Abstract: A ferroelectric oxide structure includes a substrate and a ferroelectric thin-film deposited on the substrate. The ferroelectric thin-film has a thickness of greater than or equal to 200 nm and a tetragonal crystal system. The ferroelectric thin-film has (100) single-orientation crystal orientation.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device comprises a piezoelectric body and electrodes for applying an electric field in a predetermined direction across the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body contains an inorganic compound polycrystal, which contains first ferroelectric substance crystals having orientational characteristics at the time free from electric field application and has characteristics such that, with application of at least a predetermined electric field E1, at least part of the first crystals undergoes phase transition to second ferroelectric substance crystals of a crystal system different from the crystal system of the first crystals. The piezoelectric device is actuated under conditions such that a minimum applied electric field Emin and a maximum applied electric field Emax satisfy Emin<E1<Emax.

Abstract: A process for producing a piezoelectric oxide having a composition (Ba, Bi, A)(Ti, Fe, M)O3, where each of A and M represents one or more metal elements. The composition is determined so as to satisfy the conditions (1) and (2), 0.98?TF(P)?1.02,??(1) TF(BiFeO3)<TF(AMO3)<TF(BaTiO3),??(2) where TF(P) is the tolerance factor of the perovskite oxide, and TF(BaTiO3), TF(BiFeO3), and TF(AMO3) are respectively the tolerance factors of the oxides BaTiO3, BiFeO3, and AMO3.

Abstract: A thin film capacitor element composition having a bismuth layered compound with a c-axis oriented substantially vertical to the substrate surface, wherein the bismuth layered compound is expressed by the formula (Bi2O2)2+(Am?1BmO3m+1)2? or Bi2Am?1BmO3M+3, the symbol m in the formula is an odd number, at least part of the Bi and/or A of the bismuth layered compound is substituted by a rare earth element, and the number of moles substituted by the rare earth element is larger than 1.0 and 2.8 or less with respect to the number of moles (m+1) of the total of Bi and A.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ceramic film by using an AD method, by which a film having good crystallinity can be fabricated without using a high-temperature process. The method of manufacturing a ceramic film by using an aerosol including the steps of: (a) dispersing ceramic raw material powder containing an amorphous component in a gas to generate an aerosol; and (b) supplying the aerosol generated at step (a) into a chamber in which a substrate is placed and depositing the ceramic raw material powder on the substrate to form a ceramic film.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a functional film by which a functional film formed on a film formation substrate can be easily peeled from the film formation substrate. The method includes the steps of: (a) forming a separation layer on a substrate by using an inorganic material which is decomposed to generate a gas by being applied with an electromagnetic wave; (b) forming a layer to be peeled containing a functional film, which is formed by using a functional material, on the separation layer; and (c) applying the electromagnetic wave toward the separation layer so as to peel the layer to be peeled from the substrate or reduce bonding strength between the layer to be peeled and the substrate.

Abstract: A composition of a ferroelectric oxide represented by General Formula (a) is adjusted such that the most stable crystal structures X and Y of ACO3 and BDO3, respectively, have different symmetry characteristics and different directions of polarization, and such that Formula (1) is satisfied: (Ax,B1-x)(Cy,D1-y)O3??(a) |E(X)?E(Y)|?E·PV??(1) wherein each of A to D represents at least one kind of a metal element, E(X) and E(Y) represent the energy at the time of the crystal structures X and Y, respectively, P represents the spontaneous polarization density vector, E represents the actuating electric field vector, and V represents the volume of the fundamental lattice.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a functional film by which the functional film formed on a film formation substrate can be easily peeled from the film formation substrate. The method includes the steps of: (a) forming a separation layer by using an inorganic material on a substrate containing a material having heat tolerance to a predetermined temperature; (b) forming a layer to be peeled containing a functional film, which is formed by using a functional material, on the separation layer; and (c) performing heat treatment on a structure containing the substrate, the separation layer and the layer to be peeled at the predetermined temperature so as to peel the layer to be peeled from the substrate or reducing bonding strength between the layer to be peeled and the substrate.

Abstract: A perovskite-oxide lamination constituted by a substrate and one or tore first films of a first oxide of a perovskite type and one or more second films of a second oxide which are alternately formed over the substrate. The first oxide has a composition expressed as ABO3, the second oxide has a composition expressed as CDO3, each of A and C represents one or more A-site elements which are one or more metal elements, each of B and D represents one or more B-site elements which are one or more metal elements, O represents oxygen, and the second oxide is unable to be formed to have a perovskite crystal structure at normal pressure without a thickness limitation. The one or more first films and the one or more second films may contain inevitable impurities.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a functional film by which a functional film formed on a film formation substrate can be easily peeled from the film formation substrate. The method includes the steps of: (a) forming an electromagnetic wave absorbing layer on a substrate by using a material which absorbs an electromagnetic wave to generate heat; (b) forming a separation layer on the electromagnetic wave absorbing layer by using an inorganic material which is decomposed to generate a gas by being heated; (c) forming a layer to be peeled containing a functional film; and (d) applying the electromagnetic wave toward the electromagnetic wave absorbing layer so as to peel the layer to be peeled from the substrate or reduce bonding strength between the layer to be peeled and the substrate.

Abstract: An oxide body formed of one or more of ferroelectric materials and antiferroelectric materials which exhibit asymmetric double hysteresis in a bipolar polarization-electric field characteristic obtained under a condition that the maximum value of an electric field applied to the oxide body and the magnitude of the minimum value of the electric field are equal (i.e., Emax=|Emin|), where the curve indicating the bipolar polarization-electric field characteristic has at least five points of inflection, and the maximum value of polarization of the oxide body and the magnitude of the minimum value of the polarization are different (i.e., Pmax?|Pmin|).

Abstract: A piezoelectric device constituted by a piezoelectric body and electrodes. The piezoelectric body is a monocrystalline piezoelectric film formed, above a substrate, of an inorganic crystalline compound containing a first ferroelectric crystal when no electric field is applied to the piezoelectric film, and having a characteristic that phase transition of at least a portion of the first ferroelectric crystal to a second ferroelectric crystal occurs when the electric field strength applied to the piezoelectric film is at or above a predetermined level E1, the first and second ferroelectric crystals correspond to different crystal systems, and the piezoelectric device is driven under a condition that the minimum strength Emin, the maximum strength Emax, and the predetermined level E1 of the applied electric field satisfy the inequalities, Emin<E1<Emax.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a piezoelectric film, and electrodes through which an electric field can be applied to the piezoelectric film along the thickness direction of the piezoelectric film. The piezoelectric film contains a ferroelectric phase in which the thickness direction and a normal of a plane determined by the spontaneous-polarization axis and the [010] axis makes an angle ?m satisfying the condition that ?45 degrees<?m<+45 degrees and ?m?0 degrees. Further, the spontaneous-polarization axis or the [010] axis may be perpendicular to the thickness direction of the piezoelectric film.

Abstract: A piezoelectric body contains a ferroelectric substance phase having characteristics such that, in cases where an applied electric field is increased from the time free from electric field application, phase transition of the ferroelectric substance phase to a ferroelectric substance phase of a different crystal system occurs at least two times. The piezoelectric body should preferably be actuated under conditions such that a minimum applied electric field Emin and a maximum applied electric field Emax satisfy Formula (1): Emin<E1<Emax ??(1) wherein the electric field E1 represents the electric field at which the first phase transition of the ferroelectric substance phase begins.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a functional film which method enables formation of a fine pattern and endurance for a high-temperature process. The method includes the steps of: (a) preparing a substrate in which a predetermined pattern is formed; (b) forming a separation layer directly or indirectly on the substrate; (c) forming a layer to be peeled containing a functional film, which is formed by using a functional material, on the separation layer; and (d) peeling the layer to be peeled from the substrate or reducing bonding strength between the layer to be peeled and the substrate by heating the separation layer, applying an electromagnetic wave toward the separation layer, or applying an external force to the separation layer.

Abstract: Film formation conditions are determined in accordance with relationships among a film formation temperature Ts (° C.), a difference Vs?Vf (V), which is the difference between a plasma potential Vs (V) in the plasma at the time of the film formation and a floating potential Vf (V), and characteristics of the formed film. For a piezoelectric film containing at least one kind of Pb-containing perovskite type oxide, the film formation conditions should preferably be determined within a range such that Formulas (1) and (2) shown below are satisfied: Ts(° C.)?400 ??(1) ?0.2Ts+100<Vs?Vf(V)<?0.

Abstract: A process for producing a piezoelectric oxide having a composition (A, B, C) (D, E, F)O3, where each of A, B, C, D, E, and F represents one or more metal elements. The composition is determined so as to satisfy the conditions (1), (2), (3), and (4), 0.98?TF(P)?1.01,??(1) TF(ADO3)>1.0,??(2) TF(BEO3)<1.0, and??(3) TF(BEO3)<TF(CFO3)<TF(ADO3),??(4) where TF(P) is the tolerance factor of the perovskite oxide, and TF(ADO3), TF(BEO3), and TF(CFO3) are respectively the tolerance factors of the compounds ADO3, BEO3, and CFO3.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a functional film by which a functional film formed on a film formation substrate can be easily peeled from the film formation substrate. The method includes the steps of: (a) forming a separation layer (102) on a substrate (101); (b) forming a layer to be peeled (103, 105, 106) containing a functional film (103, 105b, 106a), which is formed by using a functional material, on the separation layer (102); and (c) applying an external force to the separation layer (102) to produce fracture within the separation layer (102) or at an interface thereof so as to peel the layer to be peeled (103, 105, 106) from the substrate (101) or reduce bonding strength between the layer to be peeled (103, 105, 106) and the substrate (101).

Abstract: A thin film capacity element composition includes a first bismuth layer-structured compound having positive temperature characteristics, that a specific permittivity rises as the temperature rises, in at least a part of a predetermined temperature range and a second bismuth layer-structured compound having negative temperature characteristics, that a specific permittivity declines as a temperature rises, in at least a part of said predetermined temperature range at any mixing ratio; wherein the bismuth layer-structured compound is expressed by a composition formula of CaxSr(1-x)Bi4Ti4O15.

Abstract: A dielectric thin film 8, comprising a first bismuth layer-structured compound layer 8a expressed by a composition formula of (Bi2O2)2+(Am?1 Bm O3m+1)2? or Bi2 Am?1 Bm O3m+3, wherein “m” is a positive number, “A” is at least one element selected from Na, K, Pb, Ba, Sr, Ca and Bi, and “B” is at least one element selected from Fe, Co, Cr, Ga, Ti, Nb, Ta, Sb, V, Mo and W. Between the first bismuth layer-structured compound layer 8a and a lower portion electrode 6, a second bismuth layer-structured compound layer 8b including bismuth in excess of that in the composition formula of said first bismuth layer-structured compound layer 8a.