Patent ID: 6700307
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: B06B,B41J,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
A piezoelectric vibrator unit comprising a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators, wherein:each of the piezoelectric vibrators includes first internal electrodes and second internal electrodes laminated alternately with layers of piezoelectric material interposed therebetween, to thereby form an active region in a free end part of the piezoelectric vibrator; each of the piezoelectric vibrators further includes a first external electrode and a second external electrode that are formed as outer surfaces of the piezoelectric vibrator and that are respectively connected electrically to the first internal electrodes and the second internal electrodes; the free end part of the piezoelectric vibrator is displaceable in a direction orthogonal to a lamination direction by activating the piezoelectric material with a potential difference applied to the piezoelectric material within the active region via the first and second external electrodes; at least one of the first and second external electrodes is formed on a free end part outer surface of an outermost layer of the piezoelectric material, which layer being an outermost one of the layer of the piezoelectric material in the lamination direction, so that a portion of the outermost layer in the active region can also be activated; a portion of the at least one external electrode of each of the piezoelectric vibrators is defined as a trimming portion that is located within the active region as a side surface of the piezoelectric vibrator in the lamination direction and that can change an effective length by partial removal of the external electrode; and a displacement amount of each of the piezoelectric vibrator is adjustable by the partial removal of the external electrode from the trimming portion to change a range of the activatable portion of the outermost layer of the piezoelectric material.