Abstract: A piezoelectric material that does not contain lead and has excellent and stable piezoelectric properties in a device operating temperature range is provided. The present invention for this purpose is a piezoelectric material including a main component containing a perovskite metal oxide represented by following general formula (1), a first auxiliary component containing Mn, and a second auxiliary component containing Bi charge-disproportionated into trivalent and pentavalent, wherein an amount of the contained Mn is 0.0020 moles or more and 0.0150 moles or less relative to 1 mole of the metal oxide, and an amount of the contained Bi is 0.0004 moles or more and 0.0085 moles or less relative to 1 mole of the metal oxide. Baa(Ti1-xZrx)O3??(1) (where 0.020?x?0.130 and 0.996?a?1.030).

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric material not containing any lead component, having stable piezoelectric characteristics in an operating temperature range, a high mechanical quality factor, and satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics. The piezoelectric material according to the present invention includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide that can be expressed using the following general formula (1), and subcomponents containing Mn, Li, and Bi. When the metal oxide is 100 parts by weight, the content of Mn on a metal basis is not less than 0.04 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.36 parts by weight, content ? of Li on a metal basis is equal to or less than 0.0012 parts by weight (including 0 parts by weight), and content ? of Bi on a metal basis is not less than 0.042 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.850 parts by weight (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zZrySnz)O3??(1) (in the formula (1), 0.09?x?0.30, 0.025?y?0.085, 0?z?0.02, and 0.986?a?1.02).

Abstract: There is provided a thin-film transistor including at least a substrate, a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a protective layer, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is an amorphous oxide containing at least one of the elements In, Ga and Zn, the gate electrode-side carrier density of the oxide semiconductor layer is higher than the protective layer-side carrier density thereof, and the film thickness of the oxide semiconductor layer is 30 nm±15 nm.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric material portion. The piezoelectric material portion is made of a piezoelectric ceramic that includes a perovskite-type metal oxide including barium titanate and Mn and that has residual polarization. The piezoelectric material portion has a measurement surface extending in a direction that crosses a direction of the residual polarization of the piezoelectric ceramic, and, after the measurement surface has been polished to have a surface roughness of 200 nm or less, the measurement surface has a (002)/(200) X-ray diffraction intensity ratio of 1.0 or more at room temperature. A ratio c/a of a c-axis lattice constant c to an a-axis lattice constant a of the piezoelectric ceramic at room temperature satisfies 1.004?c/a?1.010. A half-width of a (002) diffraction peak of the measurement surface at room temperature is 1.2° or less.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric material not containing any lead component, having stable piezoelectric characteristics in an operating temperature range, a high mechanical quality factor, and satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics. The piezoelectric material according to the present invention includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide that can be expressed using the following general formula (1), and subcomponents containing Mn, Li, and Bi. When the metal oxide is 100 parts by weight, the content of Mn on a metal basis is not less than 0.04 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.36 parts by weight, content ? of Li on a metal basis is equal to or less than 0.0012 parts by weight (including 0 parts by weight), and content ? of Bi on a metal basis is not less than 0.042 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.850 parts by weight (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zZrySnz)O3??(1) (in the formula (1), 0.09?x?0.30, 0.025?y?0.085, 0?z?0.02, and 0.986?a?1.02).

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric material portion. The piezoelectric material portion is made of a piezoelectric ceramic that includes a perovskite-type metal oxide including barium titanate and Mn and that has residual polarization. The piezoelectric material portion has a measurement surface extending in a direction that crosses a direction of the residual polarization of the piezoelectric ceramic, and, after the measurement surface has been polished to have a surface roughness of 200 nm or less, the measurement surface has a (002)/(200) X-ray diffraction intensity ratio of 1.0 or more at room temperature. A ratio c/a of a c-axis lattice constant c to an a-axis lattice constant a of the piezoelectric ceramic at room temperature satisfies 1.004?c/a?1.010. A half-width of a (002) diffraction peak of the measurement surface at room temperature is 1.2° or less.

Abstract: Provided is a Bi-based piezoelectric material having good piezoelectric properties. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1): Ax(ZnjTi(1-j))l(MgkTi(1-k))mMnO3??General formula (1) where: A represents a Bi element, or one or more kinds of elements selected from the group consisting of trivalent metal elements and containing at least a Bi element; M represents at least one kind of an element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Al, Sc, Mn, Y, Ga, and Yb; and 0.9?x?1.25, 0.4?j?0.6, 0.4?k?0.6, 0.09?l?0.49, 0.19?m?0.64, 0.13?n?0.48, and l+m+n=1 are satisfied.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric ceramics that can achieve both high piezoelectric performance and a high Curie temperature. Also provided are a piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, an ultrasonic motor, and a dust removing device, which use the piezoelectric ceramics. The piezoelectric ceramics include a perovskite-type metal oxide expressed by a general formula (1): xBaTiO3-yBiFeO3-zBi(M0.5Ti0.5)O3, where M represents at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Mg and Ni, x satisfies 0.40?x?0.80, y satisfies 0?y?0.30, z satisfies 0.05?z?0.60, and x+y+z=1 is satisfied, and are oriented in a (111) plane in a pseudocubic expression.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric material not containing any lead component, having stable piezoelectric characteristics in an operating temperature range, a high mechanical quality factor, and satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics. The piezoelectric material according to the present invention includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide that can be expressed using the following general formula (1), and subcomponents containing Mn, Li, and Bi. When the metal oxide is 100 parts by weight, the content of Mn on a metal basis is not less than 0.04 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.36 parts by weight, content ? of Li on a metal basis is equal to or less than 0.0012 parts by weight (including 0 parts by weight), and content ? of Bi on a metal basis is not less than 0.042 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.850 parts by weight (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zZrySnz)O3??(1) (in the formula (1), 0.09?x?0.30, 0.025?y?0.085, 0?z?0.02, and 0.986?a?1.02).

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free dielectric ceramics having a low leakage current value, and a bismuth iron oxide powder as a raw material thereof. The bismuth iron oxide powder includes at least: (A) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a perovskite-type crystal structure; (B) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a crystal structure classified to a space group Pbam; and (C) grains including a bismuth iron oxide or a bismuth oxide having a crystal structure that is classified to a space group I23. The dielectric ceramics are made of bismuth iron oxide in which the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the crystal structure classified to the space group Pbam are distributed at a grain boundary of crystal grains of the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the perovskite-type crystal structure.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric material having high Curie temperature, high insulation property, and high piezoelectric performance, the piezoelectric material including a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1): xBaTiO3-yBiFeO3-zBi(M0.5Ti0.5)O3, where M represents at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ni, and Zn, x represents a value satisfying 0.25?x?0.75, y represents a value satisfying 0.15?y?0.73, and z represents a value satisfying 0.02?z?0.60, provided that x+y+z=1 is satisfied in which the perovskite-type metal oxide contains V, and content of the V is 0.0005 mol or larger and 0.0050 mol or smaller with respect to 1 mol of the perovskite-type metal oxide. In addition, provided are a piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, an ultrasonic motor, and a dust removing device, which use the piezoelectric material.

Abstract: The piezoelectric element includes, on a substrate: a piezoelectric film; and a pair of electrodes provided in contact with the piezoelectric film; in which the piezoelectric film contains a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1) as a main component: Ax(ZnjTi(1-j))l(MgkTi(1-k))mMnO3??General Formula (1) wherein the perovskite-type metal oxide is uniaxially (111)-oriented in pseudo-cubic notation in a thickness direction, of the pair of electrodes, a lower electrode provided on the substrate side is a multilayer electrode including at least a first electrode layer in contact with the substrate and a second electrode layer in contact with the piezoelectric film, and the second electrode layer is a perovskite-type metal oxide electrode which is uniaxially (111)-oriented in pseudo-cubic notation in a thickness direction.

Abstract: Provided is a bottom gate type thin film transistor including on a substrate (1) a gate electrode (2), a first insulating film (3) as a gate insulating film, an oxide semiconductor layer (4) as a channel layer, a second insulating film (5) as a protective layer, a source electrode (6), and a drain electrode (7), in which the oxide semiconductor layer (4) includes an oxide including at least one selected from the group consisting of In, Zn, and Sn, and the second insulating film (5) includes an amorphous oxide insulator formed so as to be in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer (4) and contains therein 3.8×1019 molecules/cm3 or more of a desorbed gas observed as oxygen by temperature programmed desorption mass spectrometry.

Abstract: Provided are resin-based and metal-based anti-thermally-expansive members each having small thermal expansion. More specifically, provided are an anti-thermally-expansive resin and an anti-thermally-expansive metal, each including a resin or a metal having a positive linear expansion coefficient at 20° C. and a solid particle dispersed in the resin or metal, in which the solid particle includes at least an oxide represented by the following general formula (1): (Bi1-xMx)NiO3 (1), where M represents at least one metal selected from the group consisting of La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y, and In; and x represents a numerical value of 0.02?x?0.15.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric material not containing any lead component, having stable piezoelectric characteristics in an operating temperature range, a high mechanical quality factor, and satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics. The piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide that can be expressed using the following general formula (1), and subcomponents containing Mn, Li, and Bi. When the metal oxide is 100 parts by weight, the content of Mn on a metal basis is not less than 0.04 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.36 parts by weight, content ? of Li on a metal basis is not less than 0.0013 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.0280 parts by weight, and content ? of Bi on a metal basis is not less than 0.042 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.850 parts by weight (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zZrySnz)O3??(1) (in the formula (1), 0.09?x?0.30, 0.074<y?0.085, 0?z?0.02, and 0.986?a?1.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric material not containing any lead component, having stable piezoelectric characteristics in an operating temperature range, a high mechanical quality factor, and satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics. The piezoelectric material according to the present invention includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide that can be expressed using the following general formula (1), and subcomponents containing Mn, Li, and Bi. When the metal oxide is 100 parts by weight, the content of Mn on a metal basis is not less than 0.04 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.36 parts by weight, content ? of Li on a metal basis is equal to or less than 0.0012 parts by weight (including 0 parts by weight), and content ? of Bi on a metal basis is not less than 0.042 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.850 parts by weight (Ba1-xCax)a(Ti1-y-zZrySnz)O3??(1) (in the formula (1), 0.09?x?0.30, 0.025?y?0.085, 0?z?0.02, and 0.986?a?1.02).

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric material having high Curie temperature, high insulation property, and high piezoelectric performance, the piezoelectric material including a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1): xBaTiO3-yBiFeO3-zBi(M0.5Ti0.5)O3, where M represents at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ni, and Zn, x represents a value satisfying 0.25?x?0.75, y represents a value satisfying 0.15?y?0.73, and z represents a value satisfying 0.02?z?0.60, provided that x+y+z=1 is satisfied in which the perovskite-type metal oxide contains V, and content of the V is 0.0005 mol or larger and 0.0050 mol or smaller with respect to 1 mol of the perovskite-type metal oxide. In addition, provided are a piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, an ultrasonic motor, and a dust removing device, which use the piezoelectric material.

Abstract: Provided are a thermal expansion suppressing member having negative thermal expansion properties and a metal-based anti-thermally-expansive member having small thermal expansion. More specifically, provided are a thermal expansion suppressing member, including at least an oxide represented by the following general formula (1), and an anti-thermally-expansive member, including a metal having a positive linear expansion coefficient at 20° C., and a solid body including at least an oxide represented by the following general formula (1), the metal and solid being joined to each other: (Bi1-xMx)NiO3 (1) where M represents at least one metal selected from the group consisting of La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y, and In; and x represents a numerical value of 0.02?x?0.15.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free dielectric ceramics having a low leakage current value, and a bismuth iron oxide powder as a raw material thereof. The bismuth iron oxide powder includes at least: (A) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a perovskite-type crystal structure; (B) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a crystal structure classified to a space group Pbam; and (C) grains including a bismuth iron oxide or a bismuth oxide having a crystal structure that is classified to a space group I23. The dielectric ceramics are made of bismuth iron oxide in which the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the crystal structure classified to the space group Pbam are distributed at a grain boundary of crystal grains of the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the perovskite-type crystal structure.

Abstract: Provided are a thermal expansion suppressing member having negative thermal expansion properties and a metal-based anti-thermally-expansive member having small thermal expansion. More specifically, provided are a thermal expansion suppressing member, including at least an oxide represented by the following general formula (1), and an anti-thermally-expansive member, including a metal having a positive linear expansion coefficient at 20° C., and a solid body including at least an oxide represented by the following general formula (1), the metal and solid being joined to each other: (Bi1-xMx)NiO3 (1) where M represents at least one metal selected from the group consisting of La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y, and In; and x represents a numerical value of 0.02?x?0.15.