode held in contact with the base layer, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer held between the first and the second electrodes. Then, a resist layer is formed to cover the resonator assembly and the base layer. Then, a through-hole is formed in the resist layer so that the base layer is exposed via the through-hole. Then, etchant is supplied via the through-hole to make a space in the base layer under the resonator assembly. Finally, the resist layer is removed.

Abstract: An electrical contacting device includes a plurality of current paths connected in parallel to each other, and a plurality of electrical contact points each having a first contact and a second contact that are mechanically opened and closed. Each current path is provided with a corresponding one of the contact points. For prevention of the occurrence of arc discharge at the contact points, each current path has its electrical characteristics adjusted in order not to allow the passage of the minimum discharge current.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate having a first surface on which comb-like electrodes are formed, and a second surface, and a support substrate joined to the second surface of the piezoelectric substrate. The piezoelectric substrate is made of lithium tantalite, and the support substrate is made of sapphire.

Abstract: A touch panel device includes a plurality of input IDTs for exciting surface acoustic waves and a plurality of output IDTs for receiving the surface acoustic waves, corresponding to a plurality of tracks on a non-piezoelectric substrate, and each input IDT has a wideband electrode structure and each output IDT has a matched filter structure for outputting a large output upon receipt of a specific binary signal sequence. A signal obtained by arranging a plurality of specific signal sequences in time series is applied to each input IDT.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave filter includes series-arm resonators and parallel-arm resonators that are connected in a ladder-like fashion.

Abstract: Surface acoustic waves are excited in two diagonal directions from each of IDTs (excitation elements) disposed on the upper side and the lower side of a non-piezoelectric substrate, and the surface acoustic waves propagated on a detection region are received by IDTs (receiving elements) disposed on the left side and right side of the non-piezoelectric substrate so that a position of an object touching the non-piezoelectric substrate is detected based on the reception results. In each IDT, comb-like electrode fingers are joined to two facing electrode bases (signal electrode and ground electrode) in such a manner that the comb-like electrode fingers are inclined from a facing direction of the electrode bases.

Abstract: An acoustic wave device includes: a first substrate that has a vibration unit that generates solid vibrations based on an input electric signal, and an electrode pad unit that introduces the electric signal into the vibration unit; and a second substrate that has through holes for connecting the electrode pad unit to external electrodes. In this acoustic wave device, at least the vibration unit of the first substrate is hermetically sealed by bonding the first substrate and the second substrate to each other.

Abstract: A filter device includes a filter element that has piezoelectric thin-film resonators arranged in series arms and parallel arms, and a package that houses the filter element in a face-down state. In this filter device, the filter element and the package are electrically connected to each other through bumps. The package includes first pad parts on which the bumps are placed, and transmission paths that electrically connect the first pad parts to the outside. The filter element includes second pad parts that are electrically connected to the first pad parts through the bumps, and wiring parts that electrically connect the second pads to the piezoelectric thin-film resonators and electrically connect the piezoelectric thin-film resonators to one another. In this structure, inductances formed with the transmission paths are connected in series to the piezoelectric thin-film resonators.

Abstract: A variable inductor includes an insulating substrate (1), a thermally softenable spiral coil (2) provided on the insulating substrate (1), and a pair of input/output terminals (3, 4) each connected electrically to a respective end of the coil (2). Preferably, the coil (2) is made from a non-crystalline thin film metallic glass which softens in a supercooled liquid phase.

Abstract: A film bulk acoustic resonator is fabricated in the following manner. First, a base layer is formed on an insulating substrate. Then, a resonator assembly is formed on the base layer. The resonator assembly includes a first electrode held in contact with the base layer, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer held between the first and the second electrodes. Then, a resist layer is formed to cover the resonator assembly and the base layer. Then, a through-hole is formed in the resist layer so that the base layer is exposed via the through-hole. Then, etchant is supplied via the through-hole to make a space in the base layer under the resonator assembly. Finally, the resist layer is removed.

Abstract: Providing a small-sized acceleration sensor including a vibrator formed of a piezoelectric single crystal, and a weight section connected to the vibrator and supported at a position different from the position of the center of gravity of an assembly of the vibrator and weight section. Two divided electrodes used for detecting an electrical signal are formed on the vibrator and connected to two wiring patterns of the weight section which also functions as a signal detecting substrate, with an anisotropic conductive adhesive. When an acceleration in one direction is applied, an angular moment exerted in the weight section is detected as sliding vibration by the vibrator, and an electrical signal corresponding to the acceleration is output from the electrodes through the wiring patterns.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a surface acoustic wave filter which is characterized in that it includes a piezoelectric substrate, a plurality of surface acoustic wave propagation paths arranged in parallel on the piezoelectric substrate and a coupler for coupling the surface acoustic wave propagation paths, an input interdigital transducer and a first reflector are disposed on at least one of the surface acoustic wave propagation paths with intervention of the coupler, and an output interdigital transducer and a second reflector are disposed on at least one of the other surface acoustic wave propagation paths with intervention of the coupler. This construction can reduce the length of the surface acoustic wave filter in a surface acoustic wave propagation direction and can improve the shape factor of a frequency characteristic curve.

Abstract: A magnetic head supporting mechanism includes a fixing member, a piezoelectric element supported by the fixing member, and a head supporting member provided on the piezoelectric element, a magnetic head being supported by the head supporting member. An acceleration sensor is formed by the head supporting member and the piezoelectric element so as to be incorporated into the mechanism.

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor is provided that includes a frame, an oscillator and torsion bars that connect the oscillator to the frame. The frame, the oscillator and the torsion bar are formed integral with each other by etching a material substrate in the thickness direction of the substrate. The oscillator, configured in the form of an H, includes a support, two first arms and two second arms. These arms extend from the support in an arm-extending direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the substrate. The oscillator includes a mounting surface that is provided with a piezoelectric driver for generating in-plane oscillation of the oscillator, and with a piezoelectric detector for detecting out-of-plane oscillation of the oscillator.

Abstract: A plurality of excitation elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, for exciting, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each having a unique center frequency, are formed on one end of a non-piezoelectric substrate, a plurality of receiving elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, for receiving, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each having a unique center frequency, are formed on the other end of the non-piezoelectric substrate to face the excitation elements, respectively, the center frequencies of the IDTs of the facing excitation element and receiving element are equal, the center frequencies of the IDTs of the excitation elements next to each other are different, and surface acoustic waves are propagated across the non-piezoelectric substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements so as to detect the position of an object in contact with the non-piezoelectric substrate, based on received results in the receiving elements.

Abstract: This invention relates to a surface acoustic wave device and a production process thereof. An electrode is formed by alternately laminating a film of an aluminum alloy containing at least copper added thereto and a copper film on a piezoelectric substrate. While the particle size of the multi-layered electrode materials in kept small, the occurrence of voids in the film is prevented and life time of the surface acoustic wave device is elongated.