Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device

摘要

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device has a driving portion (3) with thin plate portions (6, 7) and piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements (2), which drives a movable portion (4). A fixing portion (5) and the movable portion are coupled via the driving portion. A hole is formed by inner walls of the driving, movable and fixing portions. Each piezoelectric/electrostrictive element (2) has a pair of electrodes and a piezoelectric/ electrostrictive layer. One end of a piezoelectric/ electrostrictive operating portion of at least one element (2) is positioned on the fixing portion, and extends to a part of one of the thin plate portions. One end of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating portion of another element (2) is positioned on the movable portion, and extends to a part of the other thin plate portion. The device is capable of large displacement quantity of a movable portion while maintaining the mechanical strength at the joined portion of the thin plate portion with the movable portion, and may be used as a displacement element of high resonant frequency and superior response. It may act as a sensor element capable of detecting vibrations of the movable portion with fine precision.