Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric thin film having an improved and stable characteristic by controlling stress applied during forming a piezoelectric thin film and providing the piezoelectric thin film having a perovskite structure. A thin film piezoelectric element in which a lower electrode is formed on a substrate, a piezoelectric thin film containing lead is formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode is further placed on the piezoelectric thin film, characterized in that the piezoelectric thin film is a dielectric with the perovskite structure having lead, zirconium, and titanium as the main ingredients, and is in a composition region in which, in the composition of the whole piezoelectric thin film, the. Zr/(Zr+Ti) ratio is not less than substantially 0.53, and has a crystal structure of the tetragonal system in which a c axis is longer than an a axis.

Abstract: In a piezoelectric element comprising a first electrode 2 provided on a substrate 1, a piezoelectric material 3 provided on the first electrode 2 and a second electrode 4 provided on the piezoelectric material 3, the piezoelectric material 3 is configured so as to have a perovskite type crystal structure which is represented by a formula ABO3 and in which the main component for the A site is Pb and the main components for the B site are Zr, Ti and Pb, and configured so that a ratio of Pb atoms to all atoms in the B site is more than 3% and not more than 30%. Namely, the piezoelectric material 3 is formed so as to contain Pb excessively and the excess Pb atoms are activated to be Pb4+ during formation of the piezoelectric material 3 and then introduced into the B site.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film element D, in which a piezoelectric thin film 1 with first and second electrode films 2 and 3 respectively formed on its opposite surfaces in the thickness direction is held by a hold film 5, is fabricated by forming each film 1, 2, 3, and 5 on a film formation substrate 11 and removing the film formation substrate 11 by etching. Even when the hold film 5 is made of material such as resin and therefore exhibits relatively poor adhesion with respect to the other films, the piezoelectric thin film 1 is protected from damage by etchant because the first electrode film 2 which comes into contact with the film formation substrate 11 is formed such that the overall circumference of a peripheral edge portion of the first electrode film 2 laterally extends beyond the lateral surface of the piezoelectric thin film 1 and closely adheres to the hold film 5.

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: To provide a piezoelectric thin film having an improved and stable characteristic by controlling stress applied during forming a piezoelectric thin film and providing the piezoelectric thin film having a perovskite structure. A thin film piezoelectric element in which a lower electrode is formed on a substrate, a piezoelectric thin film containing lead is formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode is further placed on the piezoelectric thin film, characterized in that the piezoelectric thin film is a dielectric with the perovskite structure having lead, zirconium, and titanium as the main ingredients, and is in a composition region in which, in the composition of the whole piezoelectric thin film, the Zr/(Zr+Ti) ratio is not less than 0.53, and has a crystal structure of the tetragonal system in which an axis c is longer than an axis a.

Abstract: In order to provide a miniaturized ink jet head having a piezoelectric actuator 21 by which ink in a pressure chamber 3 is emitted and to improve its productivity and reliability, a vibration plate 22 is made up of two layers having different Young's moduli, i.e., a layer 27 having a smaller Young's modulus and a layer 28 having a greater Young's modulus. Further, the Young's modulus of each of the layers 27 and 28 is set at values ranging from 50 GPa to 350 GPa and the total thickness of the vibration plate 22 is set at values ranging from 1 &mgr;m to 7 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A fluid ejection device, such as for an ink jet printer or the like, having increased increasing nozzle density. A through-hole (15) is provided in a glass substrate (18) to which a second silicon substrate (19) is directly bonded to form an ink outlet (14). The first silicon substrate (17) is etched to form a pressure chamber (12), an ink channel (13) and an ink inlet (16), and bonded directly to the glass substrate (18). A piezoelectric thin film (11), having a conductive, elastic body (20), is bonded to the first substrate covering the pressure chamber (12). The elastic body (20) is sandwiched between the piezoelectric thin film (11) and a resin layer (25). The second substrate (19) has a thickness of less than about 0.8 mm in a range of thickness comprising about 1.2 to about 1.9 times (rg-rs), wherein rg is the diameter of the wide end of the through-hole (15) and rs is the diameter of the narrow end of the through-hole (15).

Abstract: Formed on a surface of an oscillation plate on the side of a head main body portion is an intermediate layer having a window portion through which a displacement portion of the oscillation plate is exposed to a pressure chamber. The intermediate layer and a compartmenting wall of the main body portion are adhered together by an adhesive of electro-deposition resin. The intermediate layer is formed of copper, having a thickness of 5 &mgr;m, so that, when a part of the adhesive is forced out, such a forced-out adhesive portion will not adhere to the displacement portion of the oscillation plate.

Abstract: In order to provide a miniaturized ink jet head having a piezoelectric actuator 21 by which ink in a pressure chamber 3 is emitted and to improve its productivity and reliability, a vibration plate 22 is made up of two layers having different Young's moduli, i.e., a layer 27 having a smaller Young's modulus and a layer 28 having a greater Young's modulus. Further, the Young's modulus of each of the layers 27 and 28 is set at values ranging from 50 GPa to 350 GPa and the total thickness of the vibration plate 22 is set at values ranging from 1 &mgr;m to 7 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film and a second electrode and vibration plate are formed on one surface of a deposition substrate that transmits ultraviolet rays therethrough. A transfer substrate is attached to the second electrode and vibration plate. The other surface of the deposition substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The deposition substrate and the piezoelectric film are separated from each other by the energy of the ultraviolet rays, thus transferring the piezoelectric film and the second electrode and vibration plate onto the transfer substrate.

Abstract: To manufacture a compact and high-performance thin-film piezoelectric bimorph element at low cost, first and second piezoelectric thin films (2, 3) are formed by sputtering on the both surfaces of a metal thin plate (1) which are opposing relation to each other along the thickness thereof, while the respective states of polarizations of the first and second piezoelectric thin films (2, 3) are controlled. A pair of electrode films (5) are formed on the respective surfaces of the first and second piezoelectric thin films (2, 3) opposite to the metal thin plate (1).

Abstract: In order to provide a miniaturized ink jet head having a piezoelectric actuator 21 by which ink in a pressure chamber 3 is emitted and to improve its productivity and reliability, a vibration plate 22 is made up of two layers having different Young's moduli, i.e., a layer 27 having a smaller Young's modulus and a layer 28 having a greater Young's modulus. Further, the Young's modulus of each of the layers 27 and 28 is set at values ranging from 50 GPa to 350 GPa and the total thickness of the vibration plate 22 is set at values ranging from 1 &mgr;m to 7 &mgr;m.

Abstract: The method of manufacturing an ink-jet head of this invention includes the steps of forming plural individual electrodes and plural piezoelectric devices stacked in this order on a supporting substrate; flattening a top surface of the supporting substrate including the individual electrodes and the piezoelectric devices by filling a filler in a portion on the supporting substrate where the individual electrodes and the piezoelectric devices are not formed up to substantially the same level as a level of upper surfaces of the piezoelectric devices; forming a common electrode on the entire flattened top surface of the supporting substrate; fixing a pressure chamber part for forming pressure chambers on the common electrode; and removing the supporting substrate after fixing the pressure chamber part on the common electrode. Thus, the entire plane on which the common electrode is to be formed is flattened before forming the common electrode.

Abstract: The method of manufacturing an ink-jet head of this invention includes the steps of forming plural individual electrodes and plural piezoelectric devices stacked in this order on a supporting substrate; flattening a top surface of the supporting substrate including the individual electrodes and the piezoelectric devices by filling a filler in a portion on the supporting substrate where the individual electrodes and the piezoelectric devices are not formed up to substantially the same level as a level of upper surfaces of the piezoelectric devices; forming a common electrode on the entire flattened top surface of the supporting substrate; fixing a pressure chamber part for forming pressure chambers on the common electrode; and removing the supporting substrate after fixing the pressure chamber part on the common electrode. Thus, the entire plane on which the common electrode is to be formed is flattened before forming the common electrode.

Abstract: The method of manufacturing an ink-jet head of this invention includes the steps of forming plural individual electrodes and plural piezoelectric devices stacked in this order on a supporting substrate; flattening a top surface of the supporting substrate including the individual electrodes and the piezoelectric devices by filling a filler in a portion on the supporting substrate where the individual electrodes and the piezoelectric devices are not formed up to substantially the same level as a level of upper surfaces of the piezoelectric devices; forming a common electrode on the entire flattened top surface of the supporting substrate; fixing a pressure chamber part for forming pressure chambers on the common electrode; and removing the supporting substrate after fixing the pressure chamber part on the common electrode. Thus, the entire plane on which the common electrode is to be formed is flattened before forming the common electrode.

Abstract: An ink jet including a head body including plural pressure chamber concaves each having a supply port for supplying ink and a discharge port for discharging ink, and a piezoelectric actuator including mutually electrically connected vibration plates that cover the concaves of the head body in order to form pressure chambers together with the concaves and are separately provided correspondingly to one or plural pressure chambers, piezoelectric device respectively provided on surfaces of the vibration plates opposite to the pressure chambers correspondingly to the pressure chambers and individual electrodes respectively provided on surfaces of said piezoelectric devices opposite to said vibration plates for applying a voltage to said piezoelectric devices together with said vibration plates.

Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet head having ink outlets formed at a high density for use in an ink-jet recorder. The ink-jet head comprises ink outlets, compression chambers communicating with the ink outlets, and piezoelectric vibration sections, each being provided on a part of each of the compression chambers and including a piezoelectric film containing Pb, Ti and Zr, and electrodes provided on both sides of the piezoelectric film. The piezoelectric film comprises a first layer and a second layer which each have a perovskite structure and are formed in contact with each other, wherein the first layer is formed as a layer containing no Zr or as a layer containing a smaller amount of Zr than that contained in the second layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a compact and high performance infrared radiation detector. The infrared radiation detector contains: a substrate; and at least two infrared radiation detector units selected from the group consisting of a pyroelectric infrared radiation detector unit, a resistive bolometer type infrared radiation detector unit and a ferroelectric bolometer type infrared radiation detector unit, the infrared radiation detector units being disposed on the same side of the substrate.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor 201 comprises a longitudinal effect type detection unit 203 and a lateral effect type detection unit 204. The longitudinal effect type detection unit 203 comprises a longitudinal effect type piezoelectric element 211 comprising a piezoelectric body 211a of a thin film, an electrode 211b and an electrode 211c, which is formed on a deposition substrate 221 serving also as a weight. The lateral effect type detection unit 204 is constituted by providing a lateral effect type piezoelectric element 213 comprising a piezoelectric body 213a of a thin film, an electrode 213b and an electrode 213c, which is formed on the deposition substrate 221 and is cantilevered above a groovy recessed part 105a on a substrate 105. A detection circuit 116 detects an acceleration in a predetermined direction, based on an output of both the longitudinal effect type detection unit 203 and the lateral effect type detection unit 204.