Patent ID: 7477004

Claim:
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition having a main component comprising a binary solid solution represented by the following general formula (1): (1 −n)(Ag 1−a−b−c Li a Na b K c )(Nb 1−x−y−z Ta x Sb y V z )O 3 + n M 1 M 2 O 3 (1); wherein 0≦a≦0.2, 0≦b≦0.95, 0≦c≦0.95, 0<(1−a−b −c)≦1, 0≦x≦0.5, 0.05≦y≦0.2, 0≦z≦0.2, 0≦(y+z)≦0.3, 0 ≦n≦ 0.2; and wherein M 1 and M 2 satisfy any of the following combinations A to C: combination A: M 1 is a monovalent metal element, and M 2 is a combination of two or more kinds of metal elements which are quinquevalent on average; combination B: M 1 is a bivalent metal element or a combination of two or more kinds of metal elements which are bivalent on average, and M 2 is a quadrivalent metal element or a combination of two or more kinds of metal elements which are quadrivalent on average; and combination C: M 1 is a tervalent metal element or a combination of two or more kinds of metal elements which are tervalent on average, and M 2 is a tervalent metal element or a combination of two or more kinds of metal elements which are tervalent on average.