Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a recording element substrate comprising a semiconductor substrate having an pressure generating element configured to generate pressure for discharging liquid, on a first surface, a flow path forming member disposed on the first surface, and in which a discharge port configured to discharge the liquid and a liquid flow path in communication with the discharge port are formed, and a connection terminal disposed in a vicinity of an end portion of the first surface, and an electric wiring substrate electrically connected to the connection terminal. The recording element substrate includes an insulating resin layer disposed in a vicinity of the end portion of the first surface and outward from the connection terminal, and an adhesiveness improving layer disposed between the insulating resin layer and the semiconductor substrate, and configured to improve adhesiveness between the insulating resin layer and the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An electromechanical transducer includes a substrate; a diaphragm formed on the substrate; and a piezoelectric element that includes a lower electrode; a piezoelectric member; and an upper electrode, in which a lower electrode film to form the lower electrode, a piezoelectric film to form the piezoelectric member, and an upper electrode film to form the upper electrode are laminated in layers on the diaphragm formed on the substrate. The piezoelectric element is formed such that the lower electrode film, the piezoelectric member film, and the upper electrode film are patterned to form the lower electrode, the piezoelectric member, and the upper electrode, each of which has a desired pattern; and corners of the lower electrode are rounded.

Abstract: A printer includes a printhead configured to eject high viscosity material and refill a manifold in the printhead with high viscosity material. The printhead includes a layer having an opening to form a reservoir to hold a volume of a high viscosity material and at least one member positioned within the receptacle formed by the opening in the layer. The at least one member has an electroactive element mounted to the member, and an electrical signal generator is electrically connected to the electroactive element. A controller operates the electrical signal generator to activate selectively the electroactive element with a first electrical signal to move the at least one member and thin the high viscosity material adjacent the at least one member to enable the thinned material to move away from the at least one member.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a nozzle surface which is a two-dimensional imaginary surface, and which includes first areas which are staggered in a plan view and second areas which are staggered in the plan view, wherein a nozzle is disposed in each of the first areas in the plan view, a recess is disposed in each of the second areas in the plan view, and the recess is recessed with respect to the nozzle surface and includes a bottom.

Abstract: An ink composition is used in an ink jet recording apparatus including a recording head that includes a nozzle plate having a nozzle aperture through which the ink composition is ejected, and a flow channel substrate having a communication hole acting as a flow channel through which the ink composition flows. The nozzle plate and the flow channel substrate are bonded together with an adhesive such that the communication hole communicates with the nozzle aperture. The ink composition contains a coloring material, an acetylene glycol-based surfactant having an HLB value of 9 or less, and at least one of the compounds expressed by general formula (1): R1O—(CH2—CH2—O)n—R2 or general formula (2): (R3)p—N-{L-(COOM)q}r.

Abstract: A droplet generating device includes a wafer with a recess that defines a pressure chamber, a flexible membrane bonded to the wafer so as to cover the recess and form a wall of the pressure chamber, and an actuator attached to the membrane for flexing the membrane to generate a pressure wave in a liquid in the pressure chamber, the pressure chamber having a first port connected to a liquid supply line, and a second port connecting the pressure chamber to a nozzle, at least one of the ports being arranged adjacent to the membrane, wherein the wafer forms at least one island portion that projects into the at least one of the ports, engages the membrane and divides the port into at least two separate passages, and wherein the at least one island portion is arranged to delimit a flexing part of the membrane on a side of the at least one of the ports.

Abstract: In a piezoelectric device and a method of manufacturing thereof, after an ion implanted portion is formed in a piezoelectric single crystal substrate by implantation of hydrogen ions, an interlayer of a metal is formed on a rear surface of the piezoelectric single crystal substrate. In addition, a support member is bonded to the piezoelectric single crystal substrate with the interlayer interposed therebetween. A composite piezoelectric body in which the ion implanted portion is formed is heated at about 450° C. to about 700° C. to oxidize the metal of the interlayer so as to decrease the conductivity thereof. Accordingly, the conductivity of the interlayer is decreased, so that a piezoelectric device having excellent resonance characteristics is provided.

Abstract: A piezoelectric inkjet die stack includes a circuit die stacked on a substrate die, a piezoelectric actuator die stacked on the circuit die, and a cap die stacked on the piezoelectric actuator die. Each die in succession from the circuit die to the cap die is narrower than the previous die.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric thin film including a non-lead-containing (that is, lead-free) ferroelectric material and having high piezoelectric performance comparable to that of PZT, and a method of manufacturing the piezoelectric thin film. The piezoelectric film according to the present invention comprises a laminate structure. The laminate structure comprises an electric film and a (1-x)(Na,Bi)TiO3-xBaTiO3 film. x represents a value of not less than 0.03 and not more than 0.15. The (1-x)(Na,Bi)TiO3-xBaTiO3 film has a (110) surface orientation only. The (1-x)(Na,Bi)TiO3-xBaTiO3 film has an orthorhombic crystal structure only.

Abstract: Methods and systems of ejecting ink drops from an inkjet printer are disclosed. The methods and systems can include a printhead with one or more tapered nozzles each with an associated taper angle and exit diameter. Ink can be received into the printhead and formed into ink drops in the tapered nozzles. The ink drops can each have an associated drop mass and drop speed. The tapered nozzles can be provided such that the exit diameter can independently dictate the drop mass and the taper angle can independently dictate the drop speed. As such, the complexity of jet design optimization is reduced.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a piezoelectric layer is made of a complex oxide having a perovskite structure and containing bismuth, iron, barium and titanium. Further, the driving waveform includes: a polarization stage in which a first voltage larger than a coercive voltage of the piezoelectric layer is applied so as to polarize the piezoelectric layer; a relaxation stage in which the voltage being applied is changed from the first voltage to a reverse-polarity voltage of the first voltage so as to relax the polarization of the piezoelectric layer; and a discharge stage in which the voltage being applied is changed from the reverse-polarity voltage to a voltage larger than the first voltage so as to discharge a liquid.

Abstract: A piezoelectric inkjet die stack includes a printhead substrate die, a pedestal seated on the printhead substrate die, a fluidics die seated atop the pedestal, and integrated circuit (IC) dies seated on the printhead substrate die. The IC dies may be positioned substantially but not completely beneath the fluidics die and positioned on either side of the pedestal such that air gaps exist between a top surface of each IC die and a bottom surface of the fluidics die and between each IC die and the pedestal. The pedestal may include ink flow channels to allow ink flow between the fluidics die and the printhead substrate. A plurality of stand-offs may be implemented to help support the fluidics die above the IC dies.

Abstract: A flow channel substrate has pressure chambers, and the pressure chambers communicate with nozzle openings for ejecting liquid. Each of piezoelectric elements on the flow channel substrate has a piezoelectric layer, a pair of electrodes, and a wiring layer coupled to the electrodes. The wiring layer has an adhesion layer and a conductive layer on the adhesion layer. The adhesion layer contains at least one selected from nickel, chromium, titanium, and tungsten. The piezoelectric element has an insulating film at least between the wiring layer and the electrodes. The wiring layer and the electrodes of the piezoelectric element are coupled via contact holes created through the insulating film.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejecting apparatus which comprises a pressure generation chamber, a piezoelectric element, and a driving unit which supplies a driving signal to the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric layer shows electric field induced phase transition and when among voltages at which the piezoelectric layer shows the electric field induced phase transition a voltage having a higher absolute value is defined as VF and a voltage having a lower absolute value is defined as VAF, the driving unit supplies to the piezoelectric element a driving signal which allows the voltage to be applied to the piezoelectric layer, allows the voltage that passes through VF and of which the absolute value is equal to or higher than VAF to be set as a start point, and allows the voltage to be changed within a range where the absolute value is equal to or higher than VAF.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a substrate in which a pressure generating chamber that communicates with a nozzle opening is formed; and a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode that is formed on a surface of the piezoelectric layer on a side of the substrate so as to correspond to the pressure generating chamber, and a second electrode that is formed on a surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite to the side on which the first electrode is formed so as to extend over a plurality of the pressure generating chambers, wherein the second electrode is formed to extend to an outside of the pressure generating chamber in a longitudinal direction of the pressure generating chamber.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric actuator, including: first and second piezoelectric layers; a driving electrode arranged between the first and second piezoelectric layers; a second electrode maintained at a predetermined first electrical potential; and a third electrode maintained at a second electrical potential. A neutral plane of the piezoelectric actuator is positioned at a side opposite to the second piezoelectric layer relative to a center plane of the first piezoelectric layer in a direction of stacking of the first and second piezoelectric layers. A first portion of the first piezoelectric layer is sandwiched between the driving electrode and the second electrode, and a second portion of the second piezoelectric layer is sandwiched between the driving electrode and the third electrode. The first and second portions are polarized parallel to the stacking direction such that they are polarized in mutually opposite directions.

Abstract: A metal oxide layer is in contact with an interlayer insulating layer covering a transistor, and has a stacked-layer structure including a first metal oxide layer having an amorphous structure and a second metal oxide layer having a polycrystalline structure. In the first metal oxide layer, there are no crystal grain boundaries, and grid intervals are wide as compared to those in a metal oxide layer in a crystalline state; thus, the first metal oxide layer easily traps moisture between the lattices. In the second metal oxide layer having a polycrystalline structure, crystal parts other than crystal grain boundary portions have dense structures and extremely low moisture permeability. Thus, the structure in which the metal oxide layer including the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer is in contact with the interlayer insulating layer can effectively prevent moisture permeation into the transistor.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a flow passage structure; and a piezoelectric actuator which is joined to the flow passage structure, the piezoelectric actuator including: a first piezoelectric layer; a second piezoelectric layer; a plurality of first electrodes which are arranged on an upper surface of the first piezoelectric layer; a second electrode which is arranged between the first piezoelectric layer and the second piezoelectric layer; a first conductive pattern which is arranged in an area disposed on an outer side of the plurality of first electrodes on the upper surface of the first piezoelectric layer; a conducting portion which is arranged in a through-hole penetrating through the first piezoelectric layer, the through-hole being formed in the first conductive pattern; and a second conductive pattern which is arranged between the through-hole and the plurality of first electrodes on the upper surface of the first piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head of the invention includes a drive substrate, a flexible wiring substrate mounted in a standing state with respect to the drive substrate, and a semiconductor device which is mounted on the flexible wiring substrate and which has a pair of long sides in a direction crossing a direction in which the flexible wiring substrate stands. A plurality of output electrodes respectively electrically connected to the electrodes of the drive substrate are arranged on and along the long side of the semiconductor device facing the drive substrate. A plurality of input electrodes are arranged on and along the long side opposite to the long side of the semiconductor device facing the drive substrate. A circuit that drives the drive element is provided in a region between two certain input electrodes of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A first piezoelectric element having a first piezoelectric layer and a second piezoelectric element having a second piezoelectric layer, which is different from the first piezoelectric layer, are included on the same substrate. The first piezoelectric layer has a d constant greater than a d constant of the second piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: A printhead module includes a plurality of rows of printhead nozzles, at least some of the rows including at least one displaced row portion, the displacement of the row portion including a component in a direction normal to that of a pagewidth to be printed, wherein the displaced row portions of at least some of the rows are different in length than the displaced row portions of at least some of the other rows.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a plurality of individual electrodes, a piezoelectric layer formed on each of individual electrodes, and a common electrode which is formed on the piezoelectric layer and is an electrode common to the individual electrodes. Further, a protection film covering a region, which is not covered by the common electrode on the individual electrode, is provided.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a piezoelectric element; a cavity whose internal volume is increased or decreased by displacement of the piezoelectric element; a nozzle connected to the cavity and ejecting the ink as ink droplets onto a print medium by increasing or decreasing of the internal volume of the cavity; a printing mode receiver receiving selection of at least one photographic paper printing mode for printing onto photographic paper and at least two plain paper printing modes for printing onto plain paper from among printing modes; and a control unit controlling a meniscus position in the nozzle to be separated further from an orifice surface of the nozzle when the selection of one plain paper printing mode from among the at least two plain paper printing modes is received by the printing mode receiver than when the selection of the photographic paper printing mode is received.

Abstract: An ink jet type recording head includes a plurality of pressure generation chambers which are filled with ink, and piezoelectric elements which eject ink droplet through nozzle openings which are provided so as to correspond to each pressure generation chamber by applying pressure to the ink in each pressure generation chamber. The pressure generation chamber has a shape such that the piezoelectric element in the opposite side to a protrusion side in which at least a portion of the piezoelectric element protrudes out of the pressure generation chamber is deformed more easily than that in the protrusion side.

Abstract: A drive signal includes a first drive signal and a second drive signal. The first drive signal includes a prior pulse section including a first contraction element and a discharging pulse section including a first expansion element pulling in a meniscus and the second contraction element discharging a droplet of liquid from the nozzle orifice. The second drive signal includes the discharging pulse section and a vibration control pulse section including a second expansion element controlling a residual vibration of the meniscus. A piezoelectric element is driven with the first drive signal when viscosity of the liquid is equal to or more than a first set value and is driven with the second drive signal when the viscosity is equal to or less than a second set value.

Abstract: An actuator includes a base member and an electro-mechanical transducer element including a first electrode, an electro-mechanical transducer film, and a second electrode. Further, the base member includes a thin wall part having a concave shape, the electro-mechanical transducer film is formed in a manner such that a film thickness of the electro-mechanical transducer film is gradually reduced from a center part of the electro-mechanical transducer film to both end parts of the electro-mechanical transducer film in at least one direction crossing a film thickness direction of the electro-mechanical transducer film.

Abstract: A printhead module includes a plurality of rows of printhead nozzles, at least some of the rows including at least one displaced row portion, the displacement of the row portion including a component in a direction normal to that of a pagewidth to be printed, wherein the displaced row portions of at least some of the rows are different in length than the displaced row portions of at least some of the other rows.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a semi-conductor laminate comprising a first and a second metal oxide layer as well as a dielectric layer, wherein the first metal oxide layer is arranged between the second metal oxide layer and the dielectric layer. The first and second metal oxide layers are formed accordingly from a first and a second liquid phase. The present invention also relates to a semi-conductor laminate that can be obtained from such a method, and to electronic components comprising such a semi-conductor laminate.

Abstract: A vibration apparatus includes a vibrating body that includes a piezoelectric material having a lead content of less than 1000 ppm, and has an electromechanical energy converting element having an electrode; and a control unit that applies at least two driving voltages to the electromechanical energy converting element, and generates a combined vibration by providing a time phase difference to the vibrating body and generating multiple stable waves having mutually different orders; wherein the control unit changes at least one of the voltage amplitude ratio and time phase difference of at least two driving voltages, so as to change the amplitude distribution of the combined vibration.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head comprises a pressure generation chamber communicating with a nozzle opening, a vibrating wall provided as one surface of the pressure generation chamber and vibrates so that ejects the liquid from the nozzle opening, and a resin portion having a recessed arc-shape and formed in a corner of the pressure generation chamber and formed of a resin material having a Young's modulus of less than or equal to 10 GPa. A ratio r/w of a radius r of the surface of the resin portion to a width w of the pressure generation chamber defined by the vibrating wall is greater than or equal to 0.017 and less than or equal to 0.087.

Abstract: A pressure chamber array includes one or more dummy pressure chambers in which ejection of ink is not performed, the dummy pressure chamber includes a piezoelectric element, and a drive potential generator continues to apply a drive potential to the piezoelectric element corresponding to the dummy pressure chamber, while the ejection of the ink from a nozzle of at least a pressure chamber adjacent to the dummy pressure chamber is performed.

Abstract: An inkjet head includes pressure chambers arranged in 2 or more rows and a common ink chamber connected to all the pressure chambers, wherein each of the pressure chambers includes a damper member inside of the common ink chamber of the inkjet head for commonly supplying an ink from the common ink chamber via an ink inlet which faces the common ink chamber, and the shortest distance between the damper member and the ink inlet is made shorter than the distance between ink inlets in adjacent rows of pressure chambers.

Abstract: A droplet discharging head includes: a nozzle substrate that includes a nozzle opening to discharge a droplet therethrough; a liquid chamber substrate that includes liquid pressure chambers communicating with the nozzle openings; a vibration plate arranged to face the nozzle substrate with the liquid chamber substrate interposed therebetween; piezoelectric elements that are provided to face the liquid pressure chambers with the vibration plate interposed therebetween and are arranged in a predetermined direction; a driving element provided, in a flip-chip implementation, on a flow path substrate that includes the nozzle substrate, the liquid chamber substrate, the vibration plate, and the piezoelectric elements; and a first reinforcing wire that is disposed to at least one of the flow path substrate and the driving element, has a band shape extending in a direction along a row of the piezoelectric elements, and is connected to a common electrode shared by the piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a pressure chamber substrate formed of silicon where a pressure chamber is formed, and a communication plate penetrated by communication holes in a plate thickness direction, in which the pressure chamber partitioned by partition walls formed of crystal orientation planes being formed in the recording head through etching. Acute angle portions are formed, by the partition walls intersecting with each other at an acute angle, in both end portions of the pressure chamber in a first direction, and a first step is disposed in the middle of each of the acute angle portions in an etching direction. Parts of the communication holes are arranged at positions superimposed on the acute angle portions in a bonding surface and remaining parts of the communication holes are arranged on outer sides in the first direction with respect to the acute angle portions such that a second step is formed in a communication portion between the pressure chamber and the communication holes.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes: a flow channel unit having a plurality of pressure chambers arranged in a plane; and piezoelectric actuators which change volume of the plurality of pressure chambers so as to apply pressure to liquid inside the plurality of the pressure chambers respectively, wherein the piezoelectric actuators comprise: a diaphragm which constitutes one wall of the plurality of pressure chambers; a common electrode formed on a surface of the diaphragm; a piezoelectric layer formed on a surface of the common electrode; a plurality of ring-shaped individual electrodes formed on a surface of the piezoelectric layer and formed in regions which overlap respectively with marginal portions which are non-central portions of the plurality of pressure chambers, as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane; and central electrodes connected electrically to the common electrode, and formed so as not to make contact with the plurality of ring-shaped individual electrodes in inner regions of the p

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid discharging head, the method including forming a plurality of nozzles that discharge liquid droplets, forming a plurality of piezoelectric elements that generate pressure for discharging liquid droplets from the respective nozzles; and performing a repolarization process on the piezoelectric elements to set non-uniformity of the droplet discharging characteristics of the nozzles to be in a predetermined range by combining adjustment of a polarization sensitivity and adjustment of a polarization voltage for each of the piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: Methods for forming an enclosed liquid metal (LM) drop inside a sealed cavity by formation of LM components as solid LM component layers and reaction of the solid LM component layers to form the LM drop. In some embodiments, the cavity has boundaries defined by layers or features of a microelectronics (e.g. VLSI-CMOS) or MEMS technology. In such embodiments, the methods comprise implementing an initial microelectronics or MEMS process to form the layers or features and the cavity, sequential or side by side formation of solid LM component layers in the cavity, sealing of the cavity to provide a closed space and reaction of the solid LM components to form a LM alloy in the general shape of a drop. In some embodiments, nanometric reaction barriers may be inserted between the solid LM component layers to lower the LM eutectic formation temperature.

Abstract: An ink jet print head assembly includes a carrier body, plural pistons, and a printing plate. The carrier body has an ejection side configured to face an object to be printed upon. The pistons are coupled with the carrier body. The printing plate is coupled with the ejection side of the carrier body and includes a diaphragm plate. The printing plate is configured to hold a fluid to be printed on the object on a side of the diaphragm plate that is opposite of the pistons. The printing plate includes orifices through which the fluid is ejected from the printing plate and onto the object being printed upon. The pistons are configured to actuate in ejection directions in order to engage the diaphragm plate and cause the fluid to be ejected from the orifices of the printing plate along printing directions. The ejection directions in which the pistons are actuated are transversely oriented with respect to the printing directions in which the fluid is ejected from the printing plate.

Abstract: A process for producing a liquid ejection head having a piezoelectric body provided with an ejection orifice for ejecting liquid and a pressure chamber communicating therewith for retaining the liquid, wherein an electrode is formed on an inner wall surface of the pressure chamber to deform the pressure chamber by piezoelectric action caused by applying voltage to the electrode to eject the liquid, comprising providing the piezoelectric body in which a surface thereof having the ejection orifice has an arithmetic mean roughness of 0.1-1 ?m, forming a dry film resist pattern on the surface of the piezoelectric body so as to expose the ejection orifice and a linear region connected thereto, and forming a metal thin film pattern being connected to the electrode on the inner wall surface and continuously extending from the inner wall surface to the linear region by using the dry film resist pattern as a mask.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head comprises a pressure generation chamber communicating with a nozzle opening, a vibrating wall provided as one surface of the pressure generation chamber and vibrates so that ejects the liquid from the nozzle opening, and a resin portion having a recessed arc-shape and formed in a corner of the pressure generation chamber and formed of a resin material having a Young's modulus of less than or equal to 10 GPa. A ratio r/w of a radius r of the surface of the resin portion to a width w of the pressure generation chamber defined by the vibrating wall is greater than or equal to 0.017 and less than or equal to 0.087.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting head includes forming a first electrode made of platinum, forming a buffer layer made of a compound having a pyrochlore structure that contains bismuth or platinum on the first electrode, forming an oxide layer made of an oxide containing bismuth on the buffer layer, forming a piezoelectric layer made of a compound having a perovskite structure that contains bismuth by burning the oxide layer, and forming a second electrode on the piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element which includes an adhesion layer made of composite oxide having perovskite structure including at least one of bismuth, manganese, iron, and titanium; a first electrode provided on the adhesion layer and made of metal preferentially oriented in a (100) face; a piezoelectric body layer provided on the first electrode and made of composite oxide having perovskite structure preferentially oriented in the (100) face; and a second electrode provided on the piezoelectric body layer.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a substrate in which a pressure generating chamber that communicates with a nozzle opening is formed; and a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode that is formed on a surface of the piezoelectric layer on a side of the substrate so as to correspond to the pressure generating chamber, and a second electrode that is formed on a surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite to the side on which the first electrode is formed so as to extend over a plurality of the pressure generating chambers, wherein the second electrode is formed to extend to an outside of the pressure generating chamber in a longitudinal direction of the pressure generating chamber.

Abstract: A printhead or other fluid handling device includes a firing chamber. Plural actuators are configured to cause fluid to be drawn into or ejected from the firing chamber. The actuators can also cause fluid to circulate within the firing chamber without appreciable fluid flow out of or into the firing chamber. Electronic signals independently control the respective actuators in accordance with various operating modes. Problems associated with fluid drying, separation of constituents within the fluid and other phenomenon are reduced or eliminated accordingly.

Abstract: In sputter etching to improve the adhesion between upper electrodes and lead electrodes, the sputter etching of surfaces of the upper electrodes under an Ar gas flow at a flow rate of 60 sccm or more can reduce the residence time of Ar ions on the surfaces of the upper electrodes because of the Ar gas flow. This can prevent the charging of the upper electrodes due to the buildup of ionized Ar gas on the surfaces, reduce the influence of charging on piezoelectric elements, and provide a method for manufacturing a piezoelectric actuator that includes the piezoelectric elements each including a piezoelectric layer having small variations in hysteresis characteristics and deformation characteristics.

Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic contains a main component, Mn as a first auxiliary component, and a second auxiliary component containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cu, B, and Si. The main component contains a perovskite metal oxide having the following general formula (1): (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-yZry)O3(0.100?x?0.145,0.010?y?0.039)??(1) The amount b (mol) of Mn per mole of the metal oxide is in the range of 0.0048?b?0.0400, the second auxiliary component content on a metal basis is 0.001 parts by weight or more and 4.000 parts by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide, and the value a of the general formula (1) is in the range of 0.9925+b?a?1.0025+b.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes nozzles ejecting liquid droplets; individual liquid chambers in communication with the nozzles; liquid supply paths in communication with the individual liquid chambers; a common liquid chamber storing liquid to be supplied to the liquid supply paths; filter members disposed between the common liquid chamber and the respective liquid supply paths, the filter members including filter regions to filter the liquid; and one or more dividing wall sections, each disposed between the liquid supply paths. Further, the filter region of the filter member is bonded to the one or more dividing wall sections and the outer peripheral parts with adhesive and the filter region of the filter member is bent in a direction opposite to a direction in which liquid flows from the common liquid chamber to the liquid supply paths.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having satisfactory piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a device driving temperature range (?30° C. to 50° C.) The piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula 1, a first auxiliary component composed of Mn, and a second auxiliary component composed of Bi or Bi and Li. The content of Mn is 0.040 parts by weight or more and 0.500 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. The content of Bi is 0.042 parts by weight or more and 0.850 parts by weight or less and the content of Li is 0.028 parts by weight or less (including 0 parts by weight) based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-yZry)O3 . . . (1), wherein, 0.030?x<0.090, 0.030?y?0.080, and 0.9860?a?1.0200.

Abstract: In a liquid ejecting head, a vibration plate includes an effective displacement portion provided for each pressure chamber and an island-shaped part which is provided in the effective displacement portion at a position on the opposite side to the pressure chamber and to which one end portion of a piezoelectric vibrator is bonded; the piezoelectric vibrator has a laminate structure in which electrodes and piezoelectric material are alternately laminated; a layer at an end of one side of the piezoelectric vibrator in the laminating direction is formed of an external electrode, while a layer at an end of the other side thereof in the same direction is formed of a piezoelectric material; and the piezoelectric vibrator is disposed so as to be shifted toward the other side in the laminating direction with respect to the effective displacement portion.

Abstract: An actuator includes a vibration plate, a first conductive layer formed on an upper surface of the vibration plate and extending in a predetermined direction, a piezoelectric layer covering the first conductive layer, a second conductive layer formed on an upper surface of the piezoelectric layer, a metal layer formed on the upper surface of the vibration plate and on an upper surface of the second conductive layer, and an electrode electrically connected to the metal layer. The first conductive layer, the second conductive layer, and the piezoelectric layer interposed between the first and second conductive layers form a driving unit. A plurality of the driving units are disposed in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The metal layer intersects a plurality of the second conductive layers so as to electrically connect the plurality of second conductive layers.