Application of Designed-Space Forming Technology

A completely new designed-space forming technology using ceramic green sheet technology and photolithographic technology has been developed for ceramics. With this technology, it is possible to make any fine space accurately and at will in ceramics. A monolithic ceramic ink jet head and a piezoelectric multilayer ceramic sound transducer were developed using this new technology. A piezoelectric ceramic material was used for these devices. Spaces for nozzles, pressure chambers and an ink chamber in the ink jet head and cabities in the ceramic sound transducer were formed in the piezoelectric ceramic body with photosensitive polymer by photolithographic technology. The ink jet head showed stable ink ejection action with low drive voltage. The ceramic sound transducer showed wide-band sound responce characteristics with low drive voltage. The new designed-space forming technology can be applied to many kinds of electronic ceramic components and devices. Using this technology, miniaturization and cost reduction can be achieved.