EP0468796A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator having ceramic substrate
Assignee: NGK Insulators Ltd
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Filing: 1991-07-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-07-25
Abstract
Abstract A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator including a ceramic substrate (2, 10, 16, 22, 38) and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion (26, 28, 29, 30, 33a, 33b, 36a, 36b, 37, 39). The ceramic substrate has at least one recess (6, 14, 20, 24, 42) having a bottom surface which defines a thin-walled portion (8a, 22a), and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion is formed on the thin-walled portion of the ceramic substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Yukihisa Takeuchi
- 👤 Kouji Ngk Insulators Ltd. Kimura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 02:35
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10N; H10N30/00; H10N30/704; H10N30/706; H10N30/01; H10N30/07; H10N30/072; H10N30/073; H10N30/074; H10N30/20; H10N30/204; H10N30/2047
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
66 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator including a ceramic substrate (2, 10, 16, 22, 38) and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion (26, 28, 29, 30, 33a, 33b, 36a, 36b, 37, 39), characterised in that: said ceramic substrate has at least one recess (6, 14, 20, 24, 42) having a bottom surface which defines a thin-walled portion (8a, 22a), said piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion being formed on said thin-walled portion of said ceramic substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to claim 1, characterised in that said ceramic substrate includes a first layer (4, 12, 18, 40) having at least one opening (6, 14, 20, 42) formed through a thickness thereof, and a second layer (8) which is superposed on said first layer and cooperates with said at least one opening to define said thin-walled portion (8a, 22a).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion includes a plurality of films (26, 28, 30) laminated on each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to claim 3, characterised in that said plurality of films of said piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion consists of two electrode films (26, 30), and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film (28) interposed between said two electrode films.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion includes a pattern of electrode strips (33, 36a, 36b) and a pattern of piezoelectric/electrostrictive strips (37, 39) which are formed such that the electrode strips and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive strips are alternately disposed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterised in that said piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion consists of a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive units (26, 28, 30) which are formed on said ceramic substrate (22), such that said units are spaced from each other in a direction parallel to opposite major surfaces of said substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterised in that said piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion consists of a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive units (26, 28, 30, 32, 37) which are formed on said ceramic substrate such that said units are superposed on each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to any one of claims 1-7, characterised in that said ceramic substrate includes at least one major component selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum nitride and silicon nitride.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to any one of claims 1-8, characterised in that said ceramic substrate includes as a major component a zirconium oxide stabilized by at least one compound selected from the group consisting of yttrium oxide, ytterbium oxide, cerium oxide, calcium oxide and magnesium oxide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to any one of claims 1-9, characterised in that said thin-walled portion ( 8a) of said ceramic substrate has a thickness not larger than 50µm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to any one of claims 1-10, characterised in that said piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion has a thickness not larger than 100µm.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
152 words
A method of producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator including a ceramic substrate (2, 10, 16, 22, 38) and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion (26, 28, 29, 30, 33a, 33b, 36a, 36b, 37, 39), comprising the steps of: superposing on each other a first and a second green sheet which give, by firing thereof, a first layer (4, 12, 18, 40) and a second layer (8) of said ceramic substrate, respectively, said first green sheet having at least one opening (6, 14, 20, 42) formed through a thickness thereof; firing said first and second green sheets to form said ceramic substrate such that said second layer cooperates with said at least one opening in said first layer to define at least one recess (6, 14, 20, 24, 42) which has a bottom surface defining a thin-walled portion (8a, 22a) of said ceramic substrate; and forming said piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion on said thin-walled portion of said ceramic substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 12, characterised in that said first and second green sheets include at least one major component selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum nitride and silicon nitride.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that said ceramic substrate is formed of a zirconium oxide stabilized by at least one compound selected from the group consisting of yttrium oxide, ytterbium oxide, cerium oxide, calcium oxide and magnesium oxide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0408305A2
Cited
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