Patent attributes
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive element having a double-layer structure in which a lower layer electrode film, a lower layer piezoelectric/electrostrictive film, an inner layer electrode film, an upper layer piezoelectric/electrostrictive film and an upper layer electrode film are laminated in this order on a thin portion of a substrate. In the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element, a driving signal is applied between an outer layer electrode film and the inner layer electrode film, whereby the thin portion and a laminate can be subjected to bending vibration. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive film has film thickness distribution in which a film thickness becomes larger in a continuous manner from a center portion of a bending vibration region which is an antinode of a bending first mode toward an edge portion of the bending vibration region which is a node of the bending first mode, along a short side direction of the bending vibration region.
