Seiko Epson Corporation

Xin-Shan Li

Masami Murai

Tsutomu Nishiwaki

Maki Ito

Koji Sumi

Toshinao Shinbo

A method for producing an actuator device, comprising the steps of: forming a vibration plate on a substrate; and forming a piezoelectric element composed of a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode on the vibration plate, wherein in the step of forming the piezoelectric element, the upper electrode is formed on the piezoelectric layer by sputtering, a temperature of 25 to 250 (&#xb0; C.) and a pressure of 0.4 to 1.5 (Pa) are used during the sputtering, and upon the sputtering, the upper electrode having a thickness of 30 to 100 (nm), stress of 0.3 to 2.0 (GPa), and specific resistance of 2.0 (&#xd7;10&#x3a9;&#xb7;m) or less is formed.

Method for producing actuator device

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&#xb0; C. at a speed greater than or equal to 200 mm/min.

Method of manufacturing actuator device for ink jet head

Disclosed are a piezoelectric element, which has a high withstand voltage and a longer durability life, a manufacturing method of the piezoelectric element, a liquid-jet head, a manufacturing method of the liquid-jet head, and a liquid-jet apparatus. The manufacturing method of a piezoelectric element includes the steps of: forming a piezoelectric layer by forming, on the lower electrode, a piezoelectric precursor film in which Pb, Zr and Ti are contained and the composition ratio of Pb, Zr and Ti becomes Pb/(Zr+Ti)=1.0 to 1.3 after the piezoelectric precursor film has been baked, and to which at least any one dopant selected from the group consisting of manganese, nickel and strontium is doped, and by then baking the piezoelectric precursor film for half an hour to three hours at 650 to 750&#xb0; C.; and forming an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer.

Piezoelectric element, method of manufacturing the same, liquid-jet head, method of manufacturing the same, and liquid-jet apparatus

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.

Piezoelectric element, liquid-jet head using piezoelectric element and liquid-jet apparatus

Disclosed are a piezoelectric element, which has a high withstand voltage and a longer durability life, a liquid-jet head and a liquid-jet apparatus. The piezoelectric element includes a lower electrode provided above a substrate, a piezoelectric layer provided above the lower electrode, and an upper electrode provided above the piezoelectric layer, and an electric resistivity of the piezoelectric layer is not lower than 20 M&#x3a9;&#xb7;cm.

Piezoelectric element, liquid-jet head and liquid-jet apparatus

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. A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element, comprising the steps of: forming, on a substrate, a lower electrode configured of a plurality of layers which includes a metal layer with a limit thickness of 20 nm at least in its uppermost layer, the metal layer essentially containing iridium; forming a multi-layered piezoelectric layers by means of performing a piezoelectric film forming step a plurality times, the piezoelectric film forming step including an applying step of applying a piezoelectric precursor film onto the lower electrode, a drying step of drying the piezoelectric precursor film which has been applied thereon through the applying step, a degreasing step of degreasing the piezoelectric precursor film which has been dried through the drying step, and a baking step of making the piezoelectric precursor film, which has been degreased through the degreasing step, into a piezoelectric film by baking and crystallizing the piezoelectric precursor film; and forming an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer.

Disclosed are a piezoelectric element, which has a high withstand voltage and a longer durability life, a manufacturing method of the piezoelectric element, a liquid-jet head, a manufacturing method of the liquid-jet head, and a liquid-jet apparatus. The manufacturing method of a piezoelectric element includes the steps of: forming a piezoelectric layer by forming, on the lower electrode, a piezoelectric precursor film in which Pb, Zr and Ti are contained and the composition ratio of Pb, Zr and Ti becomes Pb/(Zr+Ti)=1.0 to 1.3 after the piezoelectric precursor film has been baked, and to which at least any one dopant selected from the group consisting of manganese, nickel and strontium is doped, and by then baking the piezoelectric. precursor film for half an hour to three hours at 650 to 750&#xb0; C.; and forming an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer.

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) formed on the one surface of a passage-forming substrate, and a second oxide film (insulation film) formed on the first oxide filmby use of a sputtering method. In only a part of an interface between the first and second oxide filmsand, an altered layer is formed which has a first element that is a constituent element other than oxygen included in the first oxide filmand a second element that is a constituent element other than oxygen included in the second oxide filmand which is a layer in which a proportion of the first element is lower than that in the first oxide filmand a proportion of the second element is lower than that in the second oxide film. A proportion of the altered layer in the entire interface between the first and second oxide filmsandis not more than 10%.

Actuator device, liquid jet head and liquid jet apparatus

A method for manufacturing a liquid jetting head includes manufacturing a piezoelectric element having consistently high piezoelectric characteristics that obtains a degree of orientation that is suitable for a piezoelectric thin film, that is stable, and that has good reproducibility. A Ti film is formed on a layered bottom electrode, piezoelectric material layers constituting a piezoelectric thin film are formed in a plurality of cycles of layer formation, and a top electrode is formed on the piezoelectric thin film to produce a piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric material layers are formed, the annealing temperature of the first cycle of layer formation is set higher than the annealing temperature of the other cycles of layer formation. In addition, the annealing time of the first cycle of layer formation is made longer than the annealing time of the other cycles of layer formation. The degree of orientation in theplane is thereby increased, and the bottom electrode can be prevented from undergoing oxidation or Pd diffusion.

Method for manufacturing a liquid jetting head

The present invention provides a piezoelectric element having consistently high piezoelectric characteristics, and a method for manufacturing a liquid jetting head in which this element is used, by obtaining a degree of orientation that is suitable for a piezoelectric thin film, stably and with good reproducibility. A Ti film is formed on a layered bottom electrode, piezoelectric material layers constituting a piezoelectric thin filmis formed a plurality of cycles of layer formation, and a top electrodeis formed on the piezoelectric thin filmto produce a piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric material layers are formed, the annealing temperature of the first cycle of layer formation is set higher than the annealing temperature of the other cycles of layer formation. In addition, the annealing time of the first cycle of layer formation is made longer than the annealing time of the other cycles of layer formation. The degree of orientation in the 100 plane is thereby increased, and the bottom electrode can be prevented from undergoing oxidation or Pd diffusion.

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Nagano-ken, Japan

Xin-Shan Li