Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device

Abstract

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided with a stationary portion, a thin-plate portion supported by the stationary portion, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive element formed by alternately laminating a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is produced by cutting a thin-plate body that composes the thin-plate portion afterward and a laminated body comprising the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers and thereafter applying prescribed specific processing (for example, heat treatment) to the cut plane (the lateral end surfaces). By so doing, the ratio of the actual surface area of the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element to the area of the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element in the orthographic projection is four or less, and the deposition of moisture on the lateral end surfaces is suppressed to the extent of not substantially generating electric leakage or ion migration.

1 . A method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device, comprising:
 a thin-plate portion;   a stationary portion that supports the thin-plate portion; and   a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element which is formed by laminating a plurality of electrodes and at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer at least on a plane of the thin-plate portion and has a lateral end surface formed with the respective lateral end surfaces of the plurality of electrodes and the lateral end surface of the at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer, wherein said method includes the steps of:   cutting the laminated body comprising the electrodes and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer; and   forming the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element by applying prescribed specific processing to a cut plane formed by the cutting so that the ratio of the actual surface area of the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element to the area of the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element in a orthographic projection may be four or less.   
   
   
       2 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 1 , wherein the specific processing is the processing of applying YAG laser processing to the cut plane. 
   
   
       3 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 1 , wherein the specific processing is the processing of applying excimer laser processing to the cut plane. 
   
   
       4 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 1 , wherein the specific processing is the processing of applying blasting to the cut plane. 
   
   
       5 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 1 , wherein the specific processing is the processing of applying ultrasonic cleaning to the cut plane. 
   
   
       6 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 1 , wherein the specific processing is the processing of applying heating to the cut plane. 
   
   
       7 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 1 , wherein the specific processing is the processing of applying mechanochemical polishing. 
   
   
       8 . A method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device, comprising:
 a thin-plate portion;   a stationary portion that supports the thin-plate portion; and   a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element which is formed by laminating a plurality of electrodes and at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer at least on a plane of the thin-plate portion and has a lateral end surface formed with the respective lateral end surfaces of the plurality of electrodes and the lateral end surface of the at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer, wherein said method includes:   a first polishing process of applying curved surface forming and/or chamfering to a corner of the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element by polishing with polishing cloth; and   a second polishing process of thereafter forming the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element by polishing and thus finishing a planar portion of the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element with polishing cloth.   
   
   
       9 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 8 , wherein the polishing cloth used in the first polishing process is softer than the polishing cloth used in the second polishing process. 
   
   
       10 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 8 , wherein, when the curved surface forming is applied to the corner of the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element in the first polishing process, the curved surface has a curvature radius in the range of 2 to 200 μm. 
   
   
       11 . The method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 8 , wherein, when the chamfering is applied to the corner of the lateral end surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element in the first polishing process, the length of the chamfering at the edge of the corner is in the range of 2 to 200 μm. 
   
   
       12 . A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device produced by a method for producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 8 . 
   
   
       13 . A method for producing the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to  claim 8 , wherein mechanochemical polishing is applied in the first polishing process.