Patent ID: 7164179

Claim:
An angular velocity sensor comprising: a substrate including an integral area and a pair of spaced apart arms extending from said integral area such that said substrate is tuning-fork-shaped; a lower electrode layer formed on said substrate; a piezoelectric thin film formed on said lower electrode layer; an upper electrode layer formed on said piezoelectric thin film; wherein said lower electrode layer, said piezoelectric thin film and said upper electrode layer are arranged so as to form a driver on each of said arms of said substrate for vibrating said arms, a monitor on each of said arms of said substrate for detecting vibration of said arms generated by said drivers, and a detector on each of said arms of said substrate for detecting displacement of vibration made in application of an angular velocity; wherein said piezoelectric thin film has an outer peripheral edge that is step-shaped so as to have at least one flat portion; and wherein said at least one flat portion of said step-shaped outer peripheral edge has no upper electrode layer formed thereon.