Abstract: In a piezoelectric element, a cubic or tetragonal orientation control layer (15) is provided on a first electrode layer (14), and formed on the orientation control layer (15) is a piezoelectric layer (16) having a rhombohedral or tetragonal crystalline structure and made of lead zirconate titanate to which a Pb-containing complex perovskite compound expressed by the chemical formula Pb(AaBb)O3 has been added in an amount that is from 1 mol % to 50 mol %. The piezoelectric layer (16) is formed so that the crystal grains thereof become columnar grains which extend in the thickness direction of the piezoelectric layer (16) and in which the ratio of the average cross-sectional diameter to the length is from 1/50 to 1/14.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a lower hydrogen-barrier film; a capacitor formed on the lower hydrogen-barrier film and including a lower electrode, a capacitive insulating film, and an upper electrode; an interlayer dielectric film formed so as to cover the periphery of the capacitor; and an upper hydrogen-barrier film covering the top and lateral portions of the capacitor. An opening, which exposes the lower hydrogen-barrier film where the lower hydrogen-barrier film is located around the capacitor, and which is tapered and flares upward, is formed in the interlayer dielectric film, and the upper hydrogen-barrier film is formed along the lateral and bottom faces of the opening, and is in contact with the lower hydrogen-barrier film in the opening.

Abstract: A first electrode thin film is formed on an upper surface of the oxygen ion conductive thin film so as to have a through hole. A resistor is formed on part of the upper surface of the oxygen conductive thin film located in the through hole. Thus, the oxygen ion conductive thin film can be directly heated by the resistor, so that oxygen ions can be speedily transferred with a low power. Therefore, the oxygen ion conductivity of the oxygen ion conductive thin film can be improved.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a lower hydrogen-barrier film; a capacitor formed on the lower hydrogen-barrier film and including a lower electrode, a capacitive insulating film, and an upper electrode; an interlayer dielectric film formed so as to cover the periphery of the capacitor; and an upper hydrogen-barrier film covering the top and lateral portions of the capacitor. An opening, which exposes the lower hydrogen-barrier film where the lower hydrogen-barrier film is located around the capacitor, and which is tapered and flares upward, is formed in the interlayer dielectric film, and the upper hydrogen-barrier film is formed along the lateral and bottom faces of the opening, and is in contact with the lower hydrogen-barrier film in the opening.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a conductive plug formed through an insulating film; a conductive oxygen barrier film formed on the insulating film so as to be electrically connected to the conductive plug and to cover the conductive plug; a lower electrode formed on the oxygen barrier film and connected to the oxygen barrier film; a capacitive insulating film formed on the lower electrode, following the lower electrode; and an upper electrode formed on the capacitive insulating film, following the capacitive insulating film. The capacitive insulating film has a bent portion that extends along the direction in which the conductive plug penetrates through the insulating film.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode film; a piezoelectric layered film including a first piezoelectric thin film formed on the first electrode film and a second piezoelectric thin film formed on the first piezoelectric thin film; and a second electrode film formed on the second piezoelectric thin film. Each of the first and second piezoelectric thin films is an aggregate of columnar grains grown unidirectionally along the thickness direction of the piezoelectric layered film. The Pb content of the first piezoelectric thin film is smaller than the Pb content of the second piezoelectric thin film. A columnar grain of the second piezoelectric thin film has a larger average cross-sectional diameter than an average cross-sectional diameter of a columnar grain of the first piezoelectric thin film. A ratio of the thickness of the piezoelectric layered film to the average cross-sectional diameter of the second piezoelectric thin film is not less than 20 and not more than 60.

Abstract: In a piezoelectric element 20, a first electrode layer 2 made of an alloy of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, manganese and copper and a noble metal is formed on a silicon substrate 1, and a piezoelectric layer 3 made of a rhombohedral or tetragonal perovskite oxide (e.g., PZT) is formed on the first electrode layer 2 so that the piezoelectric layer 3 is preferentially oriented along the (001) plane.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode; a piezoelectric layered film composed of a first piezoelectric film formed on the first electrode film and a second piezoelectric film that is formed on the first piezoelectric film and is controlled in crystal orientation thereof by the first piezoelectric film; and a second electrode film formed on the second piezoelectric film. Each of the first and second piezoelectric films is an aggregate of columnar grains grown unidirectionally along a thickness direction of the piezoelectric layered film. A columnar grain of the second piezoelectric film has a larger cross-sectional diameter than a columnar grain of the first piezoelectric film. A ratio l/d of the thickness l of the piezoelectric layered film to the cross-sectional diameter d of the second piezoelectric film is not less than 20 and not more than 60.

Abstract: A capacitor 11 made up of a lower electrode 8, a capacitive insulating film 9 of an insulating metal oxide and an upper electrode 10 is formed over a semiconductor substrate 1. A first-layer wire 14 is formed on a passivation film 12 that covers the capacitor 11. A first interlevel dielectric film 15 is deposited to cover the first-layer wire 14. A second interlevel dielectric film 17 is deposited over the first interlevel dielectric film 15 with a barrier film 16, which overlaps the capacitor 11 for preventing hydrogen from diffusing, interposed therebetween. A second-layer wire 19 is formed on the second interlevel dielectric film 17. The first interlevel dielectric film 15 has a hydrogen content lower than that of the second interlevel dielectric film 17.

Abstract: First, a first electrode layer 4, a piezoelectric layer 5, a second electrode layer 6 and an oscillation layer 7 are stacked in this order over one surface of a silicon substrate 1. Next, an ink chamber partition 8 and a nozzle plate 11 are stacked over the oscillation layer 7. Subsequently, the silicon substrate 1 is ground away to a predetermined thickness from a surface thereof opposite to the first electrode layer 4, and then a remnant silicon substrate 13 is dry etched away. Thereafter, the first electrode layer 4 is patterned to form a plurality of inkjet mechanisms 2, 2, . . . . Finally, the plurality of inkjet mechanisms 2, 2, . . . are divided to simultaneously fabricate a plurality of inkjet heads 3, 3, . . . .

Abstract: In a piezoelectric element 20, a first electrode layer 2 made of an alloy of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, manganese and copper and a noble metal is formed on a silicon substrate 1, and a piezoelectric layer 3 made of a rhombohedral or tetragonal perovskite oxide (e.g., PZT) is formed on the first electrode layer 2 so that the piezoelectric layer 3 is preferentially oriented along the (001) plane.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes two electrode films and a layered piezoelectric film which is sandwiched between the electrode films and made of two thin piezoelectric films each having preferred orientation along the (111) plane. The two thin piezoelectric films are aggregates of columnar grains, respectively, which are continuously linked to each other. The columnar grains of the second thin piezoelectric film have a larger average cross-sectional diameter than the columnar grains of the first thin piezoelectric film. The ratio of the thickness of the layered piezoelectric film to the average cross-sectional diameter of the columnar grains of the second thin piezoelectric film is 20 to 60 inclusive.

Abstract: In a piezoelectric element 20, a first electrode layer 2 made of an alloy of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, manganese and copper and a noble metal is formed on a silicon substrate 1, and a piezoelectric layer 3 made of a rhombohedral or tetragonal perovskite oxide (e.g., PZT) is formed on the first electrode layer 2 so that the piezoelectric layer 3 is preferentially oriented along the (001) plane.

Abstract: In a piezoelectric element, an adhesive layer 12 is provided on a substrate 11, a first electrode layer 14 made of a noble metal containing titanium or titanium oxide is provided on the adhesive layer 12, and an orientation control layer 15 that is preferentially oriented along a (100) or (001) plane is provided on the first electrode layer 14. In the vicinity of a surface of the orientation control layer 15 that is closer to the first electrode layer 14, a (100)- or (001)-oriented region extends over titanium or titanium oxide located on one surface of the first electrode layer 14 that is closer to the orientation control layer 15, and the cross-sectional area of the region in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction gradually increases in the direction away from the first electrode layer 14 toward the opposite side. Further, a piezoelectric layer 16 that is preferentially oriented along a (001) plane is provided on the orientation control layer 15.

Abstract: In a piezoelectric element, an adhesive layer 12 is provided on a substrate 11, a first electrode layer 14 made of a noble metal containing titanium or titanium oxide is provided on the adhesive layer 12, and an orientation control layer 15 that is preferentially oriented along a (100) or (001) plane is provided on the first electrode layer 14. In the vicinity of a surface of the orientation control layer 15 that is closer to the first electrode layer 14, a (100)- or (001)-oriented region extends over titanium or titanium oxide located on one surface of the first electrode layer 14 that is closer to the orientation control layer 15, and the cross-sectional area of the region in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction gradually increases in the direction away from the first electrode layer 14 toward the opposite side. Further, a piezoelectric layer 16 that is preferentially oriented along a (001) plane is provided on the orientation control layer 15.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode layer 14 provided on a substrate 11 and made of a noble metal to which at least one additive selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al and oxides thereof is added, an orientation control layer 15 provided on the first electrode layer 14 and made of a cubic or tetragonal perovskite oxide that is preferentially oriented along a (100) or (001) plane, and a piezoelectric layer 16 provided on the orientation control layer 15 and made of a rhombohedral or tetragonal perovskite oxide that is preferentially oriented along a (001) plane.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode layer 14 provided on a substrate 11 and made of a noble metal to which at least one additive selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al and oxides thereof is added, an orientation control layer 15 provided on the first electrode layer 14 and made of a cubic or tetragonal perovskite oxide that is preferentially oriented along a (100) or (001) plane, and a piezoelectric layer 16 provided on the orientation control layer 15 and made of a rhombohedral or tetragonal perovskite oxide that is preferentially oriented along a (001) plane.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a lower hydrogen-barrier film; a capacitor formed on the lower hydrogen-barrier film and including a lower electrode, a capacitive insulating film, and an upper electrode; an interlayer dielectric film formed so as to cover the periphery of the capacitor; and an upper hydrogen-barrier film covering the top and lateral portions of the capacitor. An opening, which exposes the lower hydrogen-barrier film where the lower hydrogen-barrier film is located around the capacitor, and which is tapered and flares upward, is formed in the interlayer dielectric film, and the upper hydrogen-barrier film is formed along the lateral and bottom faces of the opening, and is in contact with the lower hydrogen-barrier film in the opening.

Abstract: A capacitor element includes a lower electrode, a ferroelectric film, and an upper electrode that are formed on a substrate. In the capacitor element, the ferroelectric film is formed by a reaction rate-determining method, and the lower electrode has a thickness of not more than 100 nm, and variation of the thickness of not more than 10%. With this, a capacitor element in which the composition variation of the ferroelectric film is suppressed, and a method for producing the same, are provided.

Abstract: In a piezoelectric element, a cubic or tetragonal orientation control layer (15) is provided on a first electrode layer (14), and formed on the orientation control layer (15) is a piezoelectric layer (16) having a rhombohedral or tetragonal crystalline structure and made of lead zirconate titanate to which a Pb-containing complex perovskite compound expressed by the chemical formula Pb(AaBb)O3 has been added in an amount that is from 1 mol % to 50 mol %. The piezoelectric layer (16) is formed so that the crystal grains thereof become columnar grains which extend in the thickness direction of the piezoelectric layer (16) and in which the ratio of the average cross-sectional diameter to the length is from 1/50 to 1/14.