초록 ▼

A piezoelectric actuator 1 capable of being driven with a high electric field intensity, obtaining a larger displacement and being high in electric conducting reliability of electrodes, and comprising: at least one cell 3 defined by two side walls 6, a substrate 2 and a ceiling wall 7; the two side

A piezoelectric actuator 1 capable of being driven with a high electric field intensity, obtaining a larger displacement and being high in electric conducting reliability of electrodes, and comprising: at least one cell 3 defined by two side walls 6, a substrate 2 and a ceiling wall 7; the two side walls being disposed on the substrate and being covered with the ceiling wall to define one cell, at least the two side walls 6 comprising piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4, and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4 being capable of changing a volume of the cell 3 by displacement of the walls. Each of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4 comprises a plurality of layered piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies 14 and electrodes 18, 19 which are alternately stacked, and end portions of the electrodes 18, 19 are embedded in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies 14 in at least the internal side of the cell 3.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator comprising: at least one cell defined by two side walls, a substrate and a ceiling wall; said two side walls being disposed on the substrate, and being covered by the ceiling wall, at least the two side walls being c

What is claimed is: 1. A cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator comprising: at least one cell defined by two side walls, a substrate and a ceiling wall; said two side walls being disposed on the substrate, and being covered by the ceiling wall, at least the two side walls being composed of piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices; said piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices being capable of changing a volume of said at least one cell with causing displacement in walls of the cell, wherein each of piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices comprises a plurality of layered piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies and electrode layers which are alternately stacked, and end portions of all of the electrodes are embedded in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies at an internal side of the cell. 2. The cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to claim 1 which comprises a plurality of cells each of which is formed independently of the adjacent cells, wherein end portions of electrodes of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices forming a cell are exposed from the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body at an external side of the cell. 3. The cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to claim 1, wherein the ceiling wall comprises the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device. 4. The cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to claim 1, wherein an electric connection is performed every other layer at a portion of the electrodes being formed on a portion other than the two side walls comprising the piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices. 5. The cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator according to claim 4, wherein the electric connection is performed by a through hole or a via hole. 6. An optical switch which is disposed midway in an optical path and which defines a path of an optical signal, the optical switch comprising: an actuator section comprising a cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator and a waveguide section including a fine slit; said cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator comprising: a plurality of cells each of which is formed independently of the adjacent cells and is defined by two side walls, a substrate and a ceiling wall; said two side walls being disposed on the substrate, and being covered by the ceiling wall, at least the two side walls being composed of piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices; each of said piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices being capable of changing a volume of a cell with causing displacement of walls of the cell, wherein each of piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices comprises a plurality of layered piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies and electrode layers which are alternately stacked, and end portions of the electrodes are embedded in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies at an internal side of the cell; wherein gas is charged in a cell of the actuator section, liquid is charged in the fine slit of the waveguide section, wherein the cell is connected to the fine slit via a communicating hole, the fine slit intersects with an optical waveguide, and the cell is disposed in an intersecting place, and wherein a part of the gas charged in the cell in the intersecting place is injected protrudently into the fine slit from the communicating hole, or the gas injected protrudently into the fine slit is returned into the cell via the communicating hole to change a refractive index of the fine slit inclusive of the optical waveguide section in accordance with change in volume of the cell caused by displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device. 7. A micro pump which feeds fluid by a function of pressure, comprising: at least one pump section, the pump section comprising a pump unit, the pump unit comprising at least one actuator section capable of changing pressure, and a flow path section in which the fluid flows; the actuator section comprising a cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator comprising a plurality of cells each of which is formed independently of the adjacent cells and is defined by two side walls, a substrate and a ceiling wall; said two side walls being disposed on the substrate, and being covered by the ceiling wall, at least the two side walls being composed of piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices; each of said piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices being capable of changing a volume of a cell with causing displacement of walls of the cell, wherein each of piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices comprises a plurality of layered piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies and electrode layers which are alternately stacked, and end portions of the electrodes are embedded in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies at an internal side of the cell, wherein a change in pressure is caused in the flow path section by displacement of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device constituting a side wall of a cell of the actuator section to selectively form a flow path of a fluid.