Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Masao Takahashi

Yukihisa Takeuchi

Tsutomu Nanataki

Koji Kimura

Iwao Ohwada

Toshikatsu Kashiwaya

Kazuhiro Yamamoto

Hirofumi Yamaguchi

Natsumi Shimogawa

Takayoshi Akao

Shigeki Okada

Shuichi Ozawa

Kei Kosaka

An electron-emitting device includes an emitter section composed of a dielectric material, a lower electrode disposed on the lower side of the emitter section, and an upper electrode disposed on the upper side of the emitter section so as to be opposed to the lower electrode with the emitter section therebetween, electrons being emitted from the emitter section through the upper electrode by the application of a drive voltage between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, wherein the upper electrode is provided with a plurality of through-holes which expose the emitter section and which have an average diameter of 10 nm or more and less than 100 nm, and a peripheral portion of each through-hole facing the emitter section is separated at a predetermined distance from the emitter section.

Electron-emitting device and method for manufacturing same

A ceramic device has an actuator element which includes a shape-retaining layer, an upper electrode formed on an upper portion of the shape-retaining layer, and a lower electrode formed on a lower portion of the shape-retaining layer. A vibrating section of ceramics supports the actuator element and a fixed section of ceramics vibratingly supports the vibrating section. An electrode material of the lower electrode contacting the vibrating section contains an additive in an amount of 0.01% by weight to 20% by weight. The electrode material contains platinum as a major component, for example. The additive to the electrode material is preferably zirconium oxide, cerium oxide, or titanium oxide.

Ceramic device

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive film device is provided, including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer and at least a pair of electrodes formed on the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer. A perovskite piezoelectric/electrostrictive material of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer contains Pb, and the perovskite piezoelectric/electrostrictive material contains MnOin an amount of 0.1 to 0.5% by weight. Specifically, the perovskite piezoelectric/electrostrictive material contains Pb(MgNb)O&#x2014;PbZrO&#x2014;PbTiOin which a part of Pb is substituted with Sr.

Piezoelectric/electrostrictive film device

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided, including a ceramic substrate having at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer made of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic composition and at least one pair of electrodes electrically connected to the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer formed thereon. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic composition contains a PbMgNbO&#x2014;PbZrO&#x2014;PbTiOsystem composition as a major component, wherein part of Pb is substituted with at least one of Sr and La, and contains Ce in an amount of 0.01 to 0.50% by mass in terms of CeO. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer is solidly attached to the substrate directly or via part of the electrodes.

Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device

A process for providing an integrated piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type element with excellent durability, includes a substrate made of a ceramic material composed mainly of completely stabilized or partially stabilized zirconium oxide, and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating section integrated onto the ceramic substrate by a film-forming method, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating section comprising a lower electrode, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer of a lead element-containing composition, and an upper electrode, wherein a heterophase-occurence rate at a surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer is controlled to a range of 0.1 to 30%.

Piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type elements and process for producing the same

An integrated piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type element with excellent durability, includes a substrate made of a ceramic material composed mainly of completely stabilized or partially stabilized zirconium oxide, and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating section integrated onto the ceramic substrate by a film-forming method, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating section comprising a lower electrode, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer of a lead element-containing composition, and an upper electrode, wherein a heterophase-occurence rate at a surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer is controlled to a range of 0.1 to 30%.

Disclosed is a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element composed of an actuator section of a uni-morph type comprising a main actuator element including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer and a pair of electrodes formed on a first principal surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer; a vibrating section which contacts with a second principal surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer for supporting the main actuator element; and a fixed section for supporting the vibrating section in a vibrative manner; wherein a relationship of y&equals;ax is satisfied, and an expression of {fraction (1/10)}&lE;a&lE;100 is satisfied provided that x represents a distance between the pair of electrodes (1 &mgr;m&lE;x&lE;200 &mgr;m), and y represents a thickness of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer (1 &mgr;m&lE;y&lE;100 &mgr;m). Accordingly, it is possible to greatly increase the relative displacement amount between the no-voltage-loaded state and the voltage-applied state and the relative displacement amount between the states in which mutually opposite electric fields are applied, making it possible to realize easy control when the element is utilized for actuators and improvement in sensitivity when the element is utilized for sensors.

Piezoelectric/electrostrictive element

Disclosed is a display device comprising a light-shielding plate including a metal thin film formed on a first principal surface of an optical waveguide plate for introducing the light thereinto and including light-transmitting sections formed at portions corresponding to picture elements to make penetration through the optical waveguide plate, and shutter sections provided opposingly to a second principal surface of the light-shielding plate, for selectively intercepting the light transmitted through the light-transmitting sections in accordance with an input signal. The shutter sections include actuator elements provided corresponding to the large number of light-transmitting sections so that the light to be transmitted through the light-transmitting sections is intercepted substantially in synchronization with the operation of the actuator elements. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the contrast and improve the image quality of a displayed image.

Display device

Disclosed is a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element composed of an actuator section of a uni-morph type comprising a main actuator element including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer and a pair of electrodes formed on a first principal surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer; a vibrating section which contacts with a second principal surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer for supporting the main actuator element; and a fixed section for supporting the vibrating section in a vibrative manner; wherein a relationship of y=ax is satisfied, and an expression of 1/10.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.100 is satisfied provided that x represents a distance between the pair of electrodes (1 .mu.m.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.200 .mu.m), and y represents a thickness of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer (1 .mu.m.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.100 .mu.m). Accordingly, it is possible to greatly increase the relative displacement amount between the no-voltage-loaded state and the voltage-applied state and the relative displacement amount between the states in which mutually opposite electric fields are applied, making it possible to realize easy control when the element is utilized for actuators and improvement in sensitivity when the element is utilized for sensors.

Disclosed is a display device for displaying a picture on an optical waveguide plate in accordance with an image signal by controlling displacement movement of each of actuator elements in a direction to make contact or separation with respect to the optical waveguide plate so that scattered light is controlled at a predetermined position on the optical waveguide plate, wherein the actuator element comprises a main actuator element including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer, and a pair of electrodes formed on a first principal surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer, a vibrating section contacting with a second principal surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer, for supporting the main actuator element, and a fixed section for supporting the vibrating section in a vibrative manner, and wherein the actuator element further comprises a displacement-transmitting section for transmitting, to the optical waveguide plate, displacement movement of the main actuator element caused by applying a voltage between the pair of electrodes. According to the display device, the electrostatic capacity of the actuator element can be reduced, further, display brightness without any nonuniformity can be obtained, and it is possible to improve the image quality.

A piezoelectric film-type element includes a piezoelectric operating layer constructed by successively and integrally forming and stacking, on a ceramic substrate, a single flat film-shaped lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode comprising a plurality of alternately arranged strip electrodes. The lower electrode is designated as a first electrode, and the upper electrode is designated as a second electrode. A first piezoelectric operating means is constructed by the first and second electrodes and the piezoelectric layer, while a second piezoelectric operating means is constructed by the second electrode and the piezoelectric layer. No other piezoelectric layer is stacked on the foregoing piezoelectric operating layer. Operating characteristics of the piezoelectric operating section can be sufficiently utilized by constructing the piezoelectric film-type element as described above. Thus it is possible to provide a piezoelectric film-type element which has excellent performance, has a compact size and can operate at a low voltage.

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Nagoya, Japan

Masao Takahashi