Abstract: A film bulk acoustic-wave resonator encompasses (a) a substrate having a cavity, (b) a bottom electrode partially fixed to the substrate, part of the bottom electrode is mechanically suspended above the cavity, (c) a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode, a planar shape of the piezoelectric layer is defined by a contour, which covers an entire surface of the bottom electrode in a plan view, (d) a top electrode on the piezoelectric layer, (e) an intermediate electrode located between the substrate and the piezoelectric layer, and at the contour of the piezoelectric layer, the intermediate electrode is connected to the bottom electrode in the inside of the contour, and (f) a bottom electrode wiring connected to the intermediate electrode extending from the contour to an outside of the contour in the plan view, wherein a longitudinal vibration mode along a thickness direction of the piezoelectric layer is utilized.

Abstract: A thin film piezoelectric actuator comprises a driving part at least one end of which is supported by an anchor portion. The driving part includes: a piezoelectric film, a first lower electrode provided under a first region of the piezoelectric film, a second lower electrode provided under a second region different from the first region of the piezoelectric film, a first upper electrode provided opposite to the first lower electrode on the piezoelectric film, a second upper electrode provided opposite to the second lower electrode on the piezoelectric film, a first connection part that electrically connects the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode via a first via hole formed in the piezoelectric film, and a second connection part that electrically connects the second lower electrode and the first upper electrode via a second via hole formed in the piezoelectric film.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film device includes an amorphous metal film disposed on a substrate and a piezoelectric film disposed on the amorphous metal. One of crystal axis of the piezoelectric film is aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the amorphous metal.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator, which has a resonant excitation portion free from damage caused by etching, a high electromechanical coupling coefficient kt2 and a high quality coefficient Q value, and to provide a thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator having a plurality of different resonant frequencies, which can be formed on the same substrate without increasing number of lithography process. An internal cavity is provided in a semiconductor or insulative substrate such as crystal silicon. The thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator has a layered member comprising a first electrode film, a piezoelectric film and a second electrode film on a thin wall of e.g. single crystal over the internal cavity.

Abstract: A voltage controlled oscillator includes a resonator configured to resonate with an initial oscillation frequency during starting period of oscillation and a steady oscillation frequency during a steady state oscillation. The resonator includes a film bulk acoustic resonator having a series resonance frequency higher than the steady oscillation frequency. A negative resistance circuit configured to drive the resonator, has a positive increment for reactance in the steady state oscillation compared with reactance in the starting period.

Abstract: The present invention provides an infrared detection element having a single-crystalline base layer 3 with a thickness of 50 nm to 10 ?m having a principal surface, a first electrode layer 4 formed on the principal surface of the single-crystalline base layer 3, a ferroelectric layer 5 which is formed on the first electrode layer 4 and is composed of a single-crystalline layer or a unidirectioally oriented layer. Distortion of the single-crystalline layer or a unidirectioally oriented layer in a surface parallel to the principal surface of the single-crystalline base layer 3 is elastically constrained by the single-crystalline base layer 3. The infrared detection element further has a second electrode layer 6 formed on the ferroelectric layer 5. An amount of charge is changed by changes in temperature caused by irradiation of infrared light to the ferroelectric layer 5. The amount of the charge is detected from the first and the second electrode layer4, 6.

Abstract: An infrared detection element having a single-crystalline base layer 3 with a thickness of 50 nm to 10 &mgr;m having a principal surface, a first electrode layer 4 formed on the principal surface of the single-crystalline base layer 3, a ferroelectric layer 5 which is formed on the first electrode layer 4 and is composed of a single-crystalline layer or a unidirectionally oriented layer. Distortion of the single-crystalline layer or a unidirectionally oriented layer in a surface parallel to the principal surface of the single-crystalline base layer 3 is elastically constrained by the single-crystalline base layer 3. The infrared detection element further has a second electrode layer 6 formed on the ferroelectric layer 5. An amount of charge varies with changes in temperature caused by irradiation of infrared light to the ferroelectric layer 5.

Abstract: A sputter target is made of a Ti—Al alloy containing Al in the range of 1 to 30 atm %. In the Ti—Al alloy constituting the sputter target, Al exists in at least one of a solid solution state in Ti and a state in which Al forms an intermetallic compound with Ti, and variation in Al content in the entire target is limited within 10%. Furthermore, an average crystal grain diameter of the Ti—Al alloy is 500 &mgr;m or less, and variation in crystal grain diameter in the entire target is limited within 30%. A Ti—Al—N film as a barrier film is formed by using the sputter target made of the Ti—Al alloy as described above. An electronic component includes a barrier film formed on a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator, which has a resonant excitation portion free from damage caused by etching, a high electromechanical coupling coefficient kt2 and a high quality coefficient Q value, and to provide a thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator having a plurality of different resonant frequencies, which can be formed on the same substrate without increasing number of lithography process.

Abstract: A sputter target is made of a Ti—Al alloy containing Al in the range of 1 to 30 atm %. In the Ti—Al alloy constituting the sputter target, Al exists in at least one of a solid solution state in Ti and a state in which Al forms an intermetallic compound with Ti, and variation in Al content in the entire target is limited within 10%. Furthermore, an average crystal grain diameter of the Ti—Al alloy is 500 &mgr;m or less, and variation in crystal grain diameter in the entire target is limited within 30%. A Ti—Al—N film as a barrier film is formed by using the sputter target made of the Ti—Al alloy as described above. An electronic component includes a barrier film formed on a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an infrared detection element having a single-crystalline base layer 3 with a thickness of 50 nm to 10 &mgr;m having a principal surface, a first electrode layer 4 formed on the principal surface of the single-crystalline base layer 3, a ferroelectric layer 5 which is formed on the first electrode layer 4 and is composed of a single-crystalline layer or a unidirectioally oriented layer. Distortion of the single-crystalline layer or a unidirectioally oriented layer in a surface parallel to the principal surface of the single-crystalline base layer 3 is elastically constrained by the single-crystalline base layer 3. The infrared detection element further has a second electrode layer 6 formed on the ferroelectric layer 5. An amount of charge is changed by changes in temperature caused by irradiation of infrared light to the ferroelectric layer 5. The amount of the charge is detected from the first and the second electrode layer 4, 6.

Abstract: A ferroelectric capacitor comprising an Si substrate, a lower electrode including a metal film containing Ir or Rh and epitaxially grown on the Si substrate, and a conductive oxide film having a perovskite crystal structure and epitaxially grown on the metal film, a perovskite type ferroelectric thin film epitaxially grown on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the ferroelectric thin film. Alternatively, the lower electrode may be formed of a structure which comprises a silicide film represented by a chemical formula MSi2 (wherein M is at least one kind of transition metal selected from nickel, cobalt and manganese) and epitaxially grown on the Si substrate, a metal film containing Ir or Rh and epitaxially grown on the silicide film, and a conductive oxide film having a perovskite crystal structure and epitaxially grown on the metal film.

Abstract: A sputtering system comprises: a substrate holder for holding a substrate; and a cathode having a magnet therein and holding a target, the cathode being off-axis aligned with respect to the substrate. The cathode may comprise a plurality of cathodes, each of which has a flat backing plate, and two targets supported on both sides of the backing plate, the target being off-axis aligned with respect to the thin-film deposited surface of the substrate. The target may be supported on the side surface of a cylindrical or prismatic cathode body having a magnet therein, and the target being off-axis aligned with respect to the thin-film deposited surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A thin film capacitor including a first electrode having on its surface a (100) face of cubic system or a (001) face of tetragonal system, a dielectric thin film epitaxially grown on the first electrode and exhibiting a crystal structure which inherently belongs to a perovskite structure of cubic system, and a second electrode formed on the dielectric thin film. Further, the dielectric thin film meets the following relationship V/V.sub.0 .gtoreq.1.01 where a unit lattice volume of true perovskite crystal structure belonging to the cubic system (lattice constant a.sub.0) is represented by V.sub.0 =a.sub.0.sup.3, and a unit lattice volume (lattice constant a=b.noteq.c) which is strained toward a tetragonal system after the epitaxial growth is represented by V=a.sup.2 c, and also meets the following relationship c/a.gtoreq.1.01 where c/a represents a ratio between a lattice constant "c" in the direction thicknesswise of the film and a lattice constant "a" in the direction parallel with a plane of the film.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device comprising a silicon substrate, a plurality of switching transistors formed on the silicon substrate, an insulating layer having an opening and formed on a surface portion of the silicon substrate where the plurality of switching transistors formed, and a plurality of capacitors for accumulating electric charge formed on the insulating layer and connected respectively to the switching transistors via a conductive film buried in the opening of insulating layer, wherein each of the capacitors for accumulating electric charge is provided with an underlying crystal layer formed on the insulating layer and with a dielectric film consisting essentially of a ferroelectric material and epitaxially or orientationaly grown on the underlying crystal layer, and the switching transistors and the capacitors for accumulating electric charge connected to each other constitute a plurality of memory cells arranged in a two-dimensional pattern.

Abstract: An electronic part is disclosed which is furnished with an artificial super lattice obtained by alternately superposing a substance of good conductivity formed of a compound between one element selected from among the elements belonging to the transition elements of Groups 3A to 6A and the rare earth elements and an element selected from among boron, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, selenium, and tellurium or a compound between oxygen and a transition metal element selected from among the elements of Group 7A and Group 8 and an insulating substance formed of a compound between a simple metal element selected from among the elements belonging to Group 1A, Group 2A, and Groups 1B to 4B and an element selected from among carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, and halogen elements in thicknesses fit for obtaining a quantum size effect.