Abstract: A multi-layer electronic component that can be repetitively operated under high voltage, high temperature and high humidity is provided. The multi-layer electronic component comprises a plurality of dielectric material layers made of a sintered material having perovskite structure that includes Pb; and a plurality of internal electrodes, the dielectric material layers and the internal electrodes being stacked alternately one on another, wherein lead compound that remains in the crystal grain boundaries of the dielectric material layers is controlled so that the number of grains of the lead compound not smaller than 0.01 ?m are 2 or less per 100 ?m2 on average.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic probe includes a single crystal piezoelectric body with first and second planes facing each other and having a crystal orientation of [100], first and second electrodes on the respective first and second plane of the piezoelectric body, an acoustic matching layer on the first electrode, and a backing member under the second electrode, wherein the piezoelectric body is polarized along a first direction passing through the piezoelectric body and first and second electrodes, a fracture surface of the piezoelectric body that includes the first direction has a multilayer shape along one of the first and second electrodes, and a thickness of each layer of the multilayer shape is not less than 0.5 ?m and not more than 5 ?m.

Abstract: In a piezoelectric actuator including a lower electrode layer, a first PZT piezoelectric layer having a first relative permittivity is formed on the lower electrode layer, and a second PZT piezoelectric layer having a second relative permittivity smaller than said first relative permittivity is formed on the first PZT piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric ceramic indicated by the composition formula Bi4Ti3O12.?[(1??)(M11-?Ln?)TiO3+?M2M3O3], wherein: ?, ?, and ? satisfy 0.3???0.95, 0??0.5, and 0???0.5; M1 is at least one chosen from Sr, Ba, Ca, (Bi0.5Na0.5), (Bi0.55K0.5) and (Bi0.5Li0.5); M2 is at least one chosen from among Bi, Na, K and Li; M3 is at least one chosen from Fe and Nb; and includes 0.01-0.7 mass % of Co in CoO conversion to 100 mass % of bismuth layered compound where Ln is lanthanoid.

Abstract: A method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body containing a crystallographically oriented ceramic including a particle-preparing step of preparing pseudocubic particles having substantially a cubic shape; a dispersing step of dispersing the pseudocubic particles in a solvent; a particle section-forming step of forming a seed section and a matrix section directly or indirectly on a base, the seed section being formed by arranging the dispersed pseudocubic particles in a predetermined plane direction, the matrix section being formed from matrix particles having a desired composition; and a firing step of firing the seed section and matrix section formed on the base.

Abstract: A liquid-ejecting head includes a pressure-generating chamber that communicates with a nozzle opening and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode; a piezoelectric body layer formed on the first electrode; and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric body layer on a side opposite the first electrode. In the liquid-ejecting head, the piezoelectric body layer has a perovskite structure and an insulating property, and an A-site and an oxygen site of the perovskite structure respectively include a vacancy formed by losing an A-site metal and a vacancy formed by losing an oxygen atom, each of the vacancies including a hydrogen atom.

Abstract: A substrate having appropriate strength and allowing firm bonding to a piezoelectric substrate and the like can be obtained at a lower cost. The substrate for an SAW device is formed of spinel, and PV value representing difference in level of one main surface of the substrate is at least 2 nm and at most 8 nm. Preferably, average roughness Ra of one main surface of the substrate is at least 0.01 nm and at most 0.5 nm. With such characteristics, the main surface of the substrate to be bonded to a piezoelectric substrate of the SAW device can be bonded satisfactorily to the piezoelectric material forming the piezoelectric substrate utilizing van der Waals interaction.

Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer includes a single crystal piezoelectric material having a phase transition from one crystalline phase to a second crystalline phase at a predetermined stress level. A pre-stress is applied to the single crystal piezoelectric material so that the material is maintained near its phase transition point. An electrical field source is joined to the material such that, in cooperation with the pre-stress, an increase or decrease in the electrical field causes a crystalline phase transition in the single crystal piezoelectric material. Crystalline phase transition induces strain larger by an order of magnitude than that caused by the non-phase transition piezoelectric effect.

Abstract: A perovskite oxide material containing: BiFeO3 as a first component; a second component containing at least one perovskite oxide which is constituted by A-site atoms having an average ionic valence of two and has a tendency to form a tetragonal structure; and a third component containing at least one perovskite oxide which has a tendency to form one of monoclinic, triclinic, and orthorhombic structures; where each perovskite oxide in the first component, the second component, and the third component contains A-site atoms, B-site atoms, and oxygen atoms substantially in a molar ratio of 1:1:3, and the molar ratio can deviate from 1:1:3 within a range.

Abstract: There is provided a dielectric composition, including: a basic powder including BamTiO3(0.995?m?1.010); a first subcomponent including 0.1 to 0.6 mole of zirconium (Zr) oxide or carbide, based on 100 moles of the basic powder; a second subcomponent including 0.8 to 6.0 moles of oxide or carbide including at least one of magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba); a third subcomponent including 0.2 to 1.8 moles of oxide including at least one rare earth element; a fourth subcomponent including 0.05 to 0.30 mole of oxide including at least one transition metal; a fifth subcomponent including 0.05 to 0.35 mole of oxide including at least one of vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), and tantalum (Ta); and a sixth subcomponent including 0.5 to 4.0 moles of oxide including at least one of silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al).

Abstract: A multi-layer piezoelectric element includes a multi-layer structure having a plurality of internal electrode layers and a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic layers. The multi-layer structure has a driving portion formed by stacking the plurality of internal electrode layers and the piezoelectric ceramic layers alternately on each other, and non-driving portions that are formed by stacking a plurality of the piezoelectric ceramic layers and are disposed on both end portions of the driving portion in a stacked direction. The piezoelectric ceramic layers of the non-driving portions have the same piezoelectric material as that of the piezoelectric ceramic layers of the driving portion as a main component, and have a mean crystal grain size larger than that of the driving portion.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film element is provided, which is capable of improving piezoelectric properties, having on a substrate at least a lower electrode, a lead-free piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode, wherein at least the lower electrode out of the lower electrode and the upper electrode has a crystal structure of a cubic crystal system, a tetragonal crystal system, an orthorhombic crystal system, a hexagonal crystal system, a monoclinic crystal system, a triclinic crystal system, a trigonal crystal system, or has a composition in which one of these crystals exists or two or more of them coexist, and crystal axes of the crystal structure are preferentially oriented to a specific axis smaller than or equal to two axes of these crystals, and a ratio c/a? is set in a range of 0.992 or more and 0.

Abstract: A piezoelectric composition includes a compound represented by a general expression Bi4Ti3O12—SrBi4Ti4O15 as a main component; and Mn or a Mn compound as an additive. A Mn content is less than 1.0% by mass based on a main component amount.

Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric ceramic containing BiFeO3 having a {110} plane orientation in a pseudo-cubic form, which is suited for the domain engineering, the piezoelectric ceramic includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1), and has a {110} plane orientation in a pseudo-cubic form: xBiFeO3-(1?x)ABO3??General Formula (1) where A and B each represent one kind or more of metal ions; A represents a metal ion having a valence of 1, 2 or 3; and B represents a metal ion having a valence of 3, 4, or 5, provided that x is within a range of 0.3?x?1.

Abstract: A piezoelectric component includes a stack of piezoelectric layers arranged one on top of the other and first and second electrode layers arranged therebetween. The stack includes at least one first piezoelectric layer having a first electrical coercive force and directly adjacent thereto at least one second piezoelectric layer having a second electrical coercive force different from the first coercive force.

Abstract: The piezoelectric element includes, on a substrate: a piezoelectric film; and a pair of electrodes provided in contact with the piezoelectric film; in which the piezoelectric film contains a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1) as a main component: Ax(ZnjTi(1-j))1(MgkTi(1-k))mMnO3??General Formula (1) wherein the perovskite-type metal oxide is uniaxially (111)-oriented in pseudo-cubic notation in a thickness direction, of the pair of electrodes, a lower electrode provided on the substrate side is a multilayer electrode including at least a first electrode layer in contact with the substrate and a second electrode layer in contact with the piezoelectric film, and the second electrode layer is a perovskite-type metal oxide electrode which is uniaxially (111)-oriented in pseudo-cubic notation in a thickness direction.

Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric thin film on a substrate, having an alkali-niobium oxide-based perovskite structure expressed by a composition formula (K1-xNax)yNbO3, wherein the composition ratio x of the piezoelectric thin film expressed by (K1-xNax)yNbO3 is in a range of 0.4?x?0.7, and a half width of a rocking curve of (001) plane by X-ray diffraction measurement is in a range of 0.5° or more and 2.5° or less.

Abstract: There are provided a piezoelectric ceramic composition that includes a bismuth layer-structured compound, which contains Na, Bi, Co and Ln (lanthanoide), as a main component and a piezoelectric ceramic composition that includes a compound, which contains Na, Bi, Ti, Co and Ln (lanthanoide) and has a Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 type crystal structure, as a main component, wherein the piezoelectric ceramic composition has an atomic ratio of 0<Ln/(Na+Bi+Ln)?0.04.

Abstract: As a piezoelectric ceramic having an alkaline-containing niobic acid-perovskite structure contains [K1-xNax]1-yLi[Nb1-z-wTazSbw]O3 (x, y, z, and w each indicate a molar ratio, and 0?x<1, 0?y<1, 0?z<1, and 0?w<1 hold) as a primary phase and K3Nb3O6Si2O7 as a subphase.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric ceramic which is characterized by containing [K1-xNax]1-yLiy[Nb1-z-wTazSbw]O3 (wherein x, y, z and w each represents a molar ratio and satisfies 0?x?1, 0?y?1, 0?z?1, 0?w?1) as the main phase and K3Nb3O6Si2O7 as a sub-phase, while containing, as an additive, a Cu compound in an amount of 0.02-5.0 mol in terms of CuO relative to 100 mol of the main phase.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head including a pressure-generating chamber which communicates with a nozzle opening, and a piezoelectric element including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed above the first electrode and having a perovskite structure represented by the general formula ABO3, and a second electrode formed above the piezoelectric layer, wherein the piezoelectric layer, lead, zirconium, and titanium are present at A sites of the perovskite structure, and lead, zirconium, and titanium are present at B sites of the perovskite structure.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element having little decease of Qm even in a high electric field in the case of a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is characterized in that the rate of Qm in an electric field of 10 V/mm is 30% or more with respect to Qm in an electric field of 1 V/mm.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a piezoelectric sensor. The piezoelectric sensor includes a polymer layer, a first metal layer, and a second metal layer. The polymer layer includes pyrolytic polyacrylonitrile. The first metal layer is located on a surface of the polymer layer. The first metal layer includes a first work function. The second metal layer is located on another surface of the polymer layer and includes a second work function different from the first work function. The present disclosure also relates to a method for making the piezoelectric sensor.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film device comprises a piezoelectric thin film having upper and lower surfaces and a defined tilted crystal morphology, a top electrode disposed on the upper surface, a substrate having a surface morphology that corresponds to the defined crystallographically tilted morphology, and a bottom electrode disposed between and crystallographically linked to both the lower surface of the piezoelectric thin film and the substrate surface, the bottom and top electrodes having a parallel planar configuration relative to the plane of the substrate and the defined crystallographically tilted morphology having a crystallographic c-axis direction oriented at a >0° angle relative to the normal to the plane of the electrodes; and method of making the device.

Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric thin film element comprising: a piezoelectric thin film on a substrate, having an alkali-niobium oxide-based perovskite structure expressed by a composition formula (K1-xNax)yNbO3, wherein composition ratios x, y of the piezoelectric thin film expressed by (K1-xNax)yNbO3 are in a range of 0.4?x?0.7 and 0.7?y?0.94.

Abstract: An actuator element includes: a piezoelectric body; a pair of electrodes mutually opposing to each other via the piezoelectric body; a diaphragm to which the piezoelectric body sandwiched between the pair of electrodes is bonded; and a base substrate arranged to oppose a movable part including the piezoelectric body and the diaphragm, the movable part being displaced in a direction toward the base substrate by application of a drive voltage to the pair of electrodes, wherein polarization (Pr)-electric field (E) hysteresis characteristics of the piezoelectric body are biased with respect to an electric field, and by application of a voltage in an opposite direction to the drive voltage, to the pair of electrodes, the movable part is displaced in a direction away from the base substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric thin film element, comprising: a substrate 1; and a piezoelectric thin film 3 having an alkali niobium oxide-based perovskite structure represented by a composition formula (K1-xNax)yNbO3 provided on the substrate 1, wherein a carbon concentration of the piezoelectric thin film 3 is 2×1019/cm3 or less, or a hydrogen concentration of the piezoelectric thin film 3 is 4×1019/cm3 or less.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head for discharging liquid from nozzle openings is provided. The liquid ejecting head includes a piezoelectric element comprising a piezoelectric film inserted between electrodes with buffer layer on one or two surfaces of the piezoelectric film, wherein the piezoelectric film is made from barium titanate-based composition having a perovskite structure containing barium, titanium as well as copper equal to or less than 3 mol % of titanium amount, lithium more than or equal to 2 mol % and less than or equal to 5 mol % of titanium amount, and boron more than or equal to 2 mol % and less than or equal to 5 mol % of titanium amount and the buffer layer is formed from a complex oxides with perovskite structure containing bismuth, iron, manganese, barium and titanium.

Abstract: A crystal oriented ceramic composite body is provided, including a substrate that has a first surface and a second surface, and a {100} oriented ceramic film that is disposed to face the first surface. The {100} oriented ceramic film includes a first sectional surface. The first sectional surface is perpendicular to the first surface, and a 90 degree domain includes a domain wall within a range of ±20 degrees of a normal to the first surface and occupies a surface area of at least ? of the first sectional surface.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device which includes a piezoelectric body having piezoelectricity and a pair of electrodes for applying an electric field to the piezoelectric body in a predetermined direction in which a piezoelectric strain constant d33 (pm/V) and a relative pemittivity ?33 of the piezoelectric body satisfy Formulae (1) and (2) below. This makes the piezoelectric device excellent both in transmission and reception capabilities and appropriate for use as a piezoelectric actuator, a sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a power generating device. 100<?33<1500??(1) d33(pm/V)>12??33??(2).

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 element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric film disposed on the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric film. The piezoelectric film is composed of piezoelectric material that is lead free and formed by mixing 100(1?x) % of material A having a spontaneous polarization of 0.5 C/m2 or greater at 25° C. and 100 x % of material B having piezoelectric characteristics and a dielectric constant of 1000 or greater at 25° C., wherein (1?x)Tc(A)+x Tc(B)?300° C., where Tc(A) is the Curie temperature of the material A and Tc(B) is the Curie temperature of the material B.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film includes crystals of a complex oxide having a perovskite structure with (100)-preferred orientation and represented as: Pb1+?[(ZrxTi1-x)1-yNby]Oz, where x is a value in a range of 0<x<1, y is a value in a range of 0.13?y?0.25, and ? and z are values within ranges where the perovskite structure is obtained and ?=0 and z=3 are standard, wherein a ratio between a diffraction peak intensity I(100) from a perovskite (100) plane and a diffraction peak intensity I(200) from a perovskite (200) plane as measured by X-ray diffraction satisfies I(100)/I(200)?1.25.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a lead-free piezoelectric film including a lead-free ferroelectric material and having low dielectric loss and high piezoelectric performance comparable to that of PZT, and a method of manufacturing the lead-free piezoelectric film. The present invention is directed to a piezoelectric film comprising a (NaxBiy)TiO0.5x+1.5y+2—BaTiO3 layer with a (111) orientation, where 0.30?x?0.46 and 0.51?y?0.62.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film of a perovskite oxide represented by a general expression (P) below and has a pyrochlore free single phase perovskite structure with a/b?1.06. Pba(Zrx,Tiy,Mb-x-y)bOc??(P) (where, M represents one or more types of metal elements, 0<x<b, 0<y<b, 0?b-x-y, and a:b:c=1:1:3 is standard, but the molar ratio may deviate from the standard within a range in which a perovskite structure can be obtained.

Abstract: A multidomain plate acoustic wave device is provided having one or more single piezoelectric crystalline plates with differently polarized ferroelectric domains, where the domains have diverse directions of their axes of polarization. The device may consist of a multidomain plate acoustic wave transducer, a multidomain plate acoustic wave delay line, a multidomain plate acoustic wave rf filter, and any combination thereof. The differently polarized ferroelectric domains may comprise a collection of inversely or differently poled ferroelectric domains within a single piezoelectric medium. The medium may be any crystalline or ceramic plate with non-zero piezoelectric properties, in which the domains are created and embedded. In varying embodiments, the device includes electrodes oriented to generate an external rf field in various, respective directions, including in a direction normal to a basal plane of the device, or in a direction parallel to a length or a width of the device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the collective fabrication of a remotely interrogable sensor having at least one first resonator and one second resonator. Each resonator exhibits respectively a first and a second operating frequency. A first series of first resonators are fabricated. The first resonators each have a first operating frequency belonging to a first set of frequencies centered on a first central frequency. A second series of second resonators are fabricated. The second resonators each having a second operating frequency belonging to a second set of frequencies centered on a second central frequency. A series of pairings of a first resonator and of a second resonator are conducted so as to form pairs of resonators exhibiting a difference of operating frequencies which is equal to the difference of the first and second central frequencies.

Abstract: A liquid jet head includes: a nozzle plate having a nozzle opening; a pressure chamber substrate having a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle opening and formed above the nozzle plate; a vibration formed on one side of the pressure chamber substrate; and a piezoelectric element formed above the vibration plate and provided at a position corresponding to the pressure chamber, wherein the piezoelectric element includes two electrodes, a piezoelectric layer provided between the electrodes, and an orientation layer that is provided between one of the electrodes closer to the vibration plate and the piezoelectric layer, wherein the orientation layer includes a mixed crystal of lanthanum nickelate, and the lanthanum nickelate included in the mixed crystal is expressed by a formula LaxNiyOz, where x is an integer of any of 1 to 3, y is 1 or 2, and z is an integer of any of 2 to 7.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric element that includes a piezoelectric ceramic body containing an internal electrode. The piezoelectric ceramic body is mainly made of a perovskite complex oxide containing an alkali metal niobate-based compound containing at least one element selected from among K, Li, and Na. The internal electrode is made of a base metal material, such as Ni or Cu. The piezoelectric element is produced by co-sintering the internal electrode and the piezoelectric ceramic body in a reducing atmosphere.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film element is provided, including on a substrate: a piezoelectric thin film expressed by a general formula (NaxKyLiz)NbO3 (0?x?1, 0?y?1, 0?z?0.2, x+y+z=1); and an upper electrode laminated thereon, wherein the piezoelectric thin film has a crystal structure of any one of a pseudo-cubic crystal, a tetragonal crystal, or an orthorhombic crystal, or has a crystal structure of coexistence of at least two of the pseudo-cubic crystal, the tetragonal crystal, or the orthorhombic crystal, and in such crystal structures, there is a coexistence of (001) oriented crystal grains oriented in (001) direction, and (111) oriented crystal grains oriented in (111) direction, with an angle formed by at least one of the crystal axes of the crystal grains and a normal line of the substrate surface set to be in a range of 0° to 10°.

Abstract: 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: To provide a piezoelectric thin film element capable of improving piezoelectric characteristics and realize a piezoelectric thin film device with high performance and high reliability, comprising: a substrate; and a piezoelectric thin film formed on the substrate by a sputtering method, with perovskite oxide expressed by (NaxKyLiz)NbO3 (0?x?1, 0?y?1, 0?z?0, 2, x+y+z=1) as a main phase, wherein an absolute value of an internal stress of the piezoelectric thin film is 1.6 GPa or less.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric material having good piezoelectric properties and a Curie temperature (Tc) of 150° C. or higher, and a piezoelectric device using the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material includes a sintered body made of a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1): xBi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3-(1-x)BaTiO3??(1), where x satisfies 0.17?x?0.8, in which an average grain size of grains contained in the sintered body is 0.5 ?m or larger to 10 ?m or smaller, and the sintered body is polycrystalline. In addition, the piezoelectric device includes a piezoelectric material and a pair of electrodes disposed in contact with the piezoelectric material, in which the piezoelectric material is the above-mentioned piezoelectric material.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a ceramic electronic component capable of preventing degradation of the self alignment property and product characteristics due to absorption of flux into pores of a ceramic element assembly during soldering in mounting and a ceramic electronic component. In the method, a ceramic element assembly is subjected to an oil-repellent treatment by using an oil-repellent agent containing a polyfluoropolyether compound as a primary component and hydrofluoroether as a solvent, so as to avoid absorption of the flux by the ceramic element assembly.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric actuator includes a first polarization of a piezoelectric body; polishing the piezoelectric body; first heating step of heating the piezoelectric body to a temperature which is not lower than a Curie point of the piezoelectric body and performing a re-polarization of the piezoelectric body in a second polarization of the piezoelectric body having been heated in the first heating step.

Abstract: Piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramics having the composition represented by the general formula: xBNT-yBKT-zBT (x+y+z=1) are provided, wherein at least one kind among A-site elements are allowed to become deficient from stoichiometry in which a point (x, y, z) representing content ratios x, y and z of (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3, (Bi1/2K1/2)TiO3 and BaTiO3 is within a range including a border line of a quadrangle ABCD with a point A, a point B, a point C and a point D as vertices in a ternary phase diagram. Vacancies are formed in an A-site of a perovskite structure by allowing the A-site elements to become deficient from stoichiometry. An amount of A-site vacancies becomes at least 2 mol % to at most 6 mol %.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric ceramic and a piezoelectric element, which have a large dynamic d33 (dynamic piezoelectric coefficient d33), can be used even under an elevated temperature of 200° C., and exhibit a small variation between the dynamic d33 at room temperature and the dynamic d33 at 200° C. The piezoelectric ceramic of the present invention is characterized by containing 100 parts by mass of a bismuth layered compound as a main component and a total of 0.05 to 1 part by mass, in terms of oxides (MnO2 and Fe2O3), of at least one of Mn and Fe, the bismuth layered compound being represented by a compositional formula of Bi4Ti3O3O12.?[(1-?)M1TiO3.?M2M3O3], wherein ? and ? satisfy the following formulae: 0.405???0.498 and 0???0.3, M1 represents at least one selected from Sr, Ba, Ca, (Bi0.5Na0.5) (Bi0.5Li0.5) and (Bi0.5K0.5), M2 is at least one selected from Bi, Na, K and Li, and M3 is at least one of Fe and Nb.

Abstract: A <110> domain engineered relaxor-PT single crystals having a dielectric loss of about 0.2%, a high electromechanical coupling factor greater than about 85%, and high mechanical quality factor greater than about 500 is disclosed. In one embodiment, the relaxor-PT material has the general formula, Pb(B1B2)O3—Pb(B3)O3, where B1 may be one ion or combination of Mg2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Sc3+, In3+, Yb3+, B2 may be one ion or combination of Nb5+, Ta5+, W6+, and B3 may be Ti4+ or combination of Ti4+ with Zr4+ and/or Hf4+.

Abstract: The invention is an energy transducer that utilizes a material's internal energy as an energy source by operating in a cycle where there is a net loss in the material's internal energy without the need to raise the temperature of the material above ambient temperature. The invention is accomplished by the use of selected materials in which the material's mechanical strain, magnetization or electric polarization can be controlled by cross coupling forces, and where the cross coupling coefficients are not equal to each other in finite operating regions.

Abstract: A ceramic having a plurality of crystal grains that contain lithium and boron, the crystal grains are arranged in a planar direction, and the crystal grains have a mutually same crystal orientation with respect to the thickness direction, the ceramic having a portion defined by parallel sectional surfaces in a thickness direction, the portion being equally divided into a plurality of segments by parallel sectional surfaces in a planar direction, and when the amount of boron in each segment is compared, the thickness of a low boron concentration region, the low boron concentration region being a collection of segments displaying a boron amount of less than or equal to an average value for the maximum value and minimum value of the boron amount, is greater than or equal to 20% to less than or equal to 90% of the overall thickness of the portion.