Method of fabricating a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator

Claim 1

A method of fabricating a piezoelectric or electrostrictive actuator, comprising the steps of: forming, without the use of a bonding agent, a plurality of electrodes in the form of strips on a surface of a ceramic substrate, by one of a thick-film forming technique and a thin-film forming technique such that said strips are spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to said surface of the substrate; and forming a piezoelectric or electroetrictive portion by a thick-film forming technique without use of a bonding agent, said piezoelectric or electrostrictive portion being integral with said substrate and being disposed between said adjacent electrode strips along said direction, said piezoelectric or electrostrictive portion being in contact with said strips so as to produce a flexural displacement or force due to at least a longitudinal mode of converse piezoelectric effect or electrostrictive effect upon application of voltage between adjacent electrodes, wherein said piezoelectric or electrostrictive portion comprise piezoelectric or electrostrictive ceramic material having a major component which consists essentially of at least one material selected from the group consisting of; lead zirconium titanate, lead magnesium niobate, lead nickel niobate, lead manganese niobate, lead antimony niobate, lead titanate, barium titanate, lead niobate, barium niobate and a mixture thereof, and said substrate has a thickness of not greater the 30 μm and a bending strength of at least 1500 kgf/cm 2 .

Claim 2

A method of fabricating a piezoelectric or electrostrictive actuator, comprising the steps of: forming, without the use of a bonding agent, a plurality of electrodes in the form of strips on a surface of a ceramic substrate, by one of a thick-film forming technique and a thin-film forming technique such that said strips are spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to said surface of the substrate; and forming a piezoelectric or electroetrictive portion by a thick-film forming technique without use of a bonding agent, said piezoelectric or electrostrictive portion being integral with said substrate and being disposed between said adjacent electrode strips along said direction, said piezoelectric or electrostrictive portion being in contact with said strips so as to produce a flexural displacement or force due to at least a longitudinal mode of converse piezoelectric effect or electrostrictive effect upon application of voltage between adjacent electrodes, wherein said piezoelectric or electrostrictive portion comprise piezoelectric or electrostrictive ceramic material having a major component which consists essentially of at least one material selected from the group consisting of; lead zirconium titanate, lead magnesium niobate, lead nickel niobate, lead manganese niobate, lead antimony niobate, lead titanate, barium titanate, lead niobate, barium niobate and a mixture thereof, and said substrate has a thickness of not greater the 30 μm and a bending strength of at least 1500 kgf/cm 2 .