Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer which is provided on the first electrode and which is formed of crystals of a composite oxide with a perovskite structure which is preferentially oriented in a plane, and a second electrode which is provided on the piezoelectric layer and which is formed of platinum which is preferentially oriented in a plane, in which, in the piezoelectric layer, plane intervals L1 of the crystals on the first electrode side are larger than plane intervals L2 of the crystals on the second electrode side.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first and a second electrode, a piezoelectric layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an orientation control layer between the first electrode and the piezoelectric layer. The orientation control layer contains perovskite complex oxide containing potassium, sodium, calcium, and niobium and preferentially oriented in the (100) plane.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material contains: a first component which is a rhombohedral crystal in a single composition, has a Curie temperature Tc1, and is a lead-free-system composite oxide having a perovskite-type structure; a second component which is a crystal other than the rhombohedral crystal in a single composition, has a Curie temperature Tc2<Tc1, and is a lead-free-system composite oxide having a perovskite-type structure; and a third component which is a crystal other than the rhombohedral crystal in a single composition similar to the second component, has a Curie temperature Tc3?Tc1, and is a lead-free-system composite oxide that has a perovskite-type structure and is different from the second component. When a molar ratio of the third component to the sum of the second component and the third component is ? and ?×Tc3+(1??)×Tc2 is Tc4, |Tc4?Tc2|?50° C.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material contains: a first component which is a rhombohedral crystal in a single composition, has a Curie temperature Tc1, and is a lead-free-system composite oxide having a perovskite-type structure; a second component which is a crystal other than a rhombohedral crystal in a single composition, has a Curie temperature Tc2 higher than Tc1, and is a lead-free-system composite oxide having a perovskite-type structure; and a third component which is a rhombohedral crystal in a single composition, has a Curie temperature Tc3 equal to or higher than Tc2, and is a lead-free-system composite oxide that has a perovskite-type structure and is different from the first component. When a molar ratio of the third component to the sum of the first component and the third component is ? and ?×Tc3+(1??)×Tc1 is Tc4, |Tc4?Tc2| is 50° C. or lower.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed of a first piezoelectric film which is formed on the first electrode and which includes potassium, sodium, and niobium and a plurality of second piezoelectric films which are formed on the first piezoelectric film and which include potassium, sodium, and niobium, and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, in which the piezoelectric layer is a stack of a plurality of piezoelectric films, the first piezoelectric film has a thickness of 30 nm to 70 nm, a concentration of sodium in each of the piezoelectric films is along a gradient in the film thickness direction with the first electrode side being high and the second electrode side being low.

Abstract: To provide a carbonate compound and a cathode active material, whereby a lithium ion secondary battery having excellent cycle characteristics can be obtained. A process for producing a carbonate compound, which comprises mixing a sulfate (A) comprising a sulfate comprising a sulfate of Mn and a sulfate of Ni, or a sulfate comprising a sulfate of Mn, a sulfate of Ni and a sulfate of Co, and a carbonate (B) which is at least one carbonate selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, in the form of aqueous solutions and controlling the proportion of Mn to the total of Ni, Co and Mn contained in the sulfate (A) to be higher than 65 mol % at the initiation of the mixing, to precipitate a carbonate compound having a proportion of Mn of from 33.3 to 65 mol %, a proportion of Ni of from 17.5 to 50 mol % and a proportion of Co of from 0 to 33.3 mol % to the total of Ni, Co and Mn in the total average composition.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer which is formed on the first electrode by using a solution method, and is formed from compound oxide which has a perovskite structure in which potassium, sodium, and niobium are provided, and a second electrode which is provided on the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer has a peak derived from a (200) plane and a peak derived from a (002) plane in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by ??2? measurement.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric element which includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer which is formed on the first electrode by using a solution method, and is formed from a compound oxide having a perovskite structure in which potassium, sodium, and niobium are provided, and a second electrode which is provided on the piezoelectric layer. A cross-sectional SEM image of the piezoelectric layer is captured at a magnification of 100,000. When evaluation is performed under a condition in which a measured value in a transverse direction is set to 1,273 nm, two or more voids are included in the piezoelectric layer, a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value among diameters of the voids to be largest in a film thickness direction is equal to or smaller than 14 nm, and the maximum value is equal to or smaller than 24 nm.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer which is provided on the first electrode and which is formed of crystals of a composite oxide with a perovskite structure which is preferentially oriented in a plane, and a second electrode which is provided on the piezoelectric layer and which is formed of platinum which is preferentially oriented in a plane, in which, in the piezoelectric layer, plane intervals L1 of the crystals on the first electrode side are larger than plane intervals L2 of the crystals on the second electrode side.

Abstract: To provide a lithium-containing composite oxide capable of obtaining a lithium ion secondary battery excellent in the discharge capacity and cycle characteristics and its production process, a cathode active material, a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery which contains the lithium-containing composite oxide and a lithium ion secondary battery. A lithium-containing composite oxide, which is represented by aLi(Li1/3Mn2/3)O2.(1?a)LiNi?Co?Mn?O2 (wherein 0<a<1, 0<?<1, 0??<1, 0<??0.5, and ?+?+?=1), wherein in its X-ray diffraction pattern, the logarithmic standard deviation of the crystalline size distribution obtained from a peak of (003) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group R-3m is at most 0.198.

Abstract: A cathode active material comprising secondary particles having a plurality of primary particles of a lithium-containing composite oxide agglomerated, the lithium-containing composite oxide being represented by LixNiaCobMncMdOy (x: 1.1 to 1.7, a: 0.15 to 0.5, b: 0 to 0.33, c: 0.33 to 0.85, M: another metal element, d: 0 to 0.05, a+b+c+d=1, and y: the number of moles of oxygen atom (O) required to satisfy the valences of the metal elements), and I020/I003 in an X-ray diffraction pattern being from 0.02 to 0.3, wherein the porosity in a cross section of the secondary particles is from 5 to 20%, and the percentage of the maximum void in a cross section of the secondary particles is from 0.1 to 10%.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a piezoelectric element including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer between the first and the second electrodes. The piezoelectric layer includes a buffer layer disposed on the first electrode and containing Bi and an element selected from Al, Si, Cr, and Mn and a complex oxide layer disposed on the buffer layer and having a perovskite structure containing Bi, Fe, Ba, and Ti.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric film using a piezoelectric film-forming composition. The piezoelectric film-forming composition contains Bi, Fe, Mn, Ba, and Ti and the mole ratio of Bi to the total amount of Fe and Mn is 1.02 or more 1.08 or less.

Abstract: To provide a lithium rich cathode active material capable of obtaining a lithium ion secondary battery excellent in the discharge capacity and cycle characteristics; a positive electrode for such a lithium ion secondary battery; and such a lithium ion secondary battery. The cathode active material comprises a lithium-containing composite oxide, wherein the lithium-containing composite oxide is represented by aLi(Li1/3Mn2/3)O2·(1?a)LiMO2 (wherein M is at least one transition metal element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co and Mn, and a is more than 0 and less than 1), and in an X-ray diffraction pattern of the lithium-containing composite oxide, the integral breadth of a peak of (020) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group C2/m is at most 0.55 deg.

Abstract: A cathode active material for a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, comprising a lithium-containing composite oxide represented by aLi(Li1/3Mn2/3)O2·(1-a)LiMO2 (M: at least one transition metal element selected from Ni, Co and Mn, and 0<a<1), wherein in an X-ray diffraction pattern of the lithium-containing composite oxide, the ratio of the height (H020) of a peak of (020) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group C2/m to the height (H003) of a peak of (003) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group R-3m (i.e. H020/H003) is at most 0.038, and the ratio of the height (H110) of a peak of (110) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group C2/m to the height (H003) of a peak of (003) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group R-3m (i.e. H110/H003) is at most 0.013.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element which includes an adhesion layer made of composite oxide having perovskite structure including at least one of bismuth, manganese, iron, and titanium; a first electrode provided on the adhesion layer and made of metal preferentially oriented in a (100) face; a piezoelectric body layer provided on the first electrode and made of composite oxide having perovskite structure preferentially oriented in the (100) face; and a second electrode provided on the piezoelectric body layer.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material contains a first component that is a rhombohedral crystal and that is configured to have a complex oxide with a perovskite structure and Curie temperature Tc1, a second component that is a crystal other than a rhombohedral crystal and that is configured to have a complex oxide with a perovskite structure and Curie temperature e Tc2, and a third component that is a rhombohedral crystal and that is configured to have a complex oxide with a perovskite structure and Curie temperature Tc3 different from the first component, and in which Tc2 is higher than Tc1, Tc3 is equal to or higher than Tc2, and a value of (0.1×Tc1+0.9×Tc2) is equal to or lower than 280° C.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material contains a first component that is a rhombohedral crystal that is configured to have a complex oxide with a perovskite structure and Curie temperature Tc1, a second component that is a crystal other than a rhombohedral crystal that is configured to have a complex oxide with the perovskite structure and Curie temperature Tc2, and a third component that is configured to have a complex oxide with the perovskite structure in which the component is formed as the same crystal system as the second component and Curie temperature Tc3, in which Tc1 is higher than Tc2, and Tc3 is equal to or higher than Tc1.

Abstract: To provide a cathode active material which achieves a high discharge capacity and excellent cycle durability. A cathode active material represented by LiaMOx (wherein M is an element including at least one member selected from Ni element, Co element and Mn element (other than Li element and O element), “a” is from 1.1 to 1.7, and x is the number of moles of O element required to satisfy the valences of Li element and M), wherein in an X-ray diffraction pattern, the ratio (I/r) of the crystallite size (I) of (003) plane to the crystallite size (r) of (110) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group R-3m is at least 2.6.

Abstract: To provide a cathode active material to be used for a positive electrode of a lithium ion secondary battery having a high discharge capacity and favorable cycle durability. A cathode active material, which comprises a lithium-containing composite oxide containing at least one transition metal element (X) selected from the group consisting of Ni element, Co element and Mn element, and Li element (provided that the molar ratio (Li/X) of the Li element based on the total amount of the transition metal element (X) is from 1.1 to 1.7), wherein the aspect ratio of primary particles is from 2.5 to 10, and in an X-ray diffraction pattern, the ratio (I020/I003) of the integrated intensity (I020) of a peak of (020) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group C2/m to the integrated intensity (I003) of a peak of (003) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group R-3m is from 0.02 to 0.3.