Patent ID: 6931698
Filing Date: 2005-08-23
Classification: G02B,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprising a ceramic thin deformable portion that extends from a ceramic thick base portion and wich is deformed by a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element that is tightly fixed to at least said thin deformable portion to thereby change an angle of a ceramic reflective portion that extends beyond said thin deformable portion, said method comprising the steps of: laminating a first ceramic green sheet on a second ceramic green sheet having a substantially rectangular through-hole at a central portion thereof, such that said first ceramic green sheet covers said through-hole in said second ceramic green sheet; firing said laminated ceramic green sheets to thereby form a unitary ceramic body having a thick portion and a thin portion; forming a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element on at least said thin portion; performing a first cutting step to remove a part of said thick portion of said unitary ceramic body such that said unitary ceramic body comprises said thin portion and a residual thick portion having a cut surface and also having a predetermined thickness as measured from an end of said thin portion after said firing step, and after or before said step of forming said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element, said residual thick portion further comprising a reflective portion having said predetermined thickness and an opposed thick base portion having said predetermined thickness and being spaced a distance from said reflective portion by said thin portion; forming a light-reflecting member on at least a portion of said reflective portion; and performing a second cutting step to cut said residual thick portion along a plane perpendicularly intersecting with said cut surface; wherein said step of forming said light-reflecting member is performed before said second cutting step.