Abstract: A ferroelectric thin film element comprises a substrate and an epitaxial ferroelectric thin film provided on the substrate. The thin film satisfies z/z0>1.003 and 0.997?x/x0?1.003, where a crystal face of said thin film parallel to a crystal face of a surface of the substrate is taken as a Z crystal face, a face spacing of the Z crystal face is taken as z, a face spacing of the Z crystal face of a material constituting the thin film in a bulk state is taken as z0, a crystal face of the thin film perpendicular to the Z crystal face is taken as an X crystal face, a face spacing of the X crystal face is taken as x and a face spacing of the X crystal face of the material constituting the thin film in a bulk state is taken as x0.

Abstract: To provide a film forming method capable of obtaining a high-quality perovskite type oxide thin film, piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric substance constituted of the thin film formed by the film forming method, liquid discharge head having the piezoelectric element and liquid discharge apparatus having the liquid discharge head. A method for forming a perovskite type oxide thin film having a composition expressed by (A1x, A2y A3z) (B1j, B2k, B3l, B4m B5n)Op is included, which is a film forming method having a plurality of steps for supplying a material containing the elements onto the substrate, dividing the elements A1 to A3 and B1 to B5 into a plurality of groups and supplying each material containing the elements included in the groups onto the substrate in separate steps.

Abstract: A perovskite type oxide of a single crystal structure or a uniaxial-oriented crystal structure represented by ABO3 where site A includes Pb as a main component and site B includes a plurality of elements, wherein the perovskite type oxide includes a plurality of crystal phases selected from the group consisting of tetragonal, rhombohedral, orthorhombic, cubic, pseudo-cubic and monoclinic systems and the plurality of crystal phases are oriented in the direction of <100>.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element structure comprises a supporting substrate, and a piezoelectric film supported on the supporting substrate, in which the piezoelectric film contains a first layer, and a second layer having zirconium, each provided with perovskite structure, and formed to be in contact with each other or laminated through an intermediate layer, and the temperature is set at 500° C. or more at the time of thin film formation so as to provide the piezoelectric film, and a quick cooling is given from the thin film formation temperature at least to 450° C. with a cooling speed of 30° C./min or more for the formation thereof. The piezoelectric film thus formed is in a small thickness as compared with the conventional piezo-electric film, but presents a large piezoelectric constant, hence making it possible to perform efficient microprocessing thereof reliably.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element including an upper electrode, a piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material and a lower electrode, characterized in that the piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material is a composite oxide constituted by ABO3 as general formula and the piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material has a twin crystal.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element including an upper electrode, a piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material and a lower electrode, characterized in that the piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material is a composite oxide constituted by ABO3 as general formula and the piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material has a twin crystal.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element structure having a supporting substrate and a piezoelectric film supported on the supporting substrate. A first layer, and a second layer having zirconium, each provided with a perovskite structure, are formed in that order on the supporting substrate. The two layers are formed to be in contact with each other or laminated through an intermediate layer. The temperature is set to 500° C. or more at the time of formation of the layers, and cooling is subsequently provided from the formation temperature at least to 450° C. with a cooling speed of 30° C./min or more.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dielectric film structure having a substrate and a dielectric film provided on the substrate and in which the dielectric film has (001) face orientation with respect to the substrate, and in which a value u in the following equation (1) regarding the dielectric film is a real number greater than 2: u=(Cc/Ca)×(Wa/Wc)??(1) where, Cc is a count number of a peak of a (001?) face of the dielectric film in an Out-of-plane X ray diffraction measurement (here, l? is a natural number selected so that Cc becomes maximum); Ca is a count number of a peak of a (h?00) face of the dielectric film in an In-plane X ray diffraction measurement (here, h? is a natural number selected so that Cc becomes maximum); WC is a half-value width of a peak of the (001?) face of the dielectric film in an Out-of-plane rocking curve X ray diffraction measurement; and Wa is a half-value width of a peak of the (h?00) face of the dielectric film in an In-plane rocking curve X ray diffraction measurement.

Abstract: A piezoelectric structure includes a vibrational plate and a piezoelectric film. The vibrational plate includes a layer of a monocrystal material, a polycrystal material, a monocrystal material doped with an element which is different from an element constituting the monocrystal material, or a polycrystal material doped with an element which is different from an element constituting the polycrystal materials. Oxide layers sandwich the aforementioned layer. The piezoelectric film has a single orientation crystal or monocrystal structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dielectric film structure having a substrate and a dielectric film provided on the substrate and in which the dielectric film has (001) face orientation with respect to the substrate, and in which a value u in the following equation (1) regarding the dielectric film is a real number greater than 2: u=(Cc/Ca)×(Wa/Wc)??(1) where, Cc is a count number of a peak of a (00l?) face of the dielectric film in an Out-of-plane X ray diffraction measurement (here, l? is a natural number selected so that Cc becomes maximum); Ca is a count number of a peak of a (h?00) face of the dielectric film in an In-plane X ray diffraction measurement (here, h? is a natural number selected so that Cc becomes maximum); Wc is a half-value width of a peak of the (00l?) face of the dielectric film in an Out-of-plane rocking curve X ray diffraction measurement; and Wa is a half-value width of a peak of the (h?00) face of the dielectric film in an In-plane rocking curve X ray diffraction measurement.

Abstract: A piezoelectric structure includes a vibrational plate; a piezoelectric film; the vibrational plate including a layer of a monocrystal material, a polycrystal material, a monocrystal material doped with an element which is different from an element constituting the monocrystal material, or a polycrystal material doped with an element which is different from an element constituting the polycrystal materials, and oxide layers sandwiching the aforementioned layer, the piezoelectric film has a single orientation crystal or monocrystal structure.

Abstract: A piezoelectric member element including a piezoelectric member layer and a pair of electrode layers sandwiching the piezoelectric member layer, wherein at least three layers, which are directed in a preferential orientation to the (110) plane on the (100) plane of Si, are accumulated and the above described at least three layers include the above described piezoelectric member layer and one of the above described pair of electrode layers.

Abstract: A piezoelectric structure includes a vibrational plate; a piezoelectric film; the vibrational plate including a layer of a monocrystal material, a polycrystal material, a monocrystal material doped with an element which is different from an element constituting the monocrystal material, or a polycrystal material doped with an element which is different from an element constituting the polycrystal materials, and oxide layers sandwiching the aforementioned layer, the piezoelectric film has a single orientation crystal or monocrystal structure.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element including an upper electrode, a piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material and a lower electrode, characterized in that the piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material is a composite oxide constituted by ABO3 as general formula and the piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive material has a twin crystal.

Abstract: A dielectric element in which a substrate, a lower electrode layer, a dielectric layer and an upper electrode layer are provided in this order, wherein the dielectric layer has a first dielectric layer of which major component is an oxide and provided on a side of said lower electrode layer, and a second dielectric layer of which major component is an oxide and provided on a side of said upper electrode layer, and the second dielectric layer is thicker than the first dielectric layer, and a formula (1) described below is satisfied when a dielectric constant of the first dielectric layer at 25° C. is ?1 and a dielectric constant of the second dielectric layer at 25° C. is ?2. ?1/?2?0.

Abstract: A dielectric member including, on a substrate, a lower electrode, an oriented dielectric layer, and an upper electrode, in which at least either of the electrodes has an at least two-layered structure constituted of perovskite type oxide conductive layers, and has an orientation.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an actuator comprises the steps of bonding a piezoelectric film formed on a single crystal substrate to a diaphragm structure member and removing the single crystal substrate therefrom to manufacture the actuator. The single crystal substrate is a substrate having bonded portions where a plurality of single crystal substrates are bonded together.

Abstract: To provide a dielectric layer of crystal structure preferentially or uniaxially oriented on a common substrate. A dielectric element of desired quality can be stably produced even on a common substrate for film-making by forming a lower electrode layer, dielectric layer and upper electrode layer in this order on a substrate, wherein each of these layers are designed to be preferentially or uniaxially oriented, and to have a specific half bandwidth, determined by fitting a pseudo-Voigt function.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric film type actuator, which is provided with a piezoelectric film and an oscillating plate structural member bonded therefor, comprises the steps of forming a piezoelectric film on an intermediate transfer member; bonding the piezoelectric film on the intermediate member and the oscillating plate structural member; and peeling off the intermediate transfer member from the piezoelectric film. Through the steps thus arranged, it becomes possible to enhance the bonding strength and durability of the piezoelectric film and the oscillating plate structural member without using a bonding agent in the manufacture of a highly reliable piezoelectric film type actuator.

Abstract: In piezoelectric thin films constituting crystalline dielectric thin film elements used for a piezoelectric actuator of a liquid discharge head, stress is generated in the crystallization step by heating due to the lattice misfit. Given this fact, by interposing between a substrate and intermediate layer which has a twin structure that absorbs the stress, film peeling and deterioration of the piezoelectric properties of the piezoelectric thin films are prevented. The intermediate layer is of a multi-layer structure which has a first intermediate layer comprising a twin structure thin film and a second intermediate layer which is the lower electrode, and because the substrate also serves as a lower electrode, the intermediate layer has a single layer structure comprising a twin structure thin film.