Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Shuya Abe

Osamu Machida

Masahiro Ishimori

Atsushi Takeuchi

Makoto Tanaka

Takahiko Kuroda

Kenichiroh Hashimoto

Mitsugu Irinoda

Takuma Hirabayashi

Manabu Nishimura

Akira Shimofuku

Kunihiro Yamanaka

Kaihei Isshiki

Kouji Ohnishi

An electromechanical transducer element includes a first electrode on a substrate, an electromechanical transducer film on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the electromechanical transducer film. The electromechanical transducer film includes a thin line pattern. The thin line pattern includes a plurality of thin lines that are spaced away from each other.

Electromechanical transducer element, method of producing the element, liquid discharge head incorporating the element, and liquid discharge apparatus incorporating the head

There is provided a method of producing an electromechanical transducer that includes a plurality of electromechanical transducer elements on a substrate. The method includes forming a plurality of individual electrodes corresponding to the plurality of electromechanical transducer elements on the substrate, forming an insulation film to cover the plurality of individual electrodes on the substrate, forming a conductive film on the insulation film, forming a plurality of openings to expose the plurality of individual electrodes in each of the insulation film and the conductive film, and forming a plurality of electromechanical transducer films on the plurality of individual electrodes exposed in the plurality of openings.

Methods of producing electromechanical transducer, sensor, and actuator

An electromechanical transducer element includes a first electrode; an electromechanical transducer film stacked on one surface of the first electrode; a second electrode stacked on the electromechanical transducer film; and wiring formed on the second electrode. In an at least one cross section, each of a boundary, on a second electrode side, of the electromechanical transducer film and a boundary, on a side opposite to the electromechanical transducer film, of the second electrode is a curved shape protruding away from the first electrode. In the at least one cross section, each of a film thickness of the electromechanical transducer film and a film thickness of the second electrode becomes thinner toward end portions from a maximum height portion.

Electromechanical transducer element, method for producing electromechanical transducer element, liquid ejecting head, liquid ejecting unit, and apparatus for ejecting liquid

An approach applying a semiconductor manufacturing process in the manufacturing of an electrostatic actuator, such as for a droplet discharging head, liquid supply cartridge, inkjet recording apparatus and/or liquid jet apparatus, is provided. Such electrostatic actuator has high-reliability and less variation in characteristics.

Liquid discharge head, liquid supply cartridge, and liquid jet apparatus having electrostatic actuator formed by a semiconductor manufacturing process

An electrostatic actuator has high-reliability and less variation in characteristics. An electrode () is formed on a substrate (), and a plurality of partition parts () are formed on the electrode. A vibration plate () is formed on the partition parts (), and is deformable by an electrostatic force generated by a voltage applied to the electrode () so that an air gap () is formed between the partition parts () by etching a part of a sacrifice layer () formed between the electrode () and the vibration plate (). The partition parts () are formed of remaining parts of the sacrifice layer () after the etching.

Electrostatic actuator formed by a semiconductor manufacturing process

An ink-jet head includes a nozzle which discharges an ink drop to a recording medium. A discharging chamber communicates with the nozzle and contains ink therein. An oscillation plate is provided on a first substrate of silicon, the oscillation plate defining a bottom surface of the discharging chamber, the oscillation plate pressurizing the ink in the discharging chamber when the oscillation plate is actuated. An electrode is provided on a second substrate of silicon, the electrode facing the oscillation plate via a gap between the oscillation plate and the electrode. In the ink-jet head, at least one of a first bonding area of the first substrate and a second bonding area of the second substrate is provided with a silicon oxide film, and the silicon oxide film contains boron on a surface thereof where the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together.

Ink-jet head, method of producing the same, and ink-jet printing system including the same

An electrostatic ink jet head includes nozzles, ink passages, a diaphragm that forms a part of the ink passages, individual electrodes that face the diaphragm. A driving voltage is applied between a common substrate formed on the diaphragm and the individual electrodes, thereby generating electrostatic force. The diaphragm is deformed by the electrostatic force. As a result, the ink in the ink passages are pressurized, so that ink droplets are discharged through the nozzles. Spacers are employed to form a gap between the diaphragm and each individual electrode. At least one of the spacers is made of the same material as the individual electrodes, so that the individual electrodes have high voltage resistance. Furthermore, voltage of both polarities can be used, and gap formation can be carried out with high precision through simpler production steps.

Electrostatic ink jet head and method of producing the same

An ink jet head includes a nozzle plate which has a nozzle hole. An ink-chamber substrate is provided on a back of the nozzle plate and includes an integrally-formed oscillation plate and a pressure chamber. The pressure chamber contains ink and is arranged to communicate with the nozzle hole. The oscillation plate defines a bottom of the pressure chamber. A counter-electrode substrate has an electrically-isolated counter electrode. The counter electrode is arranged to face the oscillation plate via a gap between the oscillation plate and the counter electrode. A dielectric layer is interposed between the ink-chamber substrate and the counter-electrode substrate. The dielectric layer is arranged to define the gap between the oscillation plate and the counter electrode. A pad metal piece is provided on a back of the counter electrode. The pad metal piece is electrically connected to the counter electrode and a driving voltage is externally supplied from the pad metal piece to the counter electrode so that the oscillation plate is actuated to impart a force to and stress the ink within the pressure chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Shuya Abe