Piezoelectric transformer

A piezoelectric transformer comprising:

• a base;
• and
• an upper layer that is supported by the base;
• wherein the upper layer includes a vibration portion assembly corresponding to a part of the upper layer that is not superposed with the base,
• the vibration portion assembly includes an output electrode, an output-side intermediate electrode, an input-side intermediate electrode, and an input electrode, which are arranged separated from each other in a thickness direction and sequentially arrayed in the thickness direction,
• when n is an integer greater than or equal to 3,
• the vibration portion assembly includes n vibration portions arrayed in a first direction,
• the upper layer includes a first piezoelectric layer interposed between the output electrode and the output-side intermediate electrode in at least the n vibration portions and a second piezoelectric layer superposed with the first piezoelectric layer and interposed between the input-side intermediate electrode and the input electrode in at least the n vibration portions,
• the input electrode includes one to n input electrode pieces that are arrayed in a divided manner so as to correspond to at least some of the n vibration portions,
• the output electrode includes one to n output electrode pieces that are arrayed in a divided manner so as to correspond to the at least some of the n vibration portions,
• the output-side intermediate electrode includes one to n output-side intermediate electrode pieces that are arrayed in a divided manner so as to correspond to the at least some of the n vibration portions,
• when the n vibration portions are referred to as first to nth vibration portions from a first side to a second side of the piezoelectric transformer in the first direction,
• the first piezoelectric layer is polarized in a fixed direction throughout the n vibration portions,
• the second piezoelectric layer has one to n polarization regions that correspond to the at least some of the n vibration portions, and of the one to n polarization regions, a first polarization region group corresponding to odd-numbered vibration portions and a second polarization region group corresponding to even-numbered vibration portions are polarized in opposite directions,
• wiring lines arranged such that voltages of a same phase can be applied to the one to n input electrode pieces with the potential of the input-side intermediate electrode serving as a reference potential,
• the one to n output electrode pieces include a first output electrode piece and a second output electrode piece that are electrically connected to each other,
• the one to n output-side intermediate electrode pieces include a first output-side intermediate electrode piece and a second output-side intermediate electrode piece that are electrically connected to each other, and
• the second output electrode piece and the first output-side intermediate electrode piece are superposed with each other in the thickness direction, the first output electrode piece is not superposed with the first output-side intermediate electrode piece or the second output-side intermediate electrode piece in the thickness direction, and the second output-side intermediate electrode piece is not superposed with the first output electrode piece or the second output electrode piece in the thickness direction.

A piezoelectric transformer comprising:

• a base;
• and
• an upper layer that is supported by the base;
• wherein the upper layer includes a vibration portion assembly corresponding to a part of the upper layer that is not superposed with the base,
• the vibration portion assembly includes an output electrode, an output-side intermediate electrode, an input-side intermediate electrode, and an input electrode, which are arranged separated from each other in a thickness direction and sequentially arrayed in the thickness direction,
• the vibration portion assembly includes first and second vibration portions that are arrayed in a first direction,
• the upper layer includes a first piezoelectric layer interposed between the output electrode and the output-side intermediate electrode in the first and second vibration portions and a second piezoelectric layer superposed with the first piezoelectric layer and interposed between the input-side intermediate electrode and the input electrode in the first and second vibration portions,
• the input electrode includes first and second input electrode pieces that are arrayed so as to correspond to the first and second vibration portions,
• the output electrode includes first and second output electrode pieces that are arrayed so as to correspond to the first and second vibration portions,
• the first piezoelectric layer is polarized in a fixed direction throughout the first and second vibration portions,
• the second piezoelectric layer is polarized in a fixed direction throughout the first and second vibration portions,
• wiring lines arranged such that voltages of opposite phases can be respectively applied to the first input electrode piece and the second input electrode piece with a potential of the input-side intermediate electrode serving as a reference potential,
• the output-side intermediate electrode includes a first output-side intermediate electrode piece and a second output-side intermediate electrode piece, and
• the first output electrode piece and the first output-side intermediate electrode piece are superposed with each other in a thickness direction, and the second output electrode piece and the second output-side intermediate electrode piece are superposed with each other in the thickness direction.

A piezoelectric transformer comprising:

• a base;
• and
• an upper layer that is supported by the base;
• wherein the upper layer includes a vibration portion assembly corresponding to a part of the upper layer that is not superposed with the base,
• the vibration portion assembly includes an output electrode, an output-side intermediate electrode, an input-side intermediate electrode, and an input electrode, which are arranged separated from each other in a thickness direction and sequentially arrayed in the thickness direction,
• the vibration portion assembly includes first and second vibration portions that are arrayed in a first direction,
• the upper layer includes a first piezoelectric layer interposed between the output electrode and the output-side intermediate electrode in the first and second vibration portions and a second piezoelectric layer superposed with the first piezoelectric layer and interposed between the input-side intermediate electrode and the input electrode in the first and second vibration portions,
• the input electrode includes first and second input electrode pieces that are arrayed so as to correspond to the first and second vibration portions,
• the output electrode includes first and second output electrode pieces that are arrayed so as to correspond to the first and second vibration portions,
• the first piezoelectric layer is polarized in a fixed direction throughout the first and second vibration portions,
• the second piezoelectric layer is polarized so as to have opposite polarization directions in the first vibration portion and the second vibration portion,
• wiring lines arranged such that voltages of the same phase can be applied to the first input electrode piece and the second input electrode piece with a potential of the input-side intermediate electrode serving as a reference potential,
• the output-side intermediate electrode includes a first output-side intermediate electrode piece and a second output-side intermediate electrode piece, and
• the first output electrode piece and the first output-side intermediate electrode piece are superposed with each other in the thickness direction, and the second output electrode piece and the second output-side intermediate electrode piece are superposed with each other in the thickness direction.