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: 20170266972
    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 plurality of individual electrodes disposed for each of the piezoelectric elements, and a common electrodes common to the plurality of piezoelectric elements. The wiring substrate includes a core portion disposed on a surface on the actuator substrate side, an individual wiring portion that partially covers the core portion, a common wiring portion that partially covers the core portion, and an auxiliary wiring disposed in a groove portion disposed on a first principal surface on the side opposite to the actuator substrate or on a second principal surface on the actuator substrate side. The auxiliary wiring is electrically connected to the common wiring portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Motoki TAKABE, Katsutomo TSUKAHARA, Yoichi NAGANUMA, Munehide SAIMEN
  • Patent number: 9751307
    Abstract: An empty chamber component includes a pressure chamber formation substrate where a pressure chamber as an empty chamber is defined and a communication substrate bonded to the pressure chamber formation substrate. A piezoelectric element is provided on one side of the pressure chamber formation substrate. A flexible surface is located between the piezoelectric element and the pressure chamber. Empty portions are defined by the communication substrate closing recessed portions in the pressure chamber formation substrate. The empty portions are formed at positions where ends of the active section of the piezoelectric element pass through the empty portions in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Motoki Takabe, Shiro Yazaki, Yuma Fukuzawa, Eiju Hirai
  • Publication number: 20170236995
    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: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Motoki TAKABE, Eiju HIRAI, Toshihiro SHIMIZU, Naoto YOKOYAMA, Eiji OSAWA
  • Publication number: 20170225464
    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: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Motoki TAKABE, Katsutomo TSUKAHARA, Yoichi NAGANUMA, Munehide SAIMEN
  • Publication number: 20170217179
    Abstract: A flow path forming substrate in which an individual flow path which communicates with a nozzle opening that discharges liquid is formed; and a communication plate in which a recess portion which configures at least a part of a common flow path that is common to and communicates with the plurality of individual flow paths is provided to be open on a side opposite to the flow path forming substrate, are provided, the recess portion includes a first recess portion, and a second recess portion which is deeper than the first recess portion, the communication plate includes a supply path which is provided to be open on a bottom surface of the first recess portion, communicates with the recess portion and the individual flow path, and becomes a throttle portion that throttles a flow path with respect to the individual flow path, and a communication path which communicates with the individual flow path and the nozzle opening, and in the individual flow path, a throttle portion which throttles the individual flow pat
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunya FUKUDA, Motoki TAKABE, Eiju HIRAI, Akira MIYAGISHI, Hajime NAKAO
  • Publication number: 20170217177
    Abstract: A wiring substrate is provided with a surface wiring on at least one surface, a through hole which passes through the wiring substrate, and a through wiring which is formed in the through hole and is connected to a surface wiring, in which an inner surface of the through hole is a rough surface, and electric resistance of the through wiring is equal to or less than the electric resistance of the surface wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Motoki TAKABE, Shuichi TANAKA, Yasuyuki MATSUMOTO, Koji ASADA, Eiju HIRAI
  • Publication number: 20170217180
    Abstract: Provided are a vibrating plate, a first electrode provided over the vibrating plate, a piezoelectric layer provided over the first electrode, and a second electrode provided over the piezoelectric layer are provided. The piezoelectric layer is interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The piezoelectric layer includes an active portion of which at least one end portion is defined by the first electrode, and a non-active portion provided on an outside of the end portion of the first electrode for defining the active portion. The vibrating plate includes a first vibration portion under the non-active portion and a second vibration portion on an outside of the first vibration portion. The second vibration portion includes a taper part having the thickness which is increased toward the first vibration portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Masao NAKAYAMA, Eiju HIRAI, Naoto YOKOYAMA, Motoki TAKABE, Yoichi NAGANUMA
  • Publication number: 20170217175
    Abstract: A MEMS device includes a plurality of movable regions, wiring lines extending along a first direction from the movable regions, and electrodes connected to the wiring lines. The electrodes include connection regions for connecting other electrode terminals to the connection regions. A plurality of the connection regions are disposed along a second direction intersecting the first direction. A distance between centers of connection regions that are adjacent in the second direction is longer than a distance between centers of movable regions that are adjacent in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Motoki TAKABE, Katsutomo TSUKAHARA, Yoichi NAGANUMA, Munehide SAIMEN
  • Publication number: 20170210133
    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: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Katsutomo Tsukahara, Motoki Takabe, Eiju Hirai, Yoshihiro Hokari
  • Publication number: 20170197414
    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: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Yoichi Naganuma, Eiju Hirai, Yoshihiro Hokari, Masao Nakayama, Takeshi Saito, Toshihiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9705066
    Abstract: A head 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 which the first bump is provided on the outside of the piezoelectric actuator row, 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 provided on the driving circuit board, a first connection wiring and a second connection wiring are provided in the first through hole and the second through hole, and a first electrode of the piezoelectric actuator is electrically connected to a first connection wiring via the first bump and a second electrode is electrically connected to a second connection wiring via the second bump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Hamaguchi, Eiju Hirai, Yoichi Naganuma, Motoki Takabe
  • Patent number: 9662882
    Abstract: At an area corresponding to a pressure chamber, the width of a lower electrode film in a nozzle row direction is narrower than the width of the pressure chamber in the same direction. A vibrating plate at the area corresponding to a pressure chamber includes an area P1, an area P2, and an area P3. The area P1 is an area on which the piezoelectric layer to be an activation portion is stacked. The area P2 is an area on which the piezoelectric layer to be an inactivation portion is stacked. The area P3 is an area on which the piezoelectric layer is not stacked. When the thicknesses of the vibrating plate at the areas P1, P2 and P3 are set to, respectively, t1, t2, and t3, the following expression is satisfied: t1>t2?t3 (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Shiro Yazaki, Motoki Takabe, Yuma Fukuzawa
  • Patent number: 9662881
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a piezoelectric element that is disposed on a flow passage formation substrate, and discharges liquid from nozzle openings through the nozzle openings by pressurizing the liquid which fills the inside of a pressure generating chamber due to the displacement of a vibration film according to driving of the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element includes an insulating film formed on the vibration film, a first electrode film formed on the insulating film, a piezoelectric layer formed on the first electrode film, and a second electrode film formed on the piezoelectric layer, and the insulating film includes a lower insulating film formed on the vibration film and an upper insulating film which is formed on the lower insulating film with the same material as that of the lower insulating film, but has a different crystal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Nakayama, Eiju Hirai, Toshihiro Shimizu, Motoki Takabe, Yasuhiro Itayama
  • Patent number: 9666784
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Motoki Takabe, Eiju Hirai, Toshihiro Shimizu, Naoto Yokoyama, Eiji Osawa
  • Publication number: 20170144442
    Abstract: A MEMS device includes a drive region having a stacked structural body in which a first electrode layer, a first dielectric layer, and a second electrode layer are stacked in that order. The stacked structural body extends from the drive region to a non-drive region that is outer than the drive region and, in an extending direction of the stacked structural body, the first electrode layer and the first dielectric layer extend farther outward than the second electrode layer. A second dielectric layer covering an end of the second electrode layer in the extending direction is stacked on the second electrode layer in the non-drive region and the first dielectric layer that is formed outer in the extending direction than the second electrode layer. A third electrode layer electrically connected to the second electrode layer is stacked on the second dielectric layer and on the second electrode layer in a region outside the second dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Katsutomo TSUKAHARA, Motoki TAKABE, Eiju HIRAI, Masao NAKAYAMA, Munehide SAIMEN
  • Publication number: 20170096006
    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: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao NAKAYAMA, Eiju HIRAI, Naoto YOKOYAMA, Motoki TAKABE, Toshihiro SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 9610770
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejecting head including a pressure chamber forming substrate for forming a pressure chamber which is filled with liquid, a nozzle through which the ink is ejected in a direction along the pressure chamber forming substrate, and a communication flow path which allows the pressure chamber to communicate with the nozzle. The nozzle and the communication flow path are formed in the pressure chamber forming substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Naganuma, Yoshinao Miyata, Eiju Hirai, Motoki Takabe
  • Publication number: 20170067143
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element provided with first electrodes, a piezoelectric body layer, and a second electrode including a first platinum layer and second platinum layer, in which the first platinum layer having compression stress is formed on the piezoelectric body layer, which is provided on the first electrodes, using a sputtering technique, and the second platinum layer having tensile stress, is formed on the first platinum layer using a sputtering technique with a lower sputtering power than that when the first platinum layer is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao NAKAYAMA, Eiju HIRAI, Toshihiro SHIMIZU, Motoki TAKABE, Eiji OSAWA
  • Publication number: 20170066239
    Abstract: A MEMS device includes a first substrate which has a first electrode and a protective layer that covers the first electrode; a second substrate that is disposed laminated on the first substrate and that has a second electrode that is electrically connected to the first electrode; and a photosensitive adhesive which joins the protective layer and the second substrate, in which a joining surface of the protective layer which is joined by the photosensitive adhesive is flat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Toshiaki HAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170066240
    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: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Eiju HIRAI, Yoichi NAGANUMA, Toshiaki HAMAGUCHI, Motoki TAKABE