IP Library Granted Patent US 8,058,779
Granted Patent B2
US 8,058,779 · App. 12/588,484 · Granted Nov 15, 2011

Piezoelectric thin film element

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,058,779
App. No.
12/588,484
Granted
Nov 15, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A piezoelectric thin film element includes a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer and a top electrode on a substrate. The piezoelectric layer includes as a main phase a perovskite-type oxide represented by (Na x K y Li z )NbO 3 (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.2, x+y+z=1), and the bottom electrode includes a surface roughness of not more than 0.86 nm in arithmetic mean roughness Ra or not more than 1.1 nm in root mean square roughness Rms.

Claims (35)

1. A piezoelectric thin film element, comprising a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode on a substrate,

wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises, as a main phase, a perovskite-type oxide represented by (Na x K y Li z )NbO 3 (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.2, x+y+z=1), and

wherein the bottom electrode has a surface roughness of not more than 1.1 nm in root mean square roughness Rms.

2. The piezoelectric thin film element according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom electrode has a (111) preferential orientation in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

3. The piezoelectric thin film element according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom electrode comprises a bonding layer on the substrate and an electrode layer on the bonding layer, and

wherein the bonding layer comprises a Ti film of not less than 0.084 nm and not more than 10 nm in thickness.

4. The piezoelectric thin film element according to claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric layer further comprises an ABO 3 crystal layer, an ABO 3 amorphous layer, or a mixed layer comprising a crystal and an amorphia of ABO 3 , where A comprises at least one element selected from Li, Na, K, Pb, La, Sr, Nd, Ba, and Bi, B comprises at least one element selected from Zr, Ti, Mn, Mg, Nb, Sn, Sb, Ta, and In, and O is oxygen.

5. The piezoelectric thin film element according to claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric layer has a (001) preferential orientation in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

6. A piezoelectric actuator, comprising:

a piezoelectric thin film element according to claim 1 ; and

a voltage application unit which applies a voltage to the piezoelectric thin film element.

7. A piezoelectric sensor, comprising:

a piezoelectric thin film element according to claim 1 ; and

a voltage detecting unit which detects a voltage generated at the piezoelectric thin film element.

8. A piezoelectric thin film element, comprising a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode on a substrate,

wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises, as a main phase, a perovskite-type oxide represented by (Na x K y Li z )NbO 3 (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.2, x+y+z=1),

wherein the bottom electrode has a surface roughness of not more than 0.86 nm in arithmetic mean roughness Ra or not more than 1.1 nm in root mean square roughness Rms, and

wherein the piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode has a maximum-minimum surface roughness of not more than 23% with respect to an average film thickness of the piezoelectric layer.

9. A piezoelectric thin film element, comprising a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode on a substrate,

wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises, as a main phase, a perovskite-type oxide represented by (Na x K y Li z )NbO 3 (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.2, x+y+z=1),

wherein the bottom electrode has a surface roughness of not more than 0.86 nm in arithmetic mean roughness Ra or not more than 1.1 nm in root mean square roughness Rms, and

wherein the piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Ra or root mean square surface roughness Rms of not more than 2.7% with respect to an average film thickness of the piezoelectric layer.

10. A piezoelectric thin film element, comprising a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode on a substrate,

wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises, as a main phase, a perovskite-type oxide represented by (Na x K y Li z )NbO 3 (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.2, x+y+z=1),

wherein the bottom electrode has a surface roughness of not more than 0.86 nm in arithmetic mean roughness Ra or not more than 1.1 nm in root mean square roughness Rms, and

wherein the piezoelectric layer has a surface roughness of not more than 4.1 nm in arithmetic mean roughness Ra, not more than 4.8 nm in root mean square roughness Rms, or not more than 137.7 nm in a maximum-minimum roughness.

11. A piezoelectric thin film element, comprising a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode on a substrate,

wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises, as a main phase, a perovskite-type oxide represented by (Na x K y Li z )NbO 3 (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.2, x+y+z=1), and

wherein the piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode has a maximum-minimum surface roughness of not more than 23% with respect to an average film thickness of the piezoelectric layer.

12. A piezoelectric thin film element, comprising a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode on a substrate,

wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises, as a main phase, a perovskite-type oxide represented by (Na x K y Li z )NbO 3 (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.2, x+y+z=1), and

wherein the piezoelectric layer formed on the bottom electrode has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Ra or root mean square surface roughness Rms of not more than 2.7% with respect to an average film thickness of the piezoelectric layer.

13. A piezoelectric thin film element, comprising a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode on a substrate,

wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises, as a main phase, a perovskite-type oxide represented by (Na x K y Li z )NbO 3 (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.2, x+y+z=1), and

wherein the piezoelectric layer has a surface roughness of not more than 4.1 nm in arithmetic mean roughness Ra, not more than 4.8 nm in root mean square roughness Rms, or not more than 137.7 nm in a maximum-minimum roughness.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2016
From: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED
To: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Reel/Frame 037827/0453 →
COMPANY SPLIT Recorded Jul 24, 2015
From: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
To: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 036181/0104 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 15, 2014
From: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.; HITACHI METALS, LTD.
To: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 034630/0897 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 16, 2009
From: SUENAGA, KAZUFUMI; SHIBATA, KENJI; OKA, FUMIHITO; SATO, HIDEKI
To: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 023412/0986 →