Abstract: A piezoelectric element comprises a diaphragm 30, a lower electrode 42d formed in a prescribed pattern on the diaphragm, a piezoelectric film 43 formed on the lower electrode, and upper electrodes 44 formed on the piezoelectric film. A metallic layer 42b electrically disconnected from the upper electrodes and the lower electrode is formed on the diaphragm in the vicinity of the piezoelectric film. The gap between the lower electrode and the metallic layer is no more than 200 ?m. In this way, excellent crystallinity of the piezoelectric film can be achieved also in the vicinity of the edges of the lower electrode, thereby making it possible to provide piezoelectric elements and a liquid discharge head that can withstand high voltage and are of better reliability.

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: A lower electrode, which partially constitutes a piezoelectric element, is patterned such that at least one end face thereof is located in a region facing a corresponding pressure generating chamber. A piezoelectric layer includes a plurality of layers of ferroelectric films. A first ferroelectric film, which is a lowermost layer of the plurality of layers of ferroelectric films, is provided only on the lower electrode such that an end face thereof is aligned with the end face of the lower electrode. The end face of the first ferroelectric film and the end face of the lower electrode are sloped at an angle of 10° to 50° with respect to a vibration plate. Other ferroelectric films formed on the first ferroelectric film are provided in such a manner as to overlie the sloped end face of the lower electrode and the sloped end face of the first ferroelectric film.

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 provides a piezoelectric element having consistently high piezoelectric characteristics, and a liquid jetting head in which this element is used. A bottom electrode 42 (which contains Ir), a Ti layer of no less than 4 nm and no more than 6 nm, a piezoelectric thin film 43, and a top electrode 44 are sequentially layered on a ZrO2 film 32. The piezoelectric thin film 43 has the degree of orientation in the 100 plane, as measured by the X-ray diffraction wide angle technique, is 70% or greater, the degree of orientation in the 110 plane is 10% or less, and the degree of orientation in the 111 plane constitutes the remaining balance. Such piezoelectric thin film 43 can be obtained stably with good reproducibility by keeping the humidity of the environment for forming the piezoelectric thin film at 30% Rh or less.

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: 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: 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: 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 computer management system attains, through one line, the uniform and steady system management through an agent such as monitoring of fault and power control in a computer connected by LAN as well as a public line, and system management for an off-state of the computer or abnormal operation state of the computer such as remote power control and notice and diagnosis of critical fault by the direct connection with a service processor through the line.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric element having consistently high piezoelectric characteristics, and a liquid jetting head in which this element is used. A bottom electrode 42 (which contains Ir), a Ti layer of no less than 4 nm and no more than 6 nm, a piezoelectric thin film 43, and a top electrode 44 are sequentially layered on a ZrO2 film 32. The piezoelectric thin film 43 has the degree of orientation in the 100 plane, as measured by the X-ray diffraction wide angle technique, is 70% or greater, the degree of orientation in the 110 plane is 10% or less, and the degree of orientation in the 111 plane constitutes the remaining balance. Such piezoelectric thin film 43 can be obtained stably with good reproducibility by keeping the humidity of the environment for forming the piezoelectric thin film at 30% Rh or less.

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 sputtering target, which is obtained by rolling a metallic material comprising platinum to form a metal plate having a predetermined thickness, and heating the metal plate for recrystallization, has crystallographic textures isotropic in any of the planar direction and the thickness direction, and has a maximum value of Vickers hardness of 60 or lower. A method for producing the sputtering target, a sputtering apparatus, and a liquid-jet head are also disclosed.

Abstract: Provided are a piezoelectric element in which favorable crystallinity can be obtained with improved uniformity, breakage of a piezoelectric film can be prevented, and thereby stable displacement properties can be obtained, a liquid-jet head using the piezoelectric element and a manufacturing method thereof. Steps of forming a piezoelectric layer are carried out a plurality of times so that a plurality of the piezoelectric layers are stacked, thus forming the piezoelectric film. The steps of forming the piezoelectric layer include: applying a sol containing an organometallic compound, drying the sol containing the organometallic compound, degreasing the sol containing the organometallic compound thus gelating the sol, and crystallizing the gelated organometallic compound. When forming a lowermost layer of the piezoelectric layers, a rate of temperature increase at least during initial degreasing is set to be 500° C./min or lower.

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 have thicknesses greater than that of the first layer 431.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to control the crystal orientation of a ferroelectric thin film as dictated by the application of a ferroelectric thin film device. To accomplished the stated object, a bottom electrode containing at least iridium is formed over a surface preparation layer whose main component is zirconium oxide, and an ultra-thin titanium layer is laminated over the bottom electrode. An amorphous layer containing the elemental metal and elemental oxygen that constitute the ferroelectric is formed over the titanium layer, and a crystallized ferroelectric thin film is formed by heat treating this amorphous layer. If the thickness of the titanium layer is kept between 2 nm and 10 nm in the lamination thereof, the ferroelectric thin film will have a priority orientation of (100), and if it is kept between 10 nm and 20 nm, the ferroelectric thin film will have a priority orientation of (111).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an actuator device, and a liquid jet head, which can improve characteristics of a piezoelectric layer constituting piezoelectric elements and can stabilize the characteristics of the piezoelectric layer. 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.

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 liquid-jet head effective in prevention of imperfect eject such as occlusion of a nozzle, a method of fabricating the liquid-jet head, and a liquid-jet apparatus are provided. In a liquid-jet head having a passage-forming substrate on which a pressure-generating chamber communicating with a nozzle orifice is formed, a plurality of piezoelectric elements provided on one side of the passage-forming substrate via a vibration plate, each of the piezoelectric elements comprising a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer and an upper electrode, the passage-forming substrate is provided with a communicating path communicating with one end in a longitudinal direction of the pressure-generating chamber so as to penetrate the passage-forming substrate. In addition, a penetrated portion for supplying a liquid to the communicating path is formed in a region of the vibration plate opposite to the communicating path by laser processing.

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.