Piezoelectric/electrostrictive membrane element

Abstract

Disclosed is a piezoelectric/electrostrictive membrane element having a large flexural displacement with suppressed disadvantages such as the generation of a micro crack and a lattice defect due to a concentrated stress. The element includes a substrate of a ceramic material, a membranous piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body constituted of a large number of crystal particles 10, 20 of a lead zirconate titanate based piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic composition, and membranous electrodes electrically connected to the piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion. The crystal particles 10, 20 include crystal main body portions 13, 23, and surface layer portions 15, 25 arranged in at least a part of the outer periphery of crystal main body portions 13, 23 and having a crystal structure which is different from that of the crystal main body portions 13, 23, and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion is bonded in a solid state to the substrate directly or via electrodes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.