JP5605553B2 - Piezoelectric element, piezoelectric actuator, liquid ejecting head, and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a piezoelectric element, a piezoelectric actuator, a liquid ejecting head, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.

  The piezoelectric element is an element having a characteristic of changing its shape when a voltage is applied, and has a structure in which a piezoelectric body is sandwiched between electrodes. Piezoelectric elements are used in various applications such as a liquid ejecting head portion of an ink jet printer and various actuators.

  As such a piezoelectric element, for example, a structure in which a piezoelectric body is covered with an upper electrode in a cross section along the short direction of the lower electrode (the direction in which the lower electrode is provided) has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-172878 A

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, stress concentrates on the piezoelectric body in the vicinity of the end portion of the upper electrode in a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the lower electrode (direction perpendicular to the direction in which the lower electrode is provided). The reliability may have been reduced.

  One of the objects according to some aspects of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable piezoelectric element. Another object of some aspects of the present invention is to provide a piezoelectric actuator, a liquid ejecting head, and a liquid ejecting apparatus that include the piezoelectric element.

The piezoelectric element according to the present invention is
A first electrode;
A piezoelectric body formed above the first electrode;
A second electrode formed above the piezoelectric body;
A porous body containing at least one metal element constituting the piezoelectric body;
Including
A distance between the first electrode and the second electrode as a thickness, and a first portion sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode;
The first part is a second part that is continuous in a direction orthogonal to the film thickness direction of the first part and has a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first part;
Have
The porous body is formed between the second portion and the second electrode;
The porous body decreases in thickness as it approaches the first portion.

  According to such a piezoelectric element, the porous body is formed between the second portion of the piezoelectric body and the second electrode, and decreases in thickness as it approaches the first portion of the piezoelectric body. Therefore, it can have high reliability.

  In the description of the present invention, the word “upper” is, for example, “forms another specific thing (hereinafter referred to as“ B ”)“ above ”a specific thing (hereinafter referred to as“ A ”)”. Etc. In the description according to the present invention, in the case of this example, the case where B is directly formed on A and the case where B is formed on A via another are included. The word “upward” is used.

In the piezoelectric element according to the present invention,
The porous body may increase in density as it approaches the first portion.

  According to such a piezoelectric element, it is possible to have higher reliability.

In the piezoelectric element according to the present invention,
The porous body may cover a side surface of the second portion.

  According to such a piezoelectric element, the porous body can function as a protective film.

In the piezoelectric element according to the present invention,
The first electrode, the piezoelectric body, and the second electrode form a laminate,
A plurality of the laminates are provided,
The first electrode is an individual electrode in the plurality of stacked bodies,
The second electrode may be a common electrode in the plurality of stacked bodies.

  According to such a piezoelectric element, the second electrode can suppress, for example, contact between the piezoelectric body and moisture.

The piezoelectric actuator according to the present invention is
The piezoelectric element according to the present invention is included.

  According to such a piezoelectric evil tutor, since it includes the piezoelectric element according to the present invention, it can have high reliability.

A liquid ejecting head according to the present invention includes:
A piezoelectric actuator according to the present invention is included.

  According to such a liquid jet head, since the piezoelectric actuator according to the present invention is included, high reliability can be obtained.

A liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes:
The liquid ejecting head according to the invention is included.

  According to such a liquid ejecting apparatus, since the liquid ejecting head according to the present invention is included, high reliability can be obtained.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the piezoelectric element according to the embodiment. The top view which shows typically the piezoelectric element which concerns on this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the piezoelectric element which concerns on this embodiment. The SEM observation result of the experiment example which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the liquid ejecting head according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating the liquid ejecting head according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the embodiment.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1. Piezoelectric Element First, the piezoelectric element according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a piezoelectric element 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the piezoelectric element 100 according to this embodiment. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the piezoelectric element 100 is formed on the substrate 1 and can include a laminated body 10, a porous body 50, and a wiring layer 42. The stacked body 10 can include a first electrode 20, a piezoelectric body 30, and a second electrode 40.

  The substrate 1 is a flat plate formed of, for example, a semiconductor or an insulator. The substrate 1 may be a single layer or a structure in which a plurality of layers are stacked. The internal structure of the substrate 1 is not limited as long as the upper surface is planar. For example, the substrate 1 may have a structure in which a space or the like is formed. For example, when a pressure chamber or the like is formed below the substrate 1 as in a liquid jet head described later, a plurality of configurations formed below the substrate 1 are collectively regarded as one substrate 1. May be.

The substrate 1 may have, for example, a diaphragm that is flexible and can be deformed (bent) by the operation of the piezoelectric body 30. In this case, the piezoelectric element 100 is a piezoelectric actuator 102 including a diaphragm. When the piezoelectric actuator 102 is used for a liquid ejecting head, the volume of the pressure chamber can be changed by the deflection of the substrate 1 (vibrating plate). When the substrate 1 has a diaphragm, examples of the material of the diaphragm include inorganic oxides such as zirconium oxide (ZrO ₂ ), silicon nitride, and silicon oxide, and alloys such as stainless steel. The diaphragm may have a single layer structure of these exemplified materials or a structure in which a plurality of materials are stacked.

  In addition, the board | substrate 1 does not have a diaphragm, and the 1st electrode 20 may be a diaphragm. That is, the first electrode 20 has a function as one electrode for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric body 30 and a function as a diaphragm that can be deformed by the operation of the piezoelectric body 30. Good. Even in this case, the piezoelectric element 100 can be the piezoelectric actuator 102.

  The stacked body 10 is formed on the substrate 1. A plurality of the laminated bodies 10 are provided, for example, and three are provided in the example shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2, but the number is not particularly limited. The plurality of stacked bodies 10 are provided apart from each other, and may be arranged side by side in the first direction (for example, the short direction of the first electrode 20) in a plan view as shown in FIG. Good. For example, the first direction can also be referred to as the direction in which the first electrode 20 is provided.

  The first electrode 20 is formed on the substrate 1. Although not shown, between the first electrode 20 and the substrate 1, for example, a layer that imparts adhesion between them or a layer that imparts strength or conductivity may be formed. Examples of such layers include layers made of various metals such as titanium, nickel, iridium, and platinum, and layers made of oxides thereof.

  The shape of the first electrode 20 is, for example, a layered or thin film shape. The thickness of the first electrode 20 is, for example, not less than 50 nm and not more than 300 nm. The planar shape of the first electrode 20 is not particularly limited as long as the piezoelectric body 30 can be disposed between the second electrodes 40 when the second electrodes 40 are disposed to face each other. In the example illustrated in FIG. And a rectangle having a short side. Therefore, FIG. 1A can be said to be a cross-sectional view along the short direction of the first electrode 20, and FIG. 1B can also be said to be a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction of the first electrode 20.

Examples of the material of the first electrode 20 include various metals such as nickel, iridium, and platinum, conductive oxides thereof (for example, iridium oxide, etc.), composite oxides of strontium and ruthenium (SrRuO _x : SRO), A composite oxide of lanthanum and nickel (LaNiO _x : LNO) can be exemplified. The first electrode 20 may have a single-layer structure of these exemplified materials or a structure in which a plurality of materials are stacked.

  As one of the functions of the first electrode 20, one electrode that is paired with the second electrode 40 and applies a voltage to the piezoelectric body 30 (for example, a lower electrode formed below the piezoelectric body 30). Can be mentioned. As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2, the first electrode 20 may be an individual electrode in the plurality of stacked bodies 10. More specifically, the first electrode 20 of the first stacked body 12 of the plurality of stacked bodies 10 and the first electrode 20 of the second stacked body 14 of the plurality of stacked bodies 10 are electrically It may be separated.

  The piezoelectric body 30 is formed on the first electrode 20 as shown in FIG. The thickness of the piezoelectric body 30 is, for example, not less than 300 nm and not more than 3000 nm.

  The piezoelectric body 30 is formed of a piezoelectric material. Therefore, the piezoelectric body 30 can be deformed by applying a voltage from the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 40. When the piezoelectric element 100 is the piezoelectric actuator 102, the vibration plate can be deformed (bent) by this deformation.

The material of the piezoelectric body 30 is preferably a perovskite oxide represented by the general formula ABO ₃ (for example, A includes Pb and B includes Zr and Ti). Specific examples of such materials include lead zirconate titanate (Pb (Zr, Ti) O ₃ : PZT), barium titanate (BaTiO ₃ ), potassium sodium niobate ((K, Na) NbO ₃ ), and the like. Is mentioned.

  The piezoelectric body 30 includes a first portion 32 and a second portion 34 as shown in FIG. The first portion 32 is sandwiched between the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 40. It can be said that the first portion 32 is a portion in contact with the second electrode 40 in the piezoelectric body 30. The upper surface 33 of the first portion 32 is, for example, a flat surface. The first portion 32 may have a distance between the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 40 as a thickness.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the second portion 34 is formed on both sides of the first portion 32 across the first portion 32 in the longitudinal section. Although not shown, the second portion 34 may be formed only on one side of the first portion 32. The second portion 34 is continuous with the first portion 32 in a direction orthogonal to the film thickness direction of the first portion 32, and is formed integrally with the first portion 32. It can be said that the second portion 34 is a portion of the piezoelectric body 30 that is separated from the second electrode 40. The thickness of the second portion 34 is smaller than the thickness of the first portion 32. The second portion 34 becomes thicker as it approaches the first portion 32. In the illustrated example, the thickness of the second portion 34 gradually increases as the first portion 32 is approached, but may be increased stepwise, for example.

  The side surface 31 forming the boundary between the first portion 32 and the second portion 34 is, for example, inside the end 41 (also referred to as the side surface 41) of the second electrode 40 in the longitudinal section as shown in FIG. It is located on the center side of the piezoelectric body 40. It can be said that the side surface 31 forming the boundary between the first portion 32 and the second portion 34 overlaps, for example, the second electrode 40 in a plan view as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the porous body 50 is formed between the second portion 34 and the second electrode 40 in the longitudinal section. In the illustrated example, the porous body 50 is in contact with the second portion 34 and the second electrode 40. Therefore, it can be said that the second portion 34 is a portion in contact with the porous body 50 in the piezoelectric body 30. It can be said that the first portion 32 is a portion of the piezoelectric body 30 that is separated from the porous body 50. The porous body 50 formed between the second portion 34 and the second electrode 40 decreases in thickness as it approaches the first portion 32. In the illustrated example, the thickness of the porous body 50 gradually decreases as the first portion 32 is approached, but may be reduced stepwise, for example. As shown in FIG. 1B, the porous body 50 may be formed so as to cover the side surface 35 (exposed side surface of the piezoelectric body 40) of the second portion 34. Further, the upper surface 52 of the porous body 50 and the upper surface 33 of the first portion 32 may be flush with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the porous body 50 may be formed so as to surround the piezoelectric body 30. Although not shown in FIG. 1A, the piezoelectric body 30 has a second portion 34 that sandwiches the first portion 32 from both sides in a cross section in the short side direction. The porous body 50 may be formed so as to cover the side surface. And the 2nd electrode 40 may be formed as a common electrode so that the porous body 50 may be covered.

  The material of the porous body 50 contains at least one metal element constituting the piezoelectric body 30. When the material of the piezoelectric body 30 is lead zirconate titanate, the material of the porous body 50 is, for example, an oxide containing a metal element whose main component is lead. The porous body 50 can have a large number of fine holes. Therefore, the density of the porous body 50 is smaller than the density of the piezoelectric body 30. The density of the porous body 50 may increase as it approaches the laminate 10.

  The second electrode 40 is formed on the piezoelectric body 30 and the porous body 50 as shown in FIG. The second electrode 40 is disposed to face the first electrode 20. The shape of the second electrode 40 is, for example, a layered or thin film shape. The thickness of the second electrode 40 is, for example, not less than 50 nm and not more than 300 nm. The planar shape of the second electrode 40 is not particularly limited as long as the piezoelectric body 30 can be disposed between the two electrodes 40 when facing the first electrode 20.

The material of the second electrode 40 is, for example, various metals such as nickel, iridium, and platinum, their conductive oxides (for example, iridium oxide, etc.), composite oxides of strontium and ruthenium (SrRuO _x : SRO), lanthanum And a composite oxide (LaNiO _x : LNO) of nickel and nickel. The second electrode 40 may have a single-layer structure of these exemplified materials, or may have a structure in which a plurality of materials are stacked.

  As one of the functions of the second electrode 40, the other electrode that is paired with the first electrode 20 and applies a voltage to the piezoelectric body 30 (for example, an upper electrode formed above the piezoelectric body 30). Can be mentioned. As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2, the second electrode 40 may be a common electrode in the plurality of stacked bodies 10. More specifically, the second electrode 40 of the first stacked body 12 and the second electrode 40 of the second stacked body 14 may be electrically connected. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the second electrode 40 of the first stacked body 12 and the second electrode 40 of the second stacked body 14 are integrally formed as a common electrode.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the wiring layer 42 is formed in the contact hole 54 provided in the porous body 50 (more specifically, the portion of the porous body 50 not sandwiched between the electrodes 20 and 40). Is formed. For example, the wiring layer 42 is electrically connected to the first electrode 20. As a result, an electric field can be applied to the first electrode 20 via the wiring layer 42. The thickness of the wiring layer 42 is, for example, not less than 50 nm and not more than 300 nm. The material of the wiring layer 42 is not particularly limited as long as it is conductive.

  The piezoelectric element 100 according to the present embodiment has, for example, the following characteristics.

  According to the piezoelectric element 100, the porous body 50 is formed between the second portion 34 of the piezoelectric body 30 and the second electrode 40, and the thickness decreases as the first portion 32 of the piezoelectric body 30 is approached. . Therefore, as the distance from the first portion 32 increases, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric body 30 decreases. Thereby, for example, when the substrate 1 has a diaphragm (or when the first electrode 20 is a diaphragm), the ease of displacement of the diaphragm can gradually change as the distance from the first portion 32 increases. . If a piezoelectric body is formed instead of a porous body, a diaphragm located below the piezoelectric body sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a piezoelectric body not sandwiched between the electrodes There may be a large difference in ease of displacement between the diaphragm located below. As a result, the stress may be concentrated on the diaphragm and the reliability may be lowered, for example, cracks may be generated. In the piezoelectric element 100, such a problem can be avoided and it can have high reliability.

  According to the piezoelectric element 100, the density of the porous body 50 can increase as it approaches the first portion 30. Therefore, for example, when the substrate 1 has a diaphragm (or when the first electrode 20 is a diaphragm), the ease of displacement of the diaphragm can gradually change as the distance from the first portion 32 increases. If the density of the porous body is uniform and smaller than the density of the piezoelectric body, a difference in density occurs between the porous body and the piezoelectric body, and the vibration plate positioned under the porous body and the piezoelectric body There is a difference in the ease of displacement between the diaphragm located at the center. As a result, stress may concentrate on the diaphragm (substrate). In the piezoelectric element 100, such a problem can be avoided and it can have much higher reliability.

  According to the piezoelectric element 100, the porous body 50 can cover the side surface 35 of the second portion 34. Therefore, the porous body 50 can function as a protective film. More specifically, the porous body 50 may have a function of protecting the second portion 34 from moisture. Thereby, it is not necessary to separately form a protective film for protecting the second portion 34, and the number of steps can be reduced.

  According to the piezoelectric element 100, the first electrode 20 can be an individual electrode, and the second electrode 40 can be a common electrode. Accordingly, the second electrode 40 can suppress, for example, the contact between the piezoelectric body 30 and moisture.

2. Next, a method for manufacturing a piezoelectric element according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the manufacturing process of the piezoelectric element 100 according to this embodiment. 3A corresponds to FIG. 1A, and FIG. 3B corresponds to FIG. 1B.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first electrode 20, the piezoelectric layer 30a, and the second electrode 40 are formed on the substrate 1 in this order. The first electrode 20 and the second electrode 40 are formed by, for example, a sputtering method, a plating method, or a vacuum evaporation method. The piezoelectric layer 30a is formed by, for example, a sol-gel method, a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method, a MOD (Metal Organic Deposition) method, a sputtering method, or a laser ablation method.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the piezoelectric layer 30a is patterned to form contact holes. The patterning is performed by, for example, a photolithography technique and an etching technique.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the exposed piezoelectric layer 30a is wet-etched, for example, using the second electrode 40 as a mask to form a porous body 50. The shape of the piezoelectric body 30 is determined by the wet etching. As the etching solution, a solution that dissolves at least a part of the material forming the piezoelectric layer 30a can be used. Further, a solution that selectively dissolves a portion of the piezoelectric layer 30a that is not a crystal, such as a crystal grain boundary, can be used. For this reason, the piezoelectric layer 30a is not completely removed, and a reaction product that reacts with an oxide containing an element that does not dissolve or a component of the etching solution remains, whereby the porous body 50 is formed. Specifically, for example, a 10% hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution can be used as the etching solution. Further, when 1% hydrochloric acid is added to a 10% hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution, the porous body 50 is easily formed at the interface with the second electrode 40.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, the wiring layer 42 is formed in the contact hole 54. The wiring layer 42 is formed by, for example, a sputtering method, a plating method, or a vacuum evaporation method.

  Through the above steps, the piezoelectric element 100 can be manufactured.

  According to the manufacturing method of the piezoelectric element 100, the highly reliable piezoelectric element 100 can be obtained as described above.

3. Experimental Example An experimental example is shown below to describe the present invention more specifically. The present invention is not limited by the following experimental examples.

3.1. Sample Preparation Silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) and zirconium oxide (ZrO ₂ ) were formed in this order on a silicon substrate by sputtering to form a substrate. Next, a film of iridium was formed by sputtering to form a first electrode. Next, PZT was deposited by the MOD method to form a piezoelectric layer. Next, an iridium film was formed by sputtering to form a second electrode. Then, using the second electrode as a mask, PZT was wet etched to form a porous body and a piezoelectric body. Wet etching was performed in 2 minutes using a 10% aqueous hydrofluoric acid solution with 1% hydrochloric acid added.

3.2. SEM Observation Results FIG. 4 shows SEM observation results of the sample prepared as described above. FIG. 4 shows that a porous body is formed between the piezoelectric body and the second electrode. Further, it can be seen that the density of the porous body increases as it approaches the piezoelectric body.

4). Liquid Ejecting Head Next, as an example of the use of the piezoelectric element (piezoelectric actuator) according to the present embodiment, a liquid ejecting head 600 having these will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a main part of the liquid ejecting head 600 and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid ejecting head 600, which is shown upside down from a state in which it is normally used.

The liquid ejecting head 600 can include the above-described piezoelectric element (piezoelectric actuator). In the following, a liquid ejecting head 600 in which the piezoelectric element 100 is formed on the substrate 1 (the structure including the vibration plate 1 a on the upper portion) and the piezoelectric element 100 and the vibration plate 1 a constitute the piezoelectric actuator 102 will be exemplified. I will explain.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the liquid ejecting head 600 includes a nozzle plate 610 having nozzle holes 612, a pressure chamber substrate 620 for forming the pressure chamber 622, and the piezoelectric element 100. Furthermore, the liquid ejecting head 600 can include a housing 630 as illustrated in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, the piezoelectric element 100 is illustrated in a simplified manner.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the nozzle plate 610 has nozzle holes 612. Ink can be ejected from the nozzle holes 612. In the nozzle plate 610, for example, a number of nozzle holes 612 are provided in a line. Examples of the material of the nozzle plate 620 include silicon and stainless steel (SUS).

  The pressure chamber substrate 620 is provided on the nozzle plate 610 (below in the example of FIG. 6). Examples of the material of the pressure chamber substrate 620 include silicon. The pressure chamber substrate 620 divides the space between the nozzle plate 610 and the vibration plate 1a, so that a reservoir (liquid storage unit) 624, a supply port 626 communicating with the reservoir 624, and a supply are provided as shown in FIG. A pressure chamber 622 communicating with the port 626 is provided. In this example, the reservoir 624, the supply port 626, and the pressure chamber 622 will be described separately, but these are all liquid flow paths, and any such flow paths may be designed. Absent. Further, for example, the supply port 626 has a shape in which a part of the flow path is narrowed in the illustrated example, but can be arbitrarily formed according to the design, and is not necessarily an essential configuration. The reservoir 624, the supply port 626, and the pressure chamber 622 are partitioned by the nozzle plate 610, the pressure chamber substrate 620, and the vibration plate 1a.

  The reservoir 624 can temporarily store ink supplied from the outside (for example, an ink cartridge) through a through hole 628 provided in the substrate 1. The ink in the reservoir 624 can be supplied to the pressure chamber 622 via the supply port 626. The volume of the pressure chamber 622 changes due to the deformation of the diaphragm 1a. The pressure chamber 622 communicates with the nozzle hole 612, and ink or the like is ejected from the nozzle hole 612 when the volume of the pressure chamber 622 changes. The reservoir 624 can also be called a manifold.

  The piezoelectric element 100 is provided on the pressure chamber substrate 620 (lower in the example of FIG. 6). The piezoelectric element 100 is electrically connected to a piezoelectric element driving circuit (not shown), and can operate (vibrate or deform) based on a signal from the piezoelectric element driving circuit. The diaphragm 1 a can be deformed by the operation of the piezoelectric body 30 to change the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 622 as appropriate.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5, the width of the pressure chamber 622 along the short direction of the first electrode 30 is larger than the width of the piezoelectric body 40 along the short direction of the first electrode 30. That is, the side surface of the piezoelectric body 40 is located on the inner side of the side surface of the pressure chamber 622 (also referred to as the side surface of the pressure chamber substrate 620 that defines the pressure chamber 622). Thereby, the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 622 can be changed effectively.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 630 can accommodate the nozzle plate 610, the pressure chamber substrate 620, and the piezoelectric element 100. Examples of the material of the housing 630 include a resin and a metal.

  The liquid ejecting head 600 includes the above-described highly reliable piezoelectric element 100. Therefore, the liquid ejecting head 600 can have high reliability.

  Here, the case where the liquid ejecting head 600 is an ink jet recording head has been described. However, the liquid ejecting head of the present embodiment is, for example, an electrode material ejecting head used for electrode formation such as a color material ejecting head, an organic EL display, and an FED (surface emitting display) used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display. It can also be used as a bio-organic matter ejecting head used for biochip manufacturing.

5. Next, the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes the above-described liquid ejecting head. Hereinafter, a case where the liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet printer having the above-described liquid ejecting head 600 will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing the liquid ejecting apparatus 700 according to the present embodiment.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7, the liquid ejecting apparatus 700 includes a head unit 730, a driving unit 710, and a control unit 760. The liquid ejecting apparatus 700 further includes an apparatus main body 720, a paper feeding unit 750, a tray 721 for installing the recording paper P, a discharge port 722 for discharging the recording paper P, and an operation disposed on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 720. A panel 770.

  The head unit 730 includes an ink jet recording head (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “head”) configured from the liquid ejecting head 600 described above. The head unit 730 further includes an ink cartridge 731 that supplies ink to the head, and a transport unit (carriage) 732 on which the head and the ink cartridge 731 are mounted.

  The drive unit 710 can reciprocate the head unit 730. The drive unit 710 includes a carriage motor 741 serving as a drive source for the head unit 730, and a reciprocating mechanism 742 that receives the rotation of the carriage motor 741 and reciprocates the head unit 730.

  The reciprocating mechanism 742 includes a carriage guide shaft 744 supported at both ends by a frame (not shown), and a timing belt 743 extending in parallel with the carriage guide shaft 744. The carriage guide shaft 744 supports the carriage 732 while allowing the carriage 732 to freely reciprocate. Further, the carriage 732 is fixed to a part of the timing belt 743. When the timing belt 743 is caused to travel by the operation of the carriage motor 741, it is guided to the carriage guide shaft 744 and the head unit 730 reciprocates. During this reciprocation, ink is appropriately discharged from the head, and printing on the recording paper P is performed.

  In the present embodiment, an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus that performs printing while both the liquid ejecting head 600 and the recording paper P move is shown, but the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes the liquid ejecting head 600 and the recording. Any mechanism may be used as long as the paper P is printed on the recording paper P by changing its position relative to each other. Further, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which printing is performed on the recording paper P. However, the recording medium that can be printed by the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention is not limited to paper, and may be cloth, film, A wide range of media such as metal can be used, and the configuration can be changed as appropriate.

  The control unit 760 can control the head unit 730, the drive unit 710, and the paper feed unit 750.

  The paper feeding unit 750 can feed the recording paper P from the tray 721 to the head unit 730 side. The paper feed unit 750 includes a paper feed motor 751 serving as a drive source thereof, and a paper feed roller 752 that rotates by the operation of the paper feed motor 751. The paper feed roller 752 includes a driven roller 752a and a drive roller 752b that face each other up and down across the feeding path of the recording paper P. The drive roller 752b is connected to the paper feed motor 751. When the paper supply unit 750 is driven by the control unit 760, the recording paper P is sent so as to pass below the head unit 730.

  The head unit 730, the drive unit 710, the control unit 760, and the paper feed unit 750 are provided inside the apparatus main body 720.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus 700 includes a highly reliable liquid ejecting head 600. Therefore, the liquid ejecting apparatus 700 can have high reliability.

  Note that the liquid ejecting apparatus 700 exemplified above includes one liquid ejecting head 600, and the liquid ejecting head 600 can perform printing on a recording medium. However, the liquid ejecting apparatus 700 includes a plurality of liquid ejecting heads. May be. When the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a plurality of liquid ejecting heads, the plurality of liquid ejecting heads may be independently operated as described above, or the plurality of liquid ejecting heads may be connected to each other to It may be a gathered head. An example of such a set of heads is a line-type head in which nozzle holes of a plurality of heads have a uniform interval as a whole.

  As described above, the liquid ejecting apparatus 700 as an ink jet printer has been described as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention. However, the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention can be used industrially. As the liquid (liquid material) discharged in this case, various functional materials adjusted to an appropriate viscosity with a solvent or a dispersion medium can be used. In addition to the exemplified image recording apparatus such as a printer, the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes a color material ejecting apparatus, an organic EL display, an FED (surface emitting display), and an electrophoretic display used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display. The present invention can also be suitably used as a liquid material ejecting apparatus used for forming electrodes such as electrodes and color filters, and a bioorganic material ejecting apparatus used for biochip manufacturing.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail as described above, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications are possible without substantially departing from the novel matters and effects of the present invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included in the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Board | substrate, 1a Diaphragm, 10 laminated body, 12 1st laminated body, 14 2nd laminated body,
20 1st electrode, 30 piezoelectric body, 30a piezoelectric body layer, 32 1st part,
33 upper surface of the first part, 34 second part, 35 side surface of the second part, 40 second electrode,
42 wiring layer, 50 porous body, 52 upper surface of porous body, 54 contact hole,
100 piezoelectric element, 102 piezoelectric actuator, 600 liquid ejecting head,
610 nozzle plate, 612 nozzle hole, 620 pressure chamber substrate, 622 pressure chamber,
624 reservoir, 626 supply port, 628 through-hole, 630 housing,
700 liquid ejecting apparatus, 710 driving unit, 720 apparatus main body, 721 tray,
722 discharge port, 730 head unit, 731 ink cartridge,
732 carriage, 741 carriage motor, 742 reciprocating mechanism,
743 Timing belt, 744 Carriage guide shaft, 750 Paper feed unit,
751 paper feed motor, 752 paper feed roller, 752a driven roller,
752b Driving roller, 760 controller, 770 operation panel

Claims (6)

A first electrode;
A piezoelectric body formed above the first electrode;
A second electrode formed above the piezoelectric body;
A porous body containing at least one metal element constituting the piezoelectric body;
Including
The piezoelectric body is
A distance between the first electrode and the second electrode as a thickness, and a first portion sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode;
The first part is a second part that is continuous in a direction orthogonal to the film thickness direction of the first part and has a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first part;
Have
The porous body is formed between the second portion and the second electrode;
The porous body is closer to the first portion, Ri a small thickness,
The porous element is a piezoelectric element that increases in density as it approaches the first portion . Oite to claim 1,
The said porous body is a piezoelectric element which has covered the side surface of the said 2nd part. In claim 1 or 2 ,
The first electrode, the piezoelectric body, and the second electrode form a laminate,
A plurality of the laminates are provided,
The first electrode is an individual electrode in the plurality of stacked bodies,
The second electrode is a piezoelectric element that is a common electrode in the plurality of stacked bodies. It claims 1 to comprise a piezoelectric element according to any one of 3, the piezoelectric actuator. A liquid ejecting head including the piezoelectric actuator according to claim 4 . A liquid ejecting apparatus including the liquid ejecting head according to claim 5 .