Abstract: A producing method for a diaphragm-type resonant MEMS device includes forming a first silicon oxide film, forming a second silicon oxide film, forming a lower electrode, forming a piezoelectric film, forming an upper electrode, laminating the first silicon oxide film, the second silicon oxide film, the lower electrode, the piezoelectric film, and the upper electrode in this order on a first surface of a silicon substrate, and etching the opposite side surface of the first surface of the silicon substrate by deep reactive ion etching to form a diaphragm structure, in which the proportion R2 of the film thickness t2 of the second silicon oxide film with respect to the sum of the film thickness t1 of the first silicon oxide film and the film thickness t2 of the second silicon oxide film satisfies the following condition: 0.10 ?m?t1?2.00 ?m; and R2?0.70.

Abstract: One or more vibration plate layers of a diaphragm part are formed by a thin film forming technique. When a resonance frequency in a resonance vibration mode calculated from dimensions of a structure of an angular velocity sensor and an elastic parameter of a material thereof is defined as f kilohertz, a mass of a weight part is defined as M milligrams, a circumference of the diaphragm part is defined as r meters, a stress applied to a piezoelectric layer is defined as ?p pascals, a thickness thereof is defined as tp meters, a stress applied to an n-th layer from the weight part in a vibration plate portion constituted by a plurality of layers including a lower electrode and the vibration plate layers is defined as ?n pascals, and a thickness thereof is defined as tn meters (where n is a natural number), Teff expressed by Teff=r(?ptp+??ntn)/M satisfies {(?0.36f2+210)/33}?Teff?{(0.44f2+210)/33}.

Abstract: In a mirror drive device, a first and second actuator sections are arranged on both sides of a mirror supporting section that supports a mirror section so as to sandwich the mirror supporting section. Division of an upper and lower electrodes of each of the first and second actuator sections is performed correspondingly to stress distribution of principal stresses in a piezoelectric body in resonant mode vibration, and a piezoelectric body portion corresponding to positions of a first and third upper electrode sections, and a piezoelectric body portion corresponding to positions of a second and fourth upper electrode sections have stresses in opposite directions to each other. Division of the lower electrodes is performed similar to the upper electrodes, and drive voltages having the same phase can be respectively applied to the upper and lower electrode sections of the piezoelectric body portions that are different due to a division arrangement.

Abstract: The sputtering apparatus includes a vacuum vessel, a sputter electrode placed within the vacuum vessel to hold a target material to be sputtered, a radio frequency power source for applying radio frequency waves to the electrode, a substrate holder which is spaced from the electrode and on which a substrate is held, a thin film being to be deposited on the substrate from components of the target material, and an impedance adjusting circuit for adjusting a first impedance of the substrate holder. The impedance adjusting circuit has a first end directly set at a ground potential and has an impedance circuit which is adjustable for adjusting the first impedance, a second impedance of the impedance circuit is adjusted to thereby adjust the first impedance and, hence, a potential of the substrate.

Abstract: A mirror driving device is provided. A pair of piezoelectric actuator units are disposed at both sides of a mirror unit so as to sandwich the mirror unit, and each piezoelectric actuator unit is connected with an end portion of the mirror unit through a linking unit. The linking unit has a structure including one or more plate-shaped members whose longitudinal direction is a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis, and functions as a plate-shaped hinge unit in which a plate-shaped member is deformed so as to be deflected in the thickness direction by the drive of the piezoelectric actuator unit. The linking unit is provided with a sensor unit that detects the stress to be generated in the linking unit during the rotational drive of the mirror unit by a resonant vibration.

Abstract: A mirror driving device can include: a mirror part having a reflection surface configured to reflect light; mirror support parts formed at portions of the mirror part diagonal to each other; and a first actuator and a second actuator placed so as to surround the mirror part, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator each have a structure in which a plurality of first piezoelectric cantilevers with a longitudinal direction oriented to a direction of a first axis and a plurality of second piezoelectric cantilevers with a longitudinal direction oriented to a second axis are coupled together so as to be folded, and each of the first actuator and the second actuator has one end connected to the mirror part via a relevant one of the mirror support parts and another end connected to a fixing part near the mirror support part to which the one end is coupled.

Abstract: In a mirror drive device, a first actuator section and a second actuator section are arranged on both sides of a mirror supporting section that supports a mirror section so as to sandwich the mirror supporting section. The upper electrode of a first actuator section includes a first electrode section and a second electrode section, and an upper electrode of a second actuator section includes a third electrode section and a fourth electrode section. The arrangements of the electrode sections correspond to stress distribution of principal stresses in the piezoelectric body in resonant mode vibration, and in a piezoelectric body portion that corresponds to positions of the first electrode section and the third electrode section and a piezoelectric body portion that corresponds to positions of the second electrode section and the fourth electrode section, stresses in opposite directions to each other are generated.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a mirror driving apparatus, including: a mirror section having a reflecting surface which reflects light; a pair of piezoelectric actuator sections arranged on either side of the mirror section; coupling sections which respectively connect one end of each of the piezoelectric actuator sections to an end portion of the mirror section which is distant from an axis of rotation of the mirror section in a direction along the reflecting surface and perpendicular to the axis of rotation; a fixing section which supports another end of each of the piezoelectric actuator sections; and a perpendicular movement suppressing structure which suppresses translational motion of the axis of rotation of the mirror section in a direction perpendicular to the reflecting surface, one end of the perpendicular movement suppressing structure being connected to the fixing section and another end thereof being connected to the mirror section.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator according to an aspect of the invention can include: a first actuator including a first piezoelectric driving part; and a second actuator including a second piezoelectric driving part. A central portion of the first actuator can be supported. The first actuator can be bent and deformed by applying a first driving voltage to the first piezoelectric driving part, so that both end portions of the first actuator can be displaced in a thickness direction of the first actuator. Both end portions of the second actuator can be coupled to the both end portions of the first actuator. The second actuator can be bent and deformed in the opposite direction to the first actuator by applying a second driving voltage to the second piezoelectric driving part, so that a central portion of the second actuator can be displaced in a thickness direction of the second actuator.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device, including the following on a substrate in the order listed below: a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film which contains a Pb containing perovskite oxide represented by a general expression (P) below, and an upper electrode, in which the piezoelectric film has a layer of pyrochlore oxide on the surface facing the lower electrode, and the average layer thickness of the pyrochlore oxide layer is not greater than 20 nm. AaBbO3??(P) where, A: at least one type of A-site element containing Pb as a major component, B: at least one type of B-site element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Sc, Co, Cu, In, Sn, Ga, Zn, Cd, Fe, and Ni, and O: an oxygen element.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a substrate; and a laminated film formed above the substrate. The laminated film includes a lower electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode layer formed in this order, and the lower electrode layer is a metal electrode layer containing as one or more main components one or more nonnoble metals and/or one or more nonnoble alloys. Preferably, the one or more main components are one or more of the metals Cr, W, Ti, Al, Fe, Mo, In, Sn, Ni, Cu, Co, and Ta, and alloys of the metals.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film has a columnar crystal structure constituted of a plurality of columnar crystals, and contains a perovskite oxide represented by the following formula (P) as a main component: PbaAb[(ZrcTi1-c)1-dBd]Oe,??(P) where Pb and A are A-site elements, and A is at least one element selected from a group consisting of Bi, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ca, Sr and Ba; Zr, Ti and B are B-site elements, and B is at least one element selected from a group consisting of Nb, Ta and Sb; a is an amount of lead, b is an amount of the element A, c is a Zr/Ti ratio, d is an amount of the element B, e is an amount of oxygen; values of a, b and d satisfy a<1, a+b?1, and 0<d<b; and a value of e is within a range where the perovskite structure is obtained and e=3 is standard.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film is constituted of a perovskite oxide represented as: Pb1+?(ZrxTiy)1-a(MgbNb1-b)aOz, where ? and z are values within ranges where a perovskite structure is obtained and ?=0 and z=3 are standard, Pb is replaceable with another A site element in an amount of a range where the perovskite structure is obtained, b is a value in a range of 0.090?b?0.25, and a Nb ratio at a B site satisfies 0.13?a×(1?b).

Abstract: A mirror driving device of an aspect can include: a mirror part; a pair of inner actuator parts; a pair of outer actuator parts; fixing and supporting parts; an inner actuator driving voltage supply part; and an outer actuator driving voltage supply part. A driving voltage with a frequency inducing oscillation of the mirror part in a rotating direction of the mirror part associated with resonance drive of the corresponding actuator parts can be supplied from one driving voltage supply part of the inner actuator driving voltage supply part and the outer actuator driving voltage supply part to the inner actuator parts or the outer actuator parts corresponding to the one driving voltage supply part. Simultaneously with the resonance drive, a driving voltage for inclining the mirror part without exciting resonance drive can be supplied from the other driving voltage supply part to corresponding actuator parts.

Abstract: A piezoelectric film of the present invention has a surface roughness value P-V of not more than 170.0 nm, which is defined by a difference between a maximum height (peak value P) and a minimum height (valley value V) on a film surface, a piezoelectric constant d31 greater than 150 pC/N and a breakdown voltage of 80 V or more, which is defined by an applied voltage that results in a current value of 1 ?A or more.

Abstract: When a film containing constituent elements of a target is formed on a substrate through a vapor deposition process using plasma with placing the substrate and the target to face to each other, the film is formed with surrounding the substrate with a wall surface having the constituent elements of the target adhering thereto, and applying a physical treatment to the wall surface to cause the components adhering to the wall surface to be released into the film formation atmosphere.

Abstract: A method of driving a piezoelectric actuator including: a piezoelectric element containing a piezoelectric body having coercive field points on a negative field side and a positive field side respectively and having asymmetrical bipolar polarization—electric field hysteresis characteristics in which an absolute value of a coercive electric field on the negative field side and a coercive electric field value on the positive field side are mutually different, and a pair of electrodes for applying voltage to the piezoelectric body; and a diaphragm which externally transmits, as displacement, distortion produced in the piezoelectric body when the voltage is applied to the piezoelectric body, includes the step of driving the piezoelectric actuator between a positive drive voltage and a negative drive voltage in a range not exceeding the coercive electric field, from among the positive and negative coercive electric fields, which has the larger absolute value.

Abstract: A method of physical vapor deposition includes applying a first radio frequency signal having a first phase to a cathode in a physical vapor deposition apparatus, wherein the cathode includes a sputtering target, applying a second radio frequency signal having a second phase to a chuck in the physical vapor deposition apparatus, wherein the chuck supports a substrate, and wherein a difference between the first and second phases creates a positive self bias direct current voltage on the substrate, and depositing a material from the sputtering target onto the substrate.

Abstract: A method of physical vapor deposition includes applying a radio frequency signal to a cathode in a physical vapor deposition apparatus, wherein the cathode includes a sputtering target, electrically connecting a chuck in the physical vapor deposition apparatus to an impedance matching network, wherein the chuck supports a substrate, and wherein the impedance matching network includes at least one capacitor, and depositing material from the sputtering target onto the substrate.

Abstract: A multilayer body which includes a low-resistance metal layer having a low electrical resistance, excellent thermal resistance and low surface irregularity is provided. The multilayer body includes a substrate, and a low-resistance metal layer which is formed on the substrate and has a single-layer structure or a multilayer structure of two or more sublayers. The low-resistance metal layer includes a gold-containing layer or sublayer composed of gold and another metal.