Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device and method of manufacturing same

• US 6,643,902 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Yukihisa, Kimura, Koji, Nanataki, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tugbang, A. Dexter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/683,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 295/94, 298/962.2, 298/962.3, 29/253.5, 298/30, 294/12, 294/17, 310/328, 156/256, 156/89.16, 156/89.17
• US Class Current: 29/25.35
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/05 Manufacture of multilayered piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices, or parts thereof, e.g. by stacking piezoelectric bodies and electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/204 using bending displacement, e.g. unimorph, bimorph or multimorph cantilever or membrane benders
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/2042 Cantilevers, i.e. having one fixed end
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/2043 connected at their free ends, e.g. parallelogram type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/8554 Lead-zirconium titanate [PZT] based
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49574 Musical instrument or tuning fork making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49789 Obtaining plural product pieces from unitary workpiece

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprises a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections, a movable section, and a fixation section for supporting the thin plate sections and the movable section. Piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements are arranged on the pair of thin plate sections. A hole is formed by the inner walls of the pair of thin plate sections, an inner wall of the movable section, and an inner wall of the fixation section. A through-hole having a rectangular cross section is formed over a range from a forward end surface of the movable section to the hole to realize a light weight of the movable section.

Claims

1. A method for producing a piezoelecuic/electrostrictive device comprising:

forming a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections;

forming a fixation section for supporting said thin plate sections;

forming one or more piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements arranged on at least one thin plate section of said pair of thin plate sections;

forming a hole formed by both inner walls of said pair of thin plate sections and an inner wall of said fixation section; and

forming a movable section having a cutout at an end of said thin plate sections by cutting off a predetermined part after producing at least said piezoelecuic/electrostrictive element on said thin plate section.

2. The method for producing said piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein said cutout includes at least one of a hollow section and a through-hole provided for said movable section.

3. A method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprising:

a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections, a movable section, and a fixation section for supporting said thin plate sections and said movable section;

one or more piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements arranged on at least one thin plate section of said pair of thin plate sections; and

a hole formed by both inner walls of said pair of thin plate sections, an inner wall of said movable section, and an inner wall of said fixation section;

said method comprising;

a step of producing a ceramic laminate by integrally sintering a ceramic green laminate including at least a ceramic green sheet having a window for forming at least said hole thereafter and ceramic green sheets to be formed into said thin plate sections thereafter to produce said ceramic laminate;

a step of forming said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element on an outer surface of a portion of said ceramic laminate to be formed into said thin plate section; and

a cutoff step of forming said movable section having at least a cutout by means of at least one time of cutoff treatment for said ceramic laminate formed with said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element.

4. The method for producing said piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 3, wherein:

in said step of producing said ceramic laminate, said ceramic laminate is produced by integrally sintering a ceramic green laminate including a ceramic green sheet having a window for forming said movable section having at least said cutout, and said ceramic green sheets to be formed into said thin plate sections thereafter to produce said ceramic laminate; and

in said cutoff step, said movable section having at least said cutout is formed by means of said cutoff treatment for said ceramic laminate formed with said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element.

5. The method for producing said piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 3, wherein said cutout includes at least one of a hollow section and a through-hole provided for said movable section.

6. The method for producing said piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 3, wherein in said cutoff step, said hole is exposed by means of said cutoff treatment for said ceramic laminate.

7. A method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprising:

a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections, a movable section, and a fixation section for supporting said thin plate sections and said movable section;

one or more piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements arranged on at least one thin plate section of said pair of thin plate sections; and

a hole formed by both inner walls of said pair of thin plate sections, an inner wall of said movable section, and an inner wall of said fixation section, said method comprising;

a step of forming said movable section having an expanded section expanded in said hole by cutting off a predetermined part after producing at least said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element on said thin plate section.

8. The method for producing said piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 7, wherein:

in said step of producing said ceramic laminate, said ceramic laminate is produced by integrally sintering a ceramic green laminate including a ceramic green sheet having a window for forming said movable section formed with at least said expanded section, and said ceramic green sheets to be formed into said thin plate sections thereafter to produce said ceramic laminate; and

in said cutoff step, said movable section having at least said expanded section is formed by means of said cutoff treatment for said ceramic laminate formed with said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element.

9. The method for producing said piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 7, wherein in said cutoff step, said hole is exposed by means of said cutoff treatment for said ceramic laminate.

10. A method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprising:

a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections, a movable section, and a fixation section for supporting said thin plate sections and said movable section;

one or more piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements arranged on at least one thin plate section of said pair of thin plate sections; and

a hole formed by both inner walls of said pair of thin plate sections, an inner wall of said movable section, and an inner wall of said fixation section;

said method comprising;

a step of producing a ceramic laminate by integrally sintering a ceramic green laminate including at least a ceramic green sheet having a window for forming at least said hole thereafter and ceramic green sheets to be formed into said thin plate sections thereafter to produce said ceramic laminate;

a step of forming said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element on an outer surface of a portion of said ceramic laminate to be formed into said thin plate section; and

a cutoff step of forming said movable section having at least an expanded section expanded in said hole by means of at least one time of cutoff treatment for said ceramic laminate formed with said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element.