Abstract: A manufacturing system has an inspection data collecting apparatus that is capable of carrying out, upon receipt of a signal containing measurement data in different formats according to the type of inspection or a measuring instrument, processing in accordance with the signal and the format of data to create data in a certain format, and of transmitting a signal for giving an instruction to the measuring instrument in association with the format compatible with the measuring instrument. All data obtained by the inspections in all steps for manufacturing a product is accumulated as inspection data and exchanged among the steps.

Abstract: A measurement data collection apparatus includes at least a collection/analysis processing device having a measuring instrument interface for converting measurement data input from a measuring instrument into data of a form corresponding to measurement contents, and a measurement data collection interface for converting the data of the form corresponding to the measurement contents into measurement data of a predetermined form. The apparatus can process the results obtained from the measurement as electronic data irrespective of the measurement contents or a kind of the measuring instrument and can perform form printing or data processing such as arithmetic operations.

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: A lead content in a piezoelectric thin film (3) of a piezoelectric element (20) is made smaller as compared to stoichiometric composition. More specifically, the piezoelectric thin film (3) is made of lead zirconate titanate expressed as Pb(1?x)(Zr(1?s)Tis)O3(0<s<1) or lead-zirconate-titanate-based oxide expressed as (Pb(1?x?y)Ay)(Zr(1?t)TisBt)O3(0<s<1, 0<t<1?s) where A is a substitutive metal ion in an A-site in the perovskite crystalline structure and B is a substitutive metal ion in a B-site in the perovskite crystalline structure. The value of x, which indicates a deficiency in Pb content in each composition, is more than 0 but not more than 0.15.

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: 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 measurement data collection apparatus includes at least a collection/analysis processing device having a measuring instrument interface for converting measurement data input from a measuring instrument into data of a form corresponding to measurement contents, and a measurement data collection interface for converting the data of the form corresponding to the measurement contents into measurement data of a predetermined form. The apparatus can process the results obtained from the measurement as electronic data irrespective of the measurement contents or a kind of the measuring instrument and can perform form printing or data processing such as arithmetic operations.

Abstract: In the liquid discharge head for discharging liquid such as ink like the ink jet head, at least a part on a surface of a piezoelectric element on the side of a liquid chamber member (ink chamber member) is composed of a nucleus forming assistance material contained layer containing a material for assisting nucleus forming for growth of plating at the time of forming the liquid chamber member on the surface by means of the electroless plating, and the liquid chamber member is formed on the nucleus forming assistance material contained layer by the electroless plating.

Abstract: A first electrode layer made of a noble metal containing at least one additive selected from the group consisting of Ti, Co, Ni, Mg, Fe, Ca, Sr, Mn, Ba and Al and oxides thereof, a pyroelectric layer having a thickness of 0.5 to 5 ?m and having a perovskite crystalline structure whose chemical composition is represented as (Pb(1-y)Lay)Ti(1-y/4)O3 (0<y?0.2) or (Pb(1-y)Lay)(ZrxTi(1-x))(1-y/4)O3 (0<x?0.2 or 0.55?x<0.8, 0<y?0.2), and a second electrode layer are formed in this order on a substrate, to obtain a pyroelectric device.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus, which performs printing by ink ejection, comprises a pressure chamber in which ink liquid is filled; a nozzle hole 116 which is formed communicating with the pressure chamber; a piezoelectric element 113 which is formed on the pressure chamber, and deforms the pressure chamber by mechanical expansion and contraction, whereby pressure is generated in the pressure chamber and ink is ejected from the nozzle hole 116; and a dew point control unit 123 which keeps a dew point in an atmosphere of the piezoelectric element 113 and the vicinity of the piezoelectric element 113 at a lower value than a dew point in an environment where the ink jet recording apparatus is set. The dew point control unit 123 comprises a compressor 123a, and an air drier 123b which dries compression gas from this compressor 123a and feeds it to the piezoelectric element 113.

Abstract: Plural nozzle arrays of which each comprises plural nozzle holes 247a from which ink is ejected are arranged slantingly in a main scanning direction. A distance between a first arbitrary nozzle hole 247a-1 and a second nozzle hole 247a-2, in a nozzle array adjacent to the array to which this first nozzle hole 247a-1 belongs, which is adjacent to the first nozzle hole 247a-1, and a distance between the first nozzle hole 247a-1 and a third nozzle hole 247a-3, in the nozzle array to which the second nozzle hole 247a-2 belongs, which is further adjacent to the first nozzle hole 247a-1 are different from each other.

Abstract: An ink jet head unit comprises a head 2 in which plural nozzle arrays 2a, 2b, 2c, 3d of which each comprises many nozzle holes are formed, and ink is ejected from the nozzle holes; a head base on which the head 2 is mounted; and flat cables 4a, 4b flexibly formed by covering many transmission wires with an insulation film, of which one end sides where the transmission wires are exposed are fixed, in mounted parts 7a, 7b interposed between the nozzle arrays 2a, 2b and the nozzle arrays 2c, 2d, onto the head 2 thereby to transmit ink ejection signals for driving the head 2.

Abstract: In order to provide a practically lead-free glass composition having a low softening point and an excellent water resistance for use in various parts of electronic equipment and a magnetic head using the same, a glass composition is provided, which contains 0.5 to 14 wt % of SiO2, 3 to 15 wt % of B2O3, 4 to 22 wt % of ZnO, 55 to 90 wt % of Bi2O3, 0 to 4 wt % of Al2O3, 0 to 5 wt % of at least one selected from the group consisting of Li2O, Na2O and K2O, and 0 to 15 wt % of at least one selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, SrO and BaO.

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 the liquid discharge head for discharging liquid such as ink like the ink jet head, at least a part on a surface of a piezoelectric element on the side of a liquid chamber member (ink chamber member) is composed of a nucleus forming assistance material contained layer containing a material for assisting nucleus forming for growth of plating at the time of forming the liquid chamber member on the surface by means of the electroless plating, and the liquid chamber member is formed on the nucleus forming assistance material contained layer by the electroless plating.

Abstract: To provide a magnetic head for a magnetic recording/reproducing device to conform to high-density recording, wherein a metal magnetic film with a high saturation flux density is employed and the mechanical strength of the sealing glass for magnetic heads, is improved thereby achieving a high reliability, high performance magnetic head, also to provide a magnetic recording/reproducing device utilizing the magnetic head.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film can achieve a large piezoelectric displacement. A chemical composition of the piezoelectric thin film is expressed by Pb1+a(ZrxTi1−x)O3+a(0.2≦a≦0.6 and 0.50≦x≦0.62). The crystal structure of the piezoelectric thin film is a mixture of a perovskite columnar crystal region (24) having an ionic defect in which a portion of the constitutive elements of an oxygen ion, a titanium ion, and a zirconium ion is missing and a perovskite columnar crystal region (25) of stoichiometric composition having no ionic defect. This configuration allows a residual compressive stress in the crystal to be relaxed by the perovskite columnar crystal region (24) having an ionic defect, thus achieving a large piezoelectric displacement (displacement amount).

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 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 dielectric thin film element enables controlling of a crystal orientation of a dielectric thin film and optimization of a variety of characteristics such as electric characteristics. This dielectric thin film element (10) comprises a substrate (11), a first electrode (12) formed on the substrate (11), a dielectric thin film (13) formed on the first electrode (12) and a second electrode (14) formed on the dielectric thin film (13) and is fabricated with the substrate (11) being heated. A material having a predetermined thermal expansion coefficient is used as the material of the substrate (11), and a crystal orientation of the dielectric thin film (13) is controlled by the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate (11).