Abstract: A timepiece wheel train includes a rotating body with a shaft unit, a bearing unit that rotatably supports the shaft unit of the rotating body, and a lubricating oil in which powder from a diamond-like carbon film is dispersed disposed between the shaft unit and the bearing unit.

Abstract: A timepiece wheel train includes a rotating body with a shaft unit, a bearing unit that rotatably supports the shaft unit of the rotating body, and a lubricating oil in which powder from a diamond-like carbon film is dispersed disposed between the shaft unit and the bearing unit.

Abstract: A liquid jetting head using a piezoelectric element that is capable of obtaining sufficient displacement through the application of a driving voltage is provided. In the liquid jetting head, which comprises a substrate formed with a pressure chamber, a diaphragm formed on the substrate, and a piezoelectric thin film element formed on the diaphragm, the diaphragm bends in convex form toward the pressure chamber side, and the amount by which the diaphragm bends is no more than 0.4% of the width of the pressure chamber.

Abstract: A contact component, including: a sliding part that contacts with an other component and slides on the other component, or a switching part at which a contact state with the other component is switched, in which a composite plating including a metal plating and graphite particles is formed on the sliding part or the switching part.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an actuator device configured to prevent separation of a vibration plate and to enhance durability and reliability, and a liquid-jet apparatus are provided. The method includes the steps of forming a vibration plate on one surface of a substrate, and forming a piezoelectric element having a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode on the vibration plate. The step of forming a vibration plate at least includes an insulation film forming step of forming an insulation film made of zirconium oxide by forming a zirconium layer on the one surface side of the substrate in accordance with a sputtering method and subjecting the zirconium layer to thermal oxidation by inserting the substrate formed with the zirconium layer to a thermal oxidation furnace heated to a temperature greater than or equal to 700° C. at a speed greater than or equal to 200 mm/min.

Abstract: Disclosed are a piezoelectric element in which crystallinity of a piezoelectric layer is improved, and which has uniform characteristics of the piezoelectric layer, a liquid-jet head using the piezoelectric element as well as a liquid-jet apparatus. The piezoelectric element includes: a lower electrode provided to one surface side of a substrate; a piezoelectric layer which is made of a piezoelectric material containing lead (Pb), zirconium (Zr) and titanium (Ti), and which is provided above the lower electrode; and an upper electrode provided above the piezoelectric layer, and in the piezoelectric element, a relative permittivity of the piezoelectric layer is 750 to 1500 and a coercive electric field of the piezoelectric layer is 10 to 40 kV/cm.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a piezoelectric element, a method of manufacturing the same, a liquid-jet head, a method of manufacturing the same, and a liquid-jet apparatus, all of which prevent an inter-layer detachment in a lower electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric thin film element with superior piezoelectric properties in which the condition of the crystal of the piezoelectric thin film is appropriately controlled, and a manufacturing method thereof, as well as a inkjet recording head, inkjet printer, or other liquid ejecting apparatus employing the same. The piezoelectric thin film element 40 comprises a top electrode 44, a bottom electrode 42, and a piezoelectric thin film 43 formed between the top electrode 44 and the bottom electrode 42, wherein the piezoelectric thin film 43 is structured so as to comprise a first layer 431 located nearest to the bottom electrode and second layers (433-436) that are located nearer to the top electrode than the first layer and that each have a thickness greater than that of the first layer 431.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid jet head having increased the durability and reliability thereof by preventing delamination of a vibration plate is provided. At least the following two steps are included: a vibration plate forming step which includes at least a step of forming a zirconium layer on one side of a passage-forming substrate by sputtering so that a degrees of orientation to a (002) plane of the surface becomes equal to 80% or more, as well as forming an insulation film made of zirconium oxide and constituting a part of the vibration plate by subjecting the zirconium layer to thermal oxidation; and a piezoelectric element forming step of forming piezoelectric elements on the vibration plate.

Abstract: In a timepiece component that has a sliding friction part that slides in contact with another timepiece component, or a switching part that changes the contact state with another timepiece component in response to an operation operating the timepiece, the contact surface of the sliding friction part or switching part is coated with a composite plating having graphite mixed with a metal plating, and the composite plating is formed by an electroplating process.

Abstract: A timepiece component having a sliding friction part that slides in contact with another timepiece component, or a switching part that changes the contact state with another timepiece component in response to an operation operating the timepiece, wherein the contact surface of the sliding friction part or switching part is coated with a composite plating containing carbon nanotubes in a metal plating.

Abstract: Provided are an actuator device, a liquid jet head and a liquid jet apparatus, which can improve reliability by preventing peeling-off of respective films forming a vibration plate. The vibration plate has a first oxide film (elastic film 50) formed on the one surface of a passage-forming substrate 10, and a second oxide film (insulation film 55) formed on the first oxide film 50 by use of a sputtering method. In only a part of an interface between the first and second oxide films 50 and 55, an altered layer is formed which has a first element that is a constituent element other than oxygen included in the first oxide film 50 and a second element that is a constituent element other than oxygen included in the second oxide film 55, and which is a layer in which a proportion of the first element is lower than that in the first oxide film 50 and a proportion of the second element is lower than that in the second oxide film 55.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid jet head having increased the durability and reliability thereof by preventing delamination of a vibration plate is provided. At least the following two steps are included: a vibration plate forming step which includes at least a step of forming a zirconium layer on one side of a passage-forming substrate by sputtering so that a degrees of orientation to a (002) plane of the surface becomes equal to 80% or more, as well as forming an insulation film made of zirconium oxide and constituting a part of the vibration plate by subjecting the zirconium layer to thermal oxidation; and a piezoelectric element forming step of forming piezoelectric elements on the vibration plate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid jetting head includes manufacturing a piezoelectric element having consistently high piezoelectric characteristics that obtains a degree of orientation that is suitable for a piezoelectric thin film, that is stable, and that has good reproducibility. A Ti film is formed on a layered bottom electrode, piezoelectric material layers constituting a piezoelectric thin film are formed in a plurality of cycles of layer formation, and a top electrode is formed on the piezoelectric thin film to produce a piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric material layers are formed, the annealing temperature of the first cycle of layer formation is set higher than the annealing temperature of the other cycles of layer formation. In addition, the annealing time of the first cycle of layer formation is made longer than the annealing time of the other cycles of layer formation.

Abstract: A step of forming a vibration plate includes a step of forming an insulation film in order to cause the surface roughness Ra of the insulation film to be in the range of 1 nm to 3 nm: the insulation film being made of zirconia which has been obtained by depositing a zirconium layer, and accordingly by the thermally oxidizing the zirconium layer at a predetermined temperature, and the insulation film constituting the uppermost surface of the vibration plate. In addition, a step of forming a piezoelectric elements includes: a step of applying titanium (Ti) onto a lower electrode by use of a sputtering method, and of forming a seed titanium layer thereon; and a step of forming a piezoelectric precursor film by applying a piezoelectric material onto the seed titanium layer, and of forming a piezoelectric layer by baking, and crystallizing, the piezoelectric precursor layer.

Abstract: Provided are a piezoelectric element and a liquid-jet head using the same, in which favorable crystallinity can be obtained with improved uniformity, breakage of a piezoelectric film can be prevented, thereby providing stable displacement properties. The piezoeletric element includes a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric film. The piezoelectric film in turn includes a lower layer portion having column crystals, and an upper layer portion having column crystals which are continuous from those in the lower layer portion and having sizes larger than those in the lower layer portion.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator comprising an optimum layer structure when (100) orientation strontium ruthenate is used as a bottom electrode is provided. This piezoelectric actuator comprises a diaphragm 30 that is constituted by (100) orientation yttria-stabilized zirconia, CeO2, or ZrO2, that is grown epitaxially on a (100) orientation Si substrate 20, a buffer layer 41 formed on the diaphragm and constituted by (001) orientation REBa2Cu3Ox, a bottom electrode 42 formed on the buffer layer and constituted by (100) orientation strontium ruthenate, a piezoelectric layer 43 formed on the bottom electrode and constituted by (100) orientation PZT, and a top electrode 44 formed on the piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: An intermediate film (15, 12, 53) is formed on a substrate (11, 52), a bottom electrode (13, 542) is formed on top of this intermediate film, a ferroelectric film (24) or piezoelectric film (543) is formed on top of this bottom electrode by an ion beam assist method, and a top electrode (25, 541) is formed on top of this ferroelectric film or piezoelectric film. The ferroelectric film or piezoelectric film is formed by PZT, BST or a relaxer material. As a result of the use of an ion beam assist method in the formation of any one of the intermediate film, bottom electrode, ferroelectric film or piezoelectric film, a piezoelectric device or ferroelectric device which has a piezoelectric film or ferroelectric film with an in-plane orientation can be manufactured with good efficiency.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element with stable and excellent piezoelectric properties is made by: a step of forming a diaphragm 30 (31, 32) on a substrate 20 (S1); a step of forming a bottom electrode 33 on the diaphragm 30 (S2); a step of forming a first piezoelectric layer 43a on the bottom electrode 33 (S3); a step of patterning both the piezoelectric layer 43a and the bottom electrode 33 (S4); a step of forming a second piezoelectric layer on the piezoelectric layer 43a and on the diaphragm 30 to mature a piezoelectric film 43 (S5); and a step of forming a top electrode 44 on the piezoelectric film 43 (S6).

Abstract: A liquid-ejecting apparatus according to which targeted good characteristics can be obtained, and moreover the scope for material selection can be broadened is provided. The liquid-ejecting apparatus contracts a pressure chamber and thus ejects liquid through application of voltage to a piezoelectric body, and is such that the driving waveform applied to the piezoelectric body during the liquid ejecting operation comprises a high potential period (a2) in which a voltage exhibiting an electric field strength exceeding the coercive electric field of the piezoelectric body is applied, and a reverse potential period (a6) in which a voltage such that the potential becomes of the opposite polarity to the polarity in the high potential period or the potential becomes zero is applied.