Piezoelectric/electrostrictive manufacturing method

Abstract

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device (10) includes a pair of thin plates (12a, 12b) confronting each other, a fixing member (14) supporting the thin plates (12a, 12b) thereon, and movable portions (22a, 22b) disposed on end portions of the pair of thin plates (12a, 12b). The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device (10) is manufactured by the following steps. Protrusions (72) are formed on principal surfaces of first ceramic green sheets (60A, 60B) according to at least a single thick film forming process. The protrusions (72) will subsequently serve as the movable portions (22a, 22b), and the first ceramic green sheets (60A, 60B) will subsequently serve as the thin plates (12a, 12b). The first ceramic green sheets (60A, 60B) and a second ceramic green sheet (64) which will subsequently serve as the fixing member (14) are stacked into a ceramic green laminated body (50). The ceramic green laminated body (50) is baked into an integral ceramic laminated body (52). Piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements (18a, 18b) are formed on the ceramic laminated body (52). After the piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements (18a, 18b) are baked, unnecessary portions are removed from the piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements (18a, 18b) to fabricate the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device (10).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.