Patents by Inventor Takamitsu Higuchi

Takamitsu Higuchi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9431597
    Abstract: A piezoelectric laminate including a base and a first piezoelectric layer formed above the base and including potassium sodium niobate. The first piezoelectric layer is shown by a compositional formula (KaNa1-a)xNbO3, “a” and “x” in the compositional formula being respectively 0.1<a<1 and 1?x?1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mayumi Ueno, Takamitsu Higuchi, Takeshi Kijima
  • Publication number: 20150303371
    Abstract: A piezoelectric laminate including a base and a first piezoelectric layer formed above the base and including potassium sodium niobate. The first piezoelectric layer is shown by a compositional formula (KaNa1-a)xNbO3, “a” and “x” in the compositional formula being respectively 0.1<a<1 and 1?x?1.2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Mayumi UENO, Takamitsu HIGUCHI, Takeshi KIJIMA
  • Patent number: 9148116
    Abstract: A piezoelectric laminate including a base and a first piezoelectric layer formed above the base and including potassium sodium niobate. The first piezoelectric layer is shown by a compositional formula (KaNa1-a)xNbO3, “a” and “x” in the compositional formula being respectively 0.1<a<1 and 1?x?1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mayumi Ueno, Takamitsu Higuchi, Takeshi Kijima
  • Patent number: 8120178
    Abstract: A tuning fork vibration device includes: a SOI substrate having a substrate, an oxide layer formed above the substrate and a semiconductor layer formed above the oxide layer; a tuning fork type vibration section that is formed by processing the semiconductor layer and the oxide layer and composed of the semiconductor layer; and a driving section for generating flexural vibration of the vibration section, wherein the vibration section includes a support section and two beam sections formed in a cantilever shape with the support section as a base of the beam sections, and the driving section includes a pair of drivers formed on each of the two beam sections, each of the drivers including a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer formed above the first electrode layer and a second electrode layer formed above the piezoelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamitsu Higuchi, Makoto Eguchi
  • Patent number: 8004165
    Abstract: A tuning fork oscillating piece includes: a base; a pair of oscillating arms extending from the base in directions substantially parallel with each other; a drive piezoelectric element provided at least on one main surface or side surface of each of the oscillating arms to allow bending oscillation of the oscillating arms by piezoelectric distortion caused by applied charge; a detection piezoelectric element provided on the surface opposed to the surface of each of the oscillating arms on which the drive piezoelectric element is provided to convert the piezoelectric distortion caused by the bending oscillation of the oscillating arms into charge and output the charge. The drive piezoelectric element has a drive piezoelectric section. The detection piezoelectric element has a detection piezoelectric section. The absolute value of the piezoelectric d constant of the drive piezoelectric section is larger than the absolute value of the piezoelectric d constant of the detection piezoelectric section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Furuhata, Masahiro Oshio, Takamitsu Higuchi
  • Patent number: 7954377
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes: a piezoelectric vibration device; an oscillation circuit; and a detection circuit, wherein the piezoelectric vibration device includes a substrate, an insulation layer formed above the substrate, a vibration section forming layer formed above the insulation layer, a vibration section formed in a cantilever shape in a first opening section that penetrates the vibration section forming layer, a second opening section that penetrates the insulation layer and formed below the first opening section and the vibration section, and a piezoelectric element section formed on the vibration section, the oscillation circuit vibrates the piezoelectric vibration device at a resonance frequency, and the detection circuit detects a change in the frequency of vibration of the piezoelectric vibration device which is caused by an acceleration applied in a direction in which the vibration section extends, and outputs a signal corresponding to the acceleration based on the change in the frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamitsu Higuchi, Yasuhiro Ono
  • Patent number: 7950282
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes: a piezoelectric vibration device; an oscillation circuit; and a detection circuit, wherein the piezoelectric vibration device includes a substrate, an insulation layer formed above the substrate, a vibration section forming layer formed above the insulation layer, a vibration section formed in a cantilever shape in a first opening section that penetrates the vibration section forming layer and having a base section affixed to the vibration section forming layer and two beam sections extending from the base section, a second opening section that penetrates the insulation layer and formed below the first opening section and the vibration section, and a piezoelectric element section formed on each of the beam sections; the oscillation circuit vibrates the piezoelectric vibration device at a resonance frequency; and the detection circuit detects a change in the frequency of vibrations of the piezoelectric vibration device which is caused by an acceleration applied in a direction i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamitsu Higuchi, Yasuhiro Ono
  • Patent number: 7913560
    Abstract: An angular rate sensor includes a piezoelectric vibration device; and a detection section, wherein the piezoelectric vibration device includes a vibration section having a first support section, four (first-fourth) cantilever sections supported by the first support section, and a second support section that supports the first support section. The detection section is formed above the vibration section for detecting an angular rate of rotation applied to the vibration section, and has a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed above the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed above the piezoelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamitsu Higuchi, Yasuhiro Ono
  • Patent number: 7841056
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element includes: forming a first base substrate having an element to be transferred; forming a second base substrate; and transferring the element to the second base substrate. The forming of the element includes forming a first electrode above a first substrate, forming a piezoelectric layer above the first electrode, forming a second electrode above the piezoelectric layer, crystallizing the piezoelectric layer, forming a dielectric layer above the second electrode, and etching the dielectric layer such that part of the second electrode is exposed and the dielectric layer has a protrusion upwardly protruding relative to the second electrode. Forming the second base substrate includes forming a third electrode above a second substrate. The transferring includes bonding the element and the second base substrate such that the second substrate is in contact with the protrusion and the second electrode is in contact with the third electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Matsumoto, Takamitsu Higuchi, Yasuhiro Ono
  • Patent number: 7830215
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric oscillator includes the steps of: forming a first semiconductor layer above a substrate; forming a second semiconductor layer above the first semiconductor layer; forming a first opening section that exposes the substrate by removing the second semiconductor layer and the first semiconductor layer in an area for forming a support section; forming the support section in the first opening section; forming a driving section that generates flexing vibration in an oscillation section above the second semiconductor layer; patterning the second semiconductor layer to form the oscillation section having the supporting section as a base end and another end provided so as not to contact the supporting section, and a second opening section that exposes the first semiconductor layer; and removing the first semiconductor layer through a portion exposed at the second opening section by an etching method, thereby forming a cavity section at least below the oscillation section, wher
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamitsu Higuchi, Juri Kato, Yasuhiro Ono
  • Publication number: 20100194248
    Abstract: A piezoelectric oscillator includes a substrate, a supporting section formed above the substrate, an oscillation section having one end affixed to the supporting section and another free end, and a driving section that is formed above the oscillation section and generates flexing vibration in the oscillation section. The driving section includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed above the first electrode, and a second electrode formed above the piezoelectric layer, and the oscillation section is composed of a material that is different from a material of the supporting section. The oscillation section is composed of single crystal silicon, and the supporting section is composed of polycrystal silicon or amorphous silicon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takamitsu HIGUCHI, Juri KATO, Yasuhiro ONO
  • Patent number: 7731933
    Abstract: An insulating target material for obtaining an insulating complex oxide film represented by a general formula AB1-XCXO3, an element A including at least Pb, an element B including at least one of Zr, Ti, V, W, and Hf, and an element C including at least one of Nb and Ta.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Kijima, Takamitsu Higuchi
  • Patent number: 7707701
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric element includes the steps of forming a first electrode above a substrate, forming above the first electrode a piezoelectric layer composed of a piezoelectric material having a perovskite structure, and forming a second electrode above the piezoelectric layer, wherein the step of forming the first electrode includes forming a lanthanum nickelate layer that is oriented to a cubic (100) by a sputter method, and a ratio of nickel to lanthanum (Ni/La) in a target used for the sputter method is greater than 1 but smaller than 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Setsuya Iwashita, Koji Ohashi, Takamitsu Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20100013894
    Abstract: A piezoelectric laminate including a base and a first piezoelectric layer formed above the base and including potassium sodium niobate. The first piezoelectric layer is shown by a compositional formula (KaNa1-a)xNbO3, “a” and “x” in the compositional formula being respectively 0.1<a<1 and 1?x?1.2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mayumi Ueno, Takamitsu Higuchi, Takeshi Kijima
  • Patent number: 7601387
    Abstract: A piezoelectric film laminate including a sapphire substrate and a lead zirconate titanate niobate film and a potassium niobate film formed on the sapphire substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamitsu Higuchi, Takeshi Kijima, Mayumi Ueno
  • Patent number: 7596840
    Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing a piezoelectric thin film resonator with excellent characteristics. A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric thin film resonator in accordance with the present invention includes a step of forming a laminated body by successively laminating, above a first substrate, a piezoelectric thin film and a first electrode, a step of bonding a second substrate and the laminated body, a step of separating the first substrate from the laminated body, a step of forming a second electrode above the piezoelectric thin film, and a step of patterning the second electrode, the piezoelectric thin film and the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Setsuya Iwashita, Takamitsu Higuchi
  • Patent number: 7575777
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a potassium niobate deposited body includes: forming a buffer layer above a substrate composed of an R-plane sapphire substrate; forming above the buffer layer a potassium niobate layer or a potassium niobate solid solution layer that epitaxially grows in a (100) orientation in a pseudo cubic system expression; and forming an electrode layer above the potassium niobate layer or the potassium niobate solid solution layer, wherein a (100) plane of the potassium niobate layer or the potassium niobate solid solution layer is formed to tilt with a [11-20] direction vector as a rotation axis with respect to an R-plane (1-102) of the R-plane sapphire substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamitsu Higuchi, Taku Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7565724
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric element includes the steps of forming a first electrode above a substrate, forming, above the first electrode, a piezoelectric layer composed of a piezoelectric material having a perovskite structure, and forming a second electrode above the piezoelectric layer, wherein the step of forming the first electrode includes forming a layer containing nickel, and forming, above the layer containing nickel, a lanthanum nickelate layer that is oriented to a cubic (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Setsuya Iwashita, Koji Ohashi, Takamitsu Higuchi
  • Patent number: 7522388
    Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect element is provided and includes a memory layer, an insulating layer and a fixed magnetic layer successively stacked on a substrate. The memory layer is formed on the substrate through a transition metal oxide layer having a predetermined orientation plane. A buffer layer is preferably provided on a lower layer side of the transition metal oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromu Miyazawa, Takamitsu Higuchi, Setsuya Iwashita
  • Patent number: 7521134
    Abstract: A potassium niobate deposited body in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes an R-plane sapphire substrate, and a potassium niobate layer or a potassium niobate solid solution layer formed above the R-plane sapphire substrate, wherein the potassium niobate layer or the potassium niobate solid solution layer epitaxially grows in a (100) orientation in a pseudo cubic system expression, and the potassium niobate layer or the potassium niobate solid solution layer has a (100) plane that tilts with a [11-20] direction vector as a rotation axis with respect to an R-plane (1-102) of the R-plane sapphire substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamitsu Higuchi, Taku Aoyama