AbstractThe topic of this research is the investigation of Ag‐Pd internal electrodes used to interconnect layers of multilayer actuator stacks. The layers are made of the piezoelectric ceramic material Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)0.125−Ti0.49Zr0.385O3 + MnO2 1.0 mass % + Al2O3 0.5 mass % (hereafter referred to as PZNTZ). It is found that when PZNTZ is added to the Ag‐Pd mixing powder in amounts greater than 0.1 mass %, the peeling strength of the electrodes is improved. The data reported here indicate that the addition of this material does not lead to large changes in the electrode resistance, and hence does not compromise its function. Two explanations are offered as to why the addition of PZNTZ produces this effect: first, it decreases the wetting of the electrode at the boundary between electrode and piezoelectric material; and second, it decreases the fluidity of the electrode material in the horizontal (surface) direction that accompanies shrinkage during sintering. When Ag‐Pd with PZNTZ added is used to make electrodes for the internal connections of a tuning fork consisting of multilayer piezoelectric ceramic material, and the tuning fork is driven under conditions that cause it to vibrate at the large amplitude of 25 µm, the tuning fork exhibits markedly superior linearity characteristics, including minimal changes in its resonance frequency. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(1): 36–46, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.1116