US Patent 7126261 Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device and method for manufacturing the same

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device 10 includes a stationary portion 11; a thin-plate portion 12 supported by the stationary portion; and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element 14 including a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers arranged alternatingly In layers. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device 10 is manufactured by the steps of forming a piezoelectric/electrostrictive laminate by alternatingly laminating laminar electrodes and piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers on a plane of a thin-plate member adapted to form the thin-plate portion 12, and cutting the thin-plate member and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive laminate. The cutting step is performed by advancing a wire member (wire saw) reciprocating in a direction parallel to the direction of lamination of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive laminate while holding the wire member substantially parallel to the direction of lamination. Thus, since the laminar electrodes are cut while being extended within corresponding layer planes, the degree of covering the end surfaces of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers decreases.