Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric stack including: a substrate (1); a bottom electrode film (2) on the substrate; a piezoelectric film (3) on the bottom electrode film, having a planar area smaller than a planar area of the bottom electrode film; a top electrode film (4) on the piezoelectric film; and an insulating film (5) provided from the top electrode film to the bottom electrode film and covering at least a part of a side surface of the piezoelectric film, wherein the insulating film has a slope (9a) filling a step between a top surface of the top electrode film and a top surface of the bottom electrode film, and the slope has a shape alleviating the step.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a nozzle layer having a nozzle through which a liquid is discharged from a second side toward a first side, a liquid chamber substrate, and a drive circuit. The nozzle layer includes a vibration layer, a piezoelectric actuator adjacent to the nozzle and over the first side, a circuit connection over the first side, a first protective layer around the circuit connection, a second protective layer over the piezoelectric actuator, a first water-resistant film over the first protective layer, and a second water-resistant film over the second protective layer. The second protective layer is separated from the first protective layer. The first protective layer defines an opening above the circuit connection. The liquid chamber substrate has a liquid chamber communicating with the nozzle. The drive circuit is disposed over the second side and connected to the circuit connection to drive the piezoelectric actuator.

Abstract: A sputtering target comprising a target material, wherein a sputtering face of the target material has a ramp provided to reduce a thickness of the target material at a position where erosion concentrates most intensively during sputtering.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric stack, including: a substrate; an electrode film; and a piezoelectric film which is comprised of alkali niobium oxide of a perovskite structure represented by a composition formula of (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0<x<1), wherein the piezoelectric film comprises crystals having a grain size with a standard deviation of 0.42 ?m or less.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric stack, including: a substrate; an output-side bottom electrode film on the substrate; an output-side piezoelectric film, being an oxide film, on the output-side bottom electrode film; an output-side top electrode film on the output-side piezoelectric film; an input-side bottom electrode film on the substrate; an input-side piezoelectric film, being a nitride film, on the input-side bottom electrode film; an input-side top electrode film on the input-side piezoelectric film; and an ultrasonic output part and ultrasonic input part placed in such a manner as not overlapping each other when viewed from a top surface of the substrate, the ultrasonic output part comprising a stacked part of the output-side bottom electrode film, the output-side piezoelectric film, and the output-side top electrode film, the ultrasonic input part comprising a stacked part of the input-side bottom electrode film, the input-side piezoelectric film, and the input-side top electrode film.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric stack, including: a substrate; an oxide film on the substrate, containing zinc and oxygen as main elements; an electrode film on the oxide film; and a piezoelectric film on the electrode film, being an alkali niobium oxide film containing potassium, sodium, niobium, and oxygen and having a perovskite structure.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric stack, including: a substrate; an output-side bottom electrode film on the substrate; an output-side piezoelectric film, being an oxide film, on the output-side bottom electrode film; an output-side top electrode film on the output-side piezoelectric film; an input-side bottom electrode film on the substrate; an input-side piezoelectric film, being a nitride film, on the input-side bottom electrode film; an input-side top electrode film on the input-side piezoelectric film; and an ultrasonic output part and ultrasonic input part placed in such a manner as not overlapping each other when viewed from a top surface of the substrate, the ultrasonic output part comprising a stacked part of the output-side bottom electrode film, the output-side piezoelectric film, and the output-side top electrode film, the ultrasonic input part comprising a stacked part of the input-side bottom electrode film, the input-side piezoelectric film, and the input-side top electrode film.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention consist in achievement of both of elongation of life of a sputtering target as well as uniformity of a thickness of a resulting thin coating layer formed on a substrate during the period. The present invention provides a sputtering target comprising a target material, which is characterized in that the target material has a sputtering surface having a first area placed at the center, which is circular and flat; and a second area placed outside of the first area and concentrically with the first area, which has a ring shape, wherein the first area is positioned at a location lower than that of the second area by 15% of thickness of the second area at most, and the first area has a diameter which is ranging from 60% to 80% of a circumferential diameter of the sputtering surface.

Abstract: A piezoelectric stack including: a substrate; an electrode film; and a piezoelectric film as a poly-crystal film comprising an alkali niobium oxide of a perovskite structure represented by a composition formula of (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0<x<1), wherein the piezoelectric film contains at least one element selected from a group consisting of Cu and Mn, and an amount of the element present at a grain boundary of crystals constituting the piezoelectric film is greater than that of the element present in a matrix phase of the crystals.

Abstract: A sputtering target comprising a target material, wherein a sputtering face of the target material has a ramp provided to reduce a thickness of the target material at a position where erosion concentrates most intensively during sputtering.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric laminate, including: a substrate; an electrode film formed on the substrate; a layer comprised of lanthanum nickel oxide and formed on the electrode film; and a piezoelectric film formed on the layer comprised of lanthanum nickel oxide, and comprised of alkali niobium oxide of a perovskite structure represented by a composition formula of (K1?xNax)NbO3 (0<x<1), and containing a metallic element selected from a group consisting of Cu and Mn at a concentration of 0.2 at % or more and 2.0 at % or less, wherein the piezoelectric film has a breakdown voltage of 350 kV/cm or more.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric stack, including: a substrate; an electrode film; and a piezoelectric film which is comprised of alkali niobium oxide of a perovskite structure represented by a composition formula of (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0<x<1), wherein the piezoelectric film comprises crystals having a grain size with a standard deviation of 0.42 ?m or less.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric stack, including: a substrate; an electrode film; and a piezoelectric film which is comprised of alkali niobium oxide of a perovskite structure represented by a composition formula of (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0<x<1), wherein the piezoelectric film comprises crystals having a grain size with a standard deviation of more than 0.42 ?m.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric laminate, including: a substrate; a base layer formed on the substrate; and a piezoelectric film containing alkali niobium oxide and having a perovskite structure, which is formed on the base layer, as a polycrystalline film, and represented by a composition formula of (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0<x<1), wherein a crystal grain group forming the piezoelectric film includes a crystal grain having a ratio of 0.01 nm?1 or more and 0.1 nm?1 or less, which is the ratio of an outer peripheral length to a cross-sectional area when observing a cross-section of the crystal grain.

Abstract: A sputtering target comprising a target material, wherein a sputtering face of the target material has a ramp provided to reduce a thickness of the target material at a position where erosion concentrates most intensively during sputtering.

Abstract: A sputtering target comprising a target material, wherein a sputtering face of the target material has a ramp provided to reduce a thickness of the target material at a position where erosion concentrates most intensively during sputtering.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention consist in achievement of both of elongation of life of a sputtering target as well as uniformity of a thickness of a resulting thin coating layer formed on a substrate during the period. The present invention provides a sputtering target comprising a target material, which is characterized in that the target material has a sputtering surface having a first area placed at the center, which is circular and flat; and a second area placed outside of the first area and concentrically with the first area, which has a ring shape, wherein the first area is positioned at a location lower than that of the second area by 15% of thickness of the second area at most, and the first area has a diameter which is ranging from 60% to 80% of a circumferential diameter of the sputtering surface.

Abstract: A point of sale terminal device is capable of communicating information with an automatic change dispenser that is capable of accepting and dispensing cash. The point of sale terminal device includes a deposit input unit that receives from the automatic change dispenser, deposit information that is information on an amount of cash accepted by the automatic change dispenser, an input unit to manually input information on an amount of cash rejected by the automatic change dispenser, and a calculation unit that calculates total amount of cash by adding the deposit information and the information input.

Abstract: A joint signal detection and channel parameter estimation scheme is provided for multiple subcarrier signaling with pilot symbol-assisted modulation schemes. Known symbols located in the subcarriers are used to estimate a pair of parameters associated with the generation process of the fading frequency selectivity common to all of the subcarriers. These known symbol estimates are used to derive parameter pair estimates for unknown symbols located in the subcarriers. This parameter estimation thus effectively extracts information regarding the fading frequency selectivity through the pilot symbols received not only by the subcarrier of interest but by other subcarriers as well. The fading complex envelope with each subcarrier is then derived from the estimates of the parameter pair.

Abstract: A vehicle air bag apparatus which includes an air bag module having an air bag, an inflator for filling the air bag with gas and an ignitor for driving the inflator. The vehicle air bag apparatus is supported inside of an opening formed in an instrument panel of a vehicle. The vehicle air bag apparatus also includes an air bag lid for closing the opening during non-operating status of the vehicle air bag apparatus, a hinge member for supporting the air bag lid openably and closeably in correspondence to the opening in the instrument panel, and a projection member formed integrally with the rear surface of the air bag lid. The projection member extends toward, and is fixed to, the air bag module. The projection member holds the air bag lid so as to close the opening and reinforces the air bag lid from the rear surface. The projection member includes portions of lower ridigity in which rigidity of a part furthest from the hinge member is the lowest.