Piezoelectric vibrating piece, piezoelectric vibrator, oscillator, electronic apparatus and radiowave timepiece and method of fabricating piezoelectric vibrating piece

A method of fabricating a plurality of piezoelectric vibrating pieces at a time utilizing a wafer made of a piezoelectric material, the method comprising:

• an outer shape forming step of forming a plurality of outer shapes of piezoelectric plates each having a pair of vibrating arm portions arranged in parallel with each other in a state of being extended in one direction from base ends to front ends thereof and a base portion integrally supporting the pair of vibrating arm portions by way of connecting portions respectively connected to the pair of vibrating arm portions at middle positions from the base ends to the front ends at the wafer by etching the wafer by a photolithography technology;
• an electrode forming step of forming exciting electrodes for vibrating the pairs of vibrating arm portions when a drive voltage is applied thereto on outer surfaces of the plurality of piezoelectric plates and forming pairs of mount electrodes respectively connected electrically to the pairs of exciting electrodes on an outer surface of the base portion by patterning an electrode film on outer surfaces of the plurality of piezoelectric plates;
• and
• a cutting step of cutting to separate the plurality of piezoelectric plates from the wafer to fragment;
• wherein in the outer shape forming step, the outer shape of the piezoelectric plate is formed such that at least a portion of the base portion is interposed between the pair of vibrating arm portions.