Abstract: An oxynitride piezoelectric material, which exhibits ferroelectricity and has good piezoelectric properties, and a method of producing the oxynitride piezoelectric material. The oxynitride piezoelectric material includes a tetragonal perovskite-type oxynitride represented by the following general formula (1): A1?xBix+?1B1?yB?y+?2O3?zNz??(1), where A represents a divalent element, B and B? each represent a tetravalent element, x represents a numerical value of 0.35 or more to 0.6 or less, y represents a numerical value of 0.35 or more to 0.6 or less, z represents a numerical value of 0.35 or more to 0.6 or less, and ?1 and ?2 each represent a numerical value of ?0.2 or more to 0.2 or less, in which the A includes at least one kind selected from Ba, Sr, and Ca and the B and the B? each include at least one kind selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Si, Ge, and Sn.

Abstract: Provided are a piezoelectric material without using lead or an alkali metal, the piezoelectric material having a stable crystal structure in a wide temperature range, high insulation property, and high piezoelectric property, and a piezoelectric element using the piezoelectric material, in which the piezoelectric material is made of a metal oxide having a tetragonal crystal structure and expressed by Ba(SixGeyTiz)O3 (here, 0?x?1, 0?y?1, and 0?z?0.5), the piezoelectric element includes the piezoelectric material and a pair of electrodes sandwiching the piezoelectric material, and at least one of the pair of electrodes is made of SrRuO3 or Ni.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a plurality of ejection outlets for ejecting liquid; individual liquid chambers communicating with the plurality of ejection outlets; ejection energy generating elements, provided correspondingly to associated ones of the individual liquid chambers, for generating energy for ejecting the liquid; a common liquid chamber for supplying the liquid to the plurality of individual liquid chambers; and communicating paths constituting flow paths for communicating associated ones of the individual liquid chambers and the common liquid chamber with each other. At least adjacent ones of the flow paths have communicating positions, at different portions as seen in a direction perpendicular to a direction of ejection of the liquid through the ejection outlets, with said common liquid chamber.

Abstract: Provided are a piezoelectric element that can effectively utilize a piezoelectric constant d15 to increase a deflection displacement of a vibrating plate, and devices using the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element includes: a first electrode; a second electrode; a vibrating plate that is in contact with the first electrode; a piezoelectric film provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; at least one recess formed on the second electrode side of the piezoelectric film; and a third electrode formed on an inner side wall of the at least one recess, in which the third electrode is connected to the second electrode.

Abstract: Provided are an oxynitride piezoelectric material which exhibits ferroelectricity and has good piezoelectric properties and a method of producing the oxynitride piezoelectric material. The oxynitride piezoelectric material includes a tetragonal perovskite-type oxynitride represented by the following general formula (1): A1-xBix+?1B1-yB?y+?2O3-zNz??(1) where A represents a divalent element, B and B? each represent a tetravalent element, x represents a numerical value of 0.35 or more to 0.6 or less, y represents a numerical value of 0.35 or more to 0.6 or less, z represents a numerical value of 0.35 or more to 0.6 or less, and ?1 and ?2 each represent a numerical value of ?0.2 or more to 0.2 or less, in which the A includes at least one kind selected from Ba, Sr, and Ca and the B and the B? each include at least one kind selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Si, Ge, and Sn.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric material in which the product of the piezoelectric constant and the Young's modulus is large to give excellent piezoelectricity without using lead. A piezoelectric material including a perovskite type crystal represented by a compositional formula of ABO2N wherein A represents a trivalent cation, and B represents a tetravalent cation provided that A and B are each other than lead, wherein when the number of nitrogen N atoms contained in the piezoelectric material is represented by Nxyz and the number of nitrogen atoms each disposed at a face-centered position in the crystal and in a long axis direction of the crystal, out of the nitrogen atoms the number of which is Nxyz, is represented by Nz, an expression of Nz/Nxyz>1/3 is satisfied. It is preferred that A and B are La and Ti, respectively.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric material excellent in piezoelectricity. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type complex oxide represented by the following General Formula (1). A (ZnxTi1-x))yM(1-y)O3??(1) wherein A represents at least one kind of element containing at least a Bi element and selected from a trivalent metal element; M represents at least one kind of element of Fe, Al, Sc, Mn, Y, Ga, and Yb; x represents a numerical value satisfying 0.4?x?0.6; and y represents a numerical value satisfying 0.1?y?0.9.

Abstract: Provided are a piezoelectric material without using lead or an alkali metal, the piezoelectric material having a stable crystal structure in a wide temperature range, high insulation property, and high piezoelectric property, and a piezoelectric element using the piezoelectric material, in which the piezoelectric material is made of a metal oxide having a tetragonal crystal structure and expressed by Ba(SixGeyTiz)O3 (here, 0?x?1, 0?y?1, and 0?z?0.5), the piezoelectric element includes the piezoelectric material and a pair of electrodes sandwiching the piezoelectric material, and at least one of the pair of electrodes is made of SrRuO3 or Ni.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric material which can be applied even to the MEMS technique, exhibits satisfactory piezoelectricity even at high ambient temperatures and is environmentally clean, namely, a piezoelectric material including an oxide obtained by forming a solid solution composed of two perovskite oxides A(1)B(1)O3 and A(2)B(2)O3 different from each other in crystalline phase, the oxide being represented by the following general formula (1): X{A(1)B(1)O3}?(1?X){A(2)B(2)O3}??(1) wherein “A(1)” and “A(2)” are each an element including an alkali earth metal and may be the same or different from each other; “B(1)” and “B(2)” each include two or more metal elements, and either one of “B(1)” and “B(2)” contains Cu in a content of 3 atm % or more; and “X” satisfies the relation 0<X<1.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a plurality of ejection outlets for ejecting liquid; individual liquid chambers communicating with the plurality of ejection outlets; ejection energy generating elements, provided correspondingly to associated ones of the individual liquid chambers, for generating energy for ejecting the liquid; a common liquid chamber for supplying the liquid to the plurality of individual liquid chambers; and communicating paths constituting flow paths for communicating associated ones of the individual liquid chambers and the common liquid chamber with each other. At least adjacent ones of the flow paths have communicating positions, at different portions as seen in a direction perpendicular to a direction of ejection of the liquid trough the ejection outlets, with said common liquid chamber.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head is provided, which includes a piezoelectric element for which the polarization characteristic can be recovered without having to apply an electrical field in a direction opposite to that in which an electrical field is to be applied during driving. A piezoelectric element provided for a liquid discharge head of the present invention includes a field-polarization hysteresis characteristic that has, at the least, one hysteresis loop. A saturation polarization point and a critical polarization point, on one hysteresis loop for the hysteresis characteristic, are positioned in the same field polarity, and different signs are provided for a polarization value at the saturation polarization point and for the polarization value at the critical polarization point.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cathode material for a lithium ion secondary cell having an excellent voltage characteristic and enabling to obtain a high capacity cell although cheaper than LiCoO.sub.2.The present invention uses as a cathode material a lithium compound Li.sub.x Mn.sub.2 O.sub.4 (wherein x is in the range of 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.3) whose oxygen ions are at least partially replaced by negative ions having a greater absolute value of valence than oxygen ion. Such a lithium compound may be, for example, Li.sub.x Mn.sub.2 O.sub.2 N.sub.2.

Abstract: A monomeric mixture for a cured polymeric material used as organic glass includes an aromatic di(meth)allyl carbonate (I), an aliphatic di(meth)allyl carbonate (II) and di(meth)allyl carbonate (III) having aromatic and aliphatic moieties. The amount of the di(meth)allyl carbonate of formula (III) is 0.1 to 10 parts by weight per 10 parts by weight of the aliphatic di(meth)allyl carbonate of formula (II). The monomeric mixture retains its uniform state without phase separation during long-term storage and gives a cured polymeric material having excellent transparency.

Abstract: A monomeric mixture for a cured polymeric material used as organic glass includes an aromatic di(meth)allyl carbonate (I), an aliphatic di(meth)allyl carbonate (II) and di(meth)allyl carbonate (III) having aromatic and aliphatic moieties. The amount of the di(meth)allyl carbonate of formula (III) is 0.1 to 10 parts by weight per 10 parts by weight of the aliphatic di(meth)allyl carbonate of formula (II). The monomeric mixture retains its uniform state without phase separation during long-term storage and gives a cured polymeric material having excellent transparency.