Patents by Inventor Eiju Hirai

Eiju Hirai 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).

  • Publication number: 20190030891
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a chamber, and a piezoelectric device, wherein the piezoelectric device includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, a second electrode, an insulating layer, a first wire electrically connected to the second electrode, and a second wire electrically connected to the second electrode, and the piezoelectric device has a first region in which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are stacked, a second region which is located on a side adjacent to a first end of the piezoelectric layer and in which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, the insulating layer, and the first wire are stacked, and a third region which is located on a side adjacent to a second end of the piezoelectric layer opposite to the first end and in which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, the insulating layer, and the second wire are stacked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Motoki TAKABE
  • Publication number: 20190016126
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a drive element, a drive circuit that outputs a signal for driving the drive element, and a wiring board. The wiring board is provided with a power supply wire through which power is supplied to the drive circuit, a first drive signal wire through which a first drive signal is supplied to the drive circuit, and a second drive signal wire through which a second drive signal is supplied to the drive circuit and that is not electrically connected to the power supply wire and the first drive signal wire on the wiring board, each of the first drive signal wire and the second drive signal wire is provided with a buried wire that is buried in a groove, and the first drive signal wire and the second drive signal wire are different from each other in number of the buried wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Motoki TAKABE, Daisuke YAMADA, Yoichiro KONDO, Shunya FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20190009538
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device used in a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid from a nozzle includes a flow-path-forming substrate in which an individual liquid chamber that communicates with the nozzle and a liquid supply chamber that communicates with the individual liquid chamber are formed, a vibration plate formed at a position corresponding to the individual liquid chamber and the liquid supply chamber of the flow-path-forming substrate, a plurality of liquid supply ports formed in the liquid supply chamber, and a piezoelectric element including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode, the piezoelectric element being formed at a position on the vibration plate corresponding to the individual liquid chamber, where the liquid supply ports are provided so as to penetrate the vibration plate, and where the vibration plate contains zirconium oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Masao NAKAYAMA, Motoki TAKABE, Eiju HIRAI, Shiro YAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20190009539
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device used in a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle includes a flow path forming substrate in which an individual liquid chamber that communicates with the nozzle, and a liquid supply chamber that communicates with the individual liquid chamber are formed, a vibration plate formed at a position corresponding to the individual liquid chamber and the liquid supply chamber of the flow path forming substrate, a plurality of liquid supply ports formed in the liquid supply chamber, and a piezoelectric element including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode, the piezoelectric element being formed at a position on the vibration plate corresponding to the individual liquid chamber. A metal layer is stacked at a position on the vibration plate corresponding to the liquid supply chamber. The liquid supply ports are provided so as to penetrate the vibration plate and the metal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Masao NAKAYAMA, Motoki TAKABE, Eiju HIRAI, Shiro YAZAKI
  • Patent number: 10173421
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric element including: a first electrode; a piezoelectric layer which is provided over the first electrode; and a second electrode provided on a side of the piezoelectric layer opposite to the first electrode, in which the second electrode includes a first layer which is provided on the piezoelectric layer side, and a second layer which is provided on a side of the first layer opposite to the piezoelectric layer, and the second layer does not contain platinum and covers an end portion of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Nakayama, Eiju Hirai, Naoto Yokoyama, Motoki Takabe, Toshihiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10150294
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes: a pressure chamber-forming plate in which a plurality of pressure chambers each communicating with a nozzle are formed in a first direction; a vibration plate that defines one surface of each pressure chamber and allows for deformation of a defining region thereof; a piezoelectric element formed by stacking a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer in a region corresponding to the pressure chamber in an order from a surface of the vibration plate, which is opposite to the pressure chamber; a circuit board that is arranged at an interval from the vibration plate, with a plurality of bump electrodes interposed therebetween, and outputs a signal for driving the piezoelectric element; and an adhesive agent that bonds the pressure chamber-forming plate and the circuit board, wherein an element end on at least one side of the piezoelectric element is formed outside of the defining region and covered by the adhesive agent in a second direction orthogonal to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Toshiaki Hamaguchi, Yoichi Naganuma, Motoki Takabe
  • Patent number: 10134976
    Abstract: The piezoelectric body is configured to have a layered structure such that a plurality of unit layers are stacked in a film thickness direction, and each of the unit layers is formed of a first layer on which the displacement is relatively easy to occur, and a second layer which has a high concentration of Zr as compared with the first layer. In addition, when composition ratio Ti/(Zr+Ti) of Zr to Ti in each of the first layer and the second layer is set as Cr1 and Cr2, the composition ratio of each layer is adjusted so as to satisfy the following conditions (1) to (3): 0.41?Cr1?0.81??(1) 0.1?Cr1?Cr2?0.3??(2) Cr1>Cr2??(3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Motoki Takabe, Eiju Hirai, Toshihiro Shimizu, Naoto Yokoyama, Eiji Osawa
  • Patent number: 10121957
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a piezoelectric element includes forming an adhesive layer of a lead electrode on a piezoelectric element main body of a vibration plate, forming a metallic layer of the lead electrode on the adhesive layer, removing the metallic layer to leave the adhesive layer in a portion that corresponds to an extended electrode of the lead electrode using etching, patterning the remaining adhesive layer as individual extended electrodes that correspond to the piezoelectric element main body using etching, joining a protective substrate onto the vibration plate in a state in which the piezoelectric element main body is accommodated inside an accommodation hollow section and the extended electrode is positioned further on an outer side of the vibration plate than the protective substrate, layering and forming a section of the wiring on the protective substrate and the extended electrode, and patterning the wiring as individual wiring for each extended electrode using etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Hamaguchi, Eiju Hirai, Tsuyoshi Yoda
  • Publication number: 20180297365
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric device including: a substrate (10) on which a plurality of recesses (12) are provided; a vibrating plate (50) which is provided on one surface side of the substrate; and a piezoelectric element (300) which is provided over the vibrating plate (50) and on which a first electrode (60), a piezoelectric layer (70), and a second electrode (80) are laminated from the substrate (10) side, in which the first electrode (60) is formed to have a first width which is smaller than a dimension of the recess in a parallel arrangement direction in the parallel arrangement direction of at least one recess (12), and the piezoelectric layer (70) is extended to the outer side of the first electrode (60) in the parallel arrangement direction and has a second width which is greater than the first width and smaller than a width of the recess (12) in the parallel arrangement direction, the vibrating plate (50) contains a zirconium oxide layer (52), and when an area of the zirconium oxide layer (52) corres
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Masao NAKAYAMA, Yasuhiro ITAYAMA, Naoto YOKOYAMA, Eiju HIRAI, Motoki TAKABE
  • Publication number: 20180297363
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device including a pressure chamber, a piezoelectric element, and a vibration plate, in which the piezoelectric element is provided with a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer, the vibration plate has a first portion overlapping the piezoelectric element and a second portion having a thickness smaller than that of the first portion and overlapping an inner peripheral surface of a side wall of the pressure chamber, a side surface of the piezoelectric element which intersects the vibration plate has a first surface inclined at a first angle, the vibration plate has a second surface, between the first portion and the second portion, inclined at a second angle smaller than the first angle, and an end portion of the second surface on the side wall side of the pressure chamber overlaps the side wall of the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Masao NAKAYAMA, Eiju HIRAI, Naoto YOKOYAMA, Motoki TAKABE, Yoichi NAGANUMA
  • Publication number: 20180287046
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a substrate in which a plurality of spaces are arranged so as to be partitioned by a plurality of walls, and a defining member defining a portion of each of the spaces in such a way as to cross between adjacent walls being among the walls and corresponding to the each of the spaces on one face of the substrate, a plurality of piezoelectric elements formed in such a way as to be each associated with a corresponding one of the spaces. a width of each of the walls denoted by a sign a, a height of each of the walls denoted by a sign b, a thickness of the defining member denoted by a sign t, and a size of each of movable regions denoted by the sign L satisfy a formula, t×L4/(a×b3)?5×105.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Masao NAKAYAMA, Naoto YOKOYAMA, Takeshi SAITO, Yoshihiro HOKARI
  • Publication number: 20180277736
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device (an actuator unit) includes the following: a first substrate (a pressure chamber forming substrate, a diaphragm) having a piezoelectric layer and a first wiring conductor (a top electrode layer) that is at least partially stacked on the piezoelectric layer; and a second substrate (a sealing substrate) having a second wiring conductor (a bottom wiring conductor) that faces and is separated from the first wiring conductor (a top electrode layer) and to which an electrical signal different from an electrical signal that is applied to the first wiring conductor (a top electrode layer) is applied. At least one of the first wiring conductor (a top electrode layer) and the second wiring conductor (a bottom wiring conductor) is at least partially covered with an electrically insulating protective layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Katsutomo TSUKAHARA, Eiju HIRAI, Motoki TAKABE, Daisuke YAMADA, Yasuyuki MATSUMOTO, Shuichi TANAKA
  • Patent number: 10059102
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes: a pressure chamber-forming plate in which a plurality of pressure chambers each communicating with a nozzle are formed; a vibration plate that defines one surface of each pressure chamber and allows for deformation of a defining region thereof; a piezoelectric element formed by stacking a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer in a region corresponding to the pressure chamber in an order from a surface of the vibration plate, which is opposite to the pressure chamber; and a circuit board that is arranged at an interval from the vibration plate, with a plurality of bump electrodes interposed therebetween, and outputs a signal for driving the piezoelectric element, wherein the first electrode layer is formed independently for each piezoelectric element, the second electrode layer is formed continuously across the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and at least part of the bump electrodes is electrically connected with the first electrode layer and t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Toshiaki Hamaguchi, Yoichi Naganuma, Motoki Takabe
  • Patent number: 10059101
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Shiro Yazaki, Koji Sumi, Motoki Takabe, Jiro Kato, Hiroshi Ito, Toshihiro Shimizu, Takahiro Kamijo, Tatsuro Torimoto, Chikara Kojima
  • Patent number: 10029459
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes an actuator substrate that includes a plurality of piezoelectric element rows having a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a wiring substrate that is disposed so as to face the actuator substrate. The piezoelectric element rows include a common electrodes common to the plurality of the piezoelectric elements. The actuator substrate includes a plurality of first common wirings connected to each of the common electrodes of the plurality of the piezoelectric element rows. The wiring substrate includes a plurality of second common wirings connected to each of the first common wirings of the plurality of piezoelectric element rows, and a plurality of auxiliary wirings buried in a groove portion formed in the wiring substrate. The auxiliary wirings are connected to each of the second common wirings, and the plurality of auxiliary wirings are not connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Motoki Takabe, Katsutomo Tsukahara, Yoichi Naganuma, Munehide Saimen
  • Publication number: 20180186152
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a substrate that includes a piezoelectric element formed by stacking a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode and a second electrode such that the piezoelectric layer is interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a wiring substrate that includes a driving element providing a signal for driving the piezoelectric element to the substrate. The substrate has an inspection region where a piezoelectric element for inspection which is a portion of the piezoelectric element is disposed. The wiring substrate has an electrode inspection region including an electrode to be inspected that is electrically connected to the piezoelectric element for inspection and is disposed on a surface side opposite to the substrate, and a flexible substrate mounting region which is disposed on the surface side opposite to the substrate, and is connected to a flexible substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Katsutomo TSUKAHARA, Motoki TAKABE, Eiju HIRAI, Yoshihiro HOKARI
  • Patent number: 10011113
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a head which includes a channel formation substrate having two piezoelectric actuator rows formed thereon, a driving circuit, and a driving circuit board which is provided with a first bump and a second bump. In the method, a piezo element is formed and the first bump is formed on the outside of the piezoelectric actuator row, on the driving circuit board, an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the first bump and the second bump, a first through hole and a second through hole are formed on the driving circuit board, a first connection wiring and a second connection wiring which are connected to the driving circuit are formed, and a first electrode of the piezoelectric actuator is electrically connected to the first connection wiring via the first bump and a second electrode is electrically connected to the second connection wiring via the second bump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Hamaguchi, Eiju Hirai, Yoichi Naganuma, Motoki Takabe
  • Publication number: 20180178517
    Abstract: A MEMS device includes a first substrate; a second substrate that is disposed laminated on the first substrate; and a functional element that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, in which the second substrate is smaller than the first substrate, and in planar view, an end portion of the second substrate is disposed inside an end portion of the first substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Yoichi NAGANUMA, Toshiaki HAMAGUCHI, Motoki TAKABE
  • Patent number: 10000061
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a supporting body, a supporting layer that is stacked on the supporting body, a first electrode that is formed on a side opposite to the supporting body side of the supporting layer, a piezoelectric body that is formed on a side opposite to the supporting layer side of the first electrode, and a second electrode that is formed on a side opposite to the first electrode side of the piezoelectric body, in which the piezoelectric body is formed throughout an area covering the first electrode, the second electrode is formed throughout an area covering the piezoelectric body, and a recess portion which is recessed toward the supporting body is formed outside an area overlapping with the first electrode in the supporting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Naganuma, Eiju Hirai, Yoshihiro Hokari, Masao Nakayama, Takeshi Saito, Toshihiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9969162
    Abstract: A MEMS device includes a first substrate in which a first electrode layer, a dielectric layer, and a second electrode layer are stacked on a driving region in this order; and a second substrate which is disposed to face a surface on which the dielectric layer of the first substrate is stacked. The first electrode layer and the dielectric layer extend beyond the second electrode layer toward a non-driving region separated from the driving region, a first resin having elasticity is disposed in a region including an end of the second electrode layer in an extending direction of the dielectric layer, and the first substrate and the second substrate are fixed with an adhesive in a state where the elastically deformed first resin is sandwiched therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Munehide Saimen, Eiju Hirai, Masao Nakayama