Optical deflector and optical device

An optical deflector, comprising:

• a movable plate configured to reflect light;
• a pair of torsion bars configured to support movably and oscillatably the movable plate, each of the torsion bars having one end anchored to the movable plate and another end anchored to a support body;
• and
• piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies configured to cause the movable plate to rotationally oscillate, the piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies including a plurality of parallel oscillating plates and a plurality of piezoelectric actuators configured to drive the oscillating plates, and respective ends of more than one of the piezoelectric actuators that lie within a same plane are joined to a piezoelectric actuator portion fixed to the support body, wherein
• one end of each of the oscillating plates is connected to a respective one of the torsion bar, and another end of each of the oscillating plates is connected to the support body,
• the oscillating plates, the movable plate, the torsion bars, and the support body are formed of a unitary structure,
• the oscillating plates and the piezoelectric actuators of each of the piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies extend in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the torsion bars extend,
• the oscillating plates and the piezoelectric actuators of each of the piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies are segmented in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the torsion bars extend,
• each of the segmented oscillating plates includes one of the piezoelectric actuators,
• the segmented oscillating plates are combined at one combination portion, and
• the piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies and each of the torsion bars are combined at the one combination portion.

An optical deflector, comprising:

• a movable plate configured to reflect light;
• a pair of torsion bars configured to support movably and oscillatably the movable plate, each of the torsion bars having one end anchored to the movable plate and another end anchored to a support body;
• and
• piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies configured to cause the movable plate to rotationally oscillate, the piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies including a plurality of oscillating plates and a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, configured to drive the oscillating plates, wherein
• one end of each of the oscillating plates is connected to a respective one of the torsion bar, and another end of each of the oscillating plates is connected to the support body,
• the oscillating plates, the movable plate, the torsion bars, and the support body are formed of a unitary structure,
• the piezoelectric actuator that corresponds to each of the piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies is a voltage film formed directly upon or over the support body, and
• the voltage film is formed by a reactive ion plating technique that uses an arc discharge plasma.

An optical deflector, comprising:

• a movable plate configured to reflect light;
• a pair of torsion bars configured to support movably and oscillatably the movable plate, each of the torsion bars having one end anchored to the movable plate and another end anchored to a support body;
• and
• piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies configured to cause the movable plate to rotationally oscillate, the piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies including a plurality of oscillating plates and a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, configured to drive the oscillating plates, wherein
• one end of each of the oscillating plates is connected to a respective one of the torsion bar, and another end of each of the oscillating plates is connected to the support body,
• the oscillating plates, the movable plate, the torsion bars, and the support body are formed of a unitary structure,
• the piezoelectric actuator that corresponds to each of the piezoelectric unimorph oscillating bodies is a voltage film formed directly upon or over the support body, and
• a polarization process is performed upon the voltage film wherein a direct voltage of at least twice a driving voltage thereof is applied to the voltage film for a duration of between a plurality of minutes and a plurality of tens of minutes, and the unimorph is driven by a polarity identical to a polarity of the polarization process.