Piezoelectric material, piezoelectric element, multilayered piezoelectric element, liquid discharge head, liquid discharge apparatus, ultrasonic motor, optical apparatus, vibratory apparatus, dust removing device, image pickup apparatus, and electronic equipment

The present invention relates to a piezoelectric material and more particularly to a lead-free piezoelectric material and a method for manufacturing the lead-free piezoelectric material. The present invention also relates to a piezoelectric element, a multilayered piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, a liquid discharge apparatus, an ultrasonic motor, an optical apparatus, a vibratory apparatus, a dust removing device, an image pickup apparatus, and electronic equipment, each including the piezoelectric material.

In general, piezoelectric materials are ABO 3 perovskite type metal oxides, such as lead zirconate titanate (hereinafter referred to as “PZT”). However, PZT contains lead as an A site element, and its effect on the environment is regarded as a problem. Thus, there is a demand for piezoelectric materials of lead-free perovskite type metal oxides.

One known piezoelectric material of a lead-free perovskite type metal oxide is barium titanate. In order to improve the characteristics of barium titanate, materials based on barium titanate are being developed.

PTL 1 discloses a piezoelectric material containing barium titanate, wherein the A site of the barium titanate is partly substituted by Ca. PTL 2 discloses a material containing the piezoelectric material and Mn, Fe, or Cu, wherein the A site of the barium titanate is partly substituted by Ca. These materials have a higher mechanical quality factor than barium titanate but disadvantageously have a poor piezoelectric property.

Patent Literature

PTL 1 Japanese Patent No. 4039029

PTL 2 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-120835

Technical Problem

The present invention addresses these problems and provides a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high and stable piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range.

The present invention also provides a piezoelectric element, a multilayered piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, a liquid discharge apparatus, an ultrasonic motor, an optical apparatus, a vibratory apparatus, a dust removing device, an image pickup apparatus, and electronic equipment, each including the piezoelectric material.

A piezoelectric material according to one aspect of the present invention contains a perovskite type metal oxide having the following general formula (1), a first auxiliary component Mn, and a second auxiliary component Mg,

wherein the amount b (mol) of Mn on a metal basis per mole of the perovskite type metal oxide is in the range of 0.0048≦b≦0.0400, and the Mg content on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the perovskite type metal oxide is 0.100 parts by weight or less (except 0 parts by weight).

(Ba 1-x Ca x ) a (Ti 1-y-z Sn y Zr z )O 3   (1)

(wherein x is in the range of 0.050≦x≦0.200, y is in the range of 0.010≦y≦0.040, and z is in the range of 0≦z≦0.040, provided that x≧0.375(y+z)+0.050, and a is in the range of 0.9925+b≦a≦1.0025+b, provided that b is in the range of 0.0048≦b≦0.0400)

A piezoelectric element according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric material, and a second electrode, wherein the piezoelectric material is the piezoelectric material described above.

A multilayered piezoelectric element according to one aspect of the present invention includes piezoelectric material layers and electrode layers alternately stacked on top of one another. The electrode layers include an internal electrode. The piezoelectric material layers are formed of the piezoelectric material described above.

A liquid discharge head according to one aspect of the present invention includes a liquid chamber and a discharge port in communication with the liquid chamber. The liquid chamber has a vibrating unit that includes the piezoelectric element or the multilayered piezoelectric element described above.

A liquid discharge apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a recording medium conveying unit and the liquid discharge head described above.

An ultrasonic motor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vibrating member and a moving body in contact with the vibrating member. The vibrating member includes a piezoelectric element or a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An optical apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a drive unit that includes the ultrasonic motor described above.

A vibratory apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a vibrating member that includes the piezoelectric element or the multilayered piezoelectric element described above.

A dust removing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a vibrating unit that includes the vibratory apparatus described above disposed on a diaphragm.

An image pickup apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes the dust removing device described above and an image pickup element unit, wherein the diaphragm of the dust removing device and a light-receiving surface of the image pickup element unit are disposed on the same axis, and the dust removing device faces the light-receiving surface of the image pickup element unit.

Electronic equipment according to one aspect of the present invention includes a piezoelectric acoustic component that includes the piezoelectric element or the multilayered piezoelectric element described above.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multilayered piezoelectric element according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a schematic view of a liquid discharge head according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3B is a schematic perspective view of the liquid discharge head illustrated in FIG. 3A .

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a liquid discharge apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a liquid discharge apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a schematic view of an ultrasonic motor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a schematic view of an ultrasonic motor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic views of an optical apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an optical apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic views of a dust removing device including a vibratory apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10A is a schematic perspective view of a piezoelectric element of a dust removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10B is a side view of the piezoelectric element illustrated in FIG. 10A . FIG. 10C is a schematic perspective view of the piezoelectric element illustrated in FIG. 10A .

FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic views illustrating the vibration principle of a dust removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of electronic equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 15A to 15C are phase diagrams illustrating the relationship between the x-values, the y-values, and the z-values of piezoelectric materials according to examples and metal oxide materials according to comparative examples of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

A piezoelectric material according to one aspect of the present invention contains a perovskite type metal oxide having the following general formula (1), a first auxiliary component Mn, and a second auxiliary component Mg,

wherein the amount b (mol) of Mn on a metal basis per mole of the perovskite type metal oxide is in the range of 0.0048≦b≦0.0400, and the Mg content on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the perovskite type metal oxide is 0.100 parts by weight or less (except 0 parts by weight).

(Ba 1-x Ca x ) a (Ti 1-y-z Sn y Zr z )O 3   (1)

(wherein x is in the range of 0.050≦x≦0.200, y is in the range of 0.010≦y≦0.040, and z is in the range of 0≦z≦0.040, provided that x≧0.375(y+z)+0.050, and a is in the range of 0.9925+b≦a≦1.0025+b, provided that b is in the range of 0.0048≦b≦0.0400)

(Perovskite Type Metal Oxide)

The term “perovskite type metal oxide”, as used herein, refers to a metal oxide having a perovskite structure, which is ideally a cubic structure, as described in Iwanami Rikagaku Jiten, 5th edition (Iwanami Shoten, published on Feb. 20, 1998). A metal oxide having a perovskite structure is generally represented by the chemical formula ABO 3 . In a perovskite type metal oxide, elements A and B in the form of ions occupy particular positions of a unit cell referred to as the A site and the B site, respectively. For a cubic unit cell, the element A occupies the vertexes of the cube, and the element B occupies the body-centered position of the cube. The element O as an oxygen anion occupies the face-centered positions of the cube.

In the metal oxide having the general formula (1), the metallic elements at the A site are Ba and Ca, and the metallic elements at the B site are Ti, Zr, and Sn. Part of Ba and Ca may occupy the B site. Likewise, part of Ti and Zr may occupy the A site. However, Sn should not occupy the A site because this impairs the piezoelectric property.

In the general formula (1), although the molar ratio of the B site element to the element O is 1:3, small variations in the molar ratio (for example, 1.00:2.94 to 1.00:3.06) are within the scope of the present invention, provided that the metal oxide has the perovskite structure as the primary phase.

The perovskite structure of the metal oxide can be determined by structural analysis using X-ray diffraction or electron diffraction.

(Main Component of Piezoelectric Material)

In a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention, the value a of the general formula (1), which represents the ratio of the number of moles of Ba and Ca at the A site to the number of moles of Ti, Zr, and Sn at the B site, is in the range of 0.9925+b≦a≦1.0025+b. b denotes the number of moles of the first auxiliary component Mn on a metal basis per mole of the perovskite type metal oxide. b is in the range of 0.0048≦b≦0.0400. When the value a is smaller than 0.9925+b, this tends to result in abnormal grain growth in the piezoelectric material and a decrease in the mechanical strength of the material. When the value a is larger than 1.0025+b, this results in an excessively high grain growth temperature, making sintering of the material impossible in common furnaces. The phrase “making sintering of the material impossible” means that the piezoelectric material has a low density or contains many pores and defects. Most of the first auxiliary component Mn occupies the B site. An increase in the value b representing the Mn content results in an increase in the total amount of metallic element(s) at the B site, which requires a corresponding increase in the value a.

The value y of the general formula (1), which represents the molar ratio of Sn at the B site, is in the range of 0.010≦y≦0.040. A value y of less than 0.010 results in a reduced piezoelectric property. A value y of more than 0.040 results in a low Curie temperature (T c ) of less than 100° C. and a reduced piezoelectric property at high temperatures. 0.015≦y≦0.035 is more preferred.

The value z of the general formula (1), which represents the molar ratio of Zr at the B site, is in the range of 0≦z≦0.040. A value z of more than 0.040 undesirably results in high sintering temperature.

The value z of the general formula (1), which represents the molar ratio of Zr at the B site, may be zero. The following general formula (2) represents a perovskite type metal oxide having the general formula (1) in which z=0, that is, containing no Zr.

(Ba 1-x Ca x ) a (Ti 1-y Sn y )O 3   (2)

(wherein x is in the range of 0.050≦x≦0.200, and y is in the range of 0.010≦y≦0.040, provided that x≧0.375y+0.050, and a is in the range of 0.9925+b≦a≦1.0025+b, provided that b is in the range of 0.0048≦b≦0.0400)

A value z of zero results in a high grain growth rate during sintering. This can advantageously reduce the sintering temperature. A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention may contain Zr inevitably contained in a commercially available raw material for Ti.

The value x of the general formula (1), which represents the molar ratio of Ca at the A site, is in the range of 0.050≦x≦0.200. A value x of less than 0.050 results in structural phase transition at an operating temperature, thereby adversely affecting the durability of the piezoelectric material in operation. A value x of more than 0.200 results in a reduced piezoelectric property. 0.080≦x≦0.170 is more preferred.

The value x of the general formula (1), which represents the molar ratio of Ca at the A site, satisfies x≧0.375(y+z)+0.050. An increase in the sum of the Sn molar ratio y and the Zr molar ratio z at the B site results in a high occurrence of structural phase transition at an operating temperature. Thus, x must be increased with an increase in (y+z). A value x of less than 0.375(y+z)+0.050 results in structural phase transition at an operating temperature, thereby adversely affecting the durability of the piezoelectric material in operation.

The value x of the general formula (2), which represents the molar ratio of Ca at the A site, satisfies x≧0.375y+0.050. A higher Sn molar ratio y at the B site results in a higher occurrence of structural phase transition at an operating temperature. Thus, x must be increased with increasing y. A value x of less than 0.375y+0.050 results in structural phase transition at an operating temperature, thereby adversely affecting the durability of the piezoelectric material in operation.

The composition of a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention may be determined by any method, such as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, ICP spectroscopy, or atomic absorption spectrometry. The weight ratio and the composition ratio of the elements of the piezoelectric material can be determined by using any of these methods.

(First Auxiliary Component of Piezoelectric Material)

The first auxiliary component is Mn. The amount b (mol) of Mn on a metal basis per mole of the perovskite type metal oxide is in the range of 0.0048≦b≦0.0400, preferably 0.01≦b≦0.03. A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention containing Mn in this range has an improved mechanical quality factor without reduction in the piezoelectric constant. The term “mechanical quality factor”, as used herein, refers to a coefficient that represents elastic loss resulting from vibration in the evaluation of a piezoelectric material as an oscillator. The mechanical quality factor is observed as the sharpness of a resonance curve in impedance measurement. Thus, the mechanical quality factor is a coefficient that represents the sharpness of resonance of an oscillator. An improvement in insulation property or mechanical quality factor ensures long-term reliability of the piezoelectric material when the piezoelectric material is driven as a piezoelectric element by the application of a voltage.

A value b of less than 0.0048 results in a low mechanical quality factor of less than 400. A low mechanical quality factor disadvantageously results in an increase in the power consumption of a resonance device that includes a piezoelectric element composed of the piezoelectric material and a pair of electrodes. The mechanical quality factor is preferably 400 or more, more preferably 600 or more. In this range, no excessive increase in power consumption occurs in practical operation. A value b of more than 0.0400 may unfavorably result in a reduced piezoelectric property or the occurrence of hexagonal crystals, which do not contribute to the piezoelectric property.

Mn can occupy only the B site. Mn can have a valence of 4+. In general, Mn can have a valence of 4+, 2+, or 3+. In the presence of conduction electrons in crystals (for example, in the presence of oxygen vacancies in crystals or in the presence of donor elements occupying the A site), Mn having a valence of 4+ can trap the conduction electrons and improve insulation resistance by reducing its valence to 3+ or 2+. In terms of the ionic radius, Mn having a valence of 4+ can easily substitute for the main component Ti of the B site.

Mn having a valence of less than 4+, such as 2+, acts as an acceptor. The presence of Mn as an acceptor in perovskite crystals results in the formation of holes or oxygen vacancies in the crystals.

When most of Mn in the piezoelectric material has a valence of 2+ or 3+, holes cannot be compensated for with oxygen vacancies alone, and the insulation resistance decreases. Thus, Mn can mostly have a valence of 4+. A minor proportion of Mn may have a valence of less than 4+ and occupy the B site of the perovskite structure as an acceptor or form oxygen vacancies. Mn having a valence of 2+ or 3+ and oxygen vacancies can form defect dipoles and thereby improve the mechanical quality factor of a piezoelectric material.

(Second Auxiliary Component of Piezoelectric Material)

The second auxiliary component is Mg. The Mg content on a metal basis is 0.100 parts by weight or less (except 0 parts by weight) per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide.

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention containing Mg in this range has a significantly improved mechanical quality factor without reduction in the piezoelectric constant. When the Mg content is more than 0.100 parts by weight on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide, this unfavorably results in a mechanical quality factor as low as less than 400. A piezoelectric material containing no Mg also unfavorably has a poor piezoelectric property. In order to improve the mechanical quality factor and the piezoelectric constant, the Mg content is preferably 0.050 parts by weight or less (except 0 parts by weight), more preferably 0.010 parts by weight or less.

Mg is not limited to metal Mg and may be contained in the piezoelectric material as a Mg component of any form. For example, Mg may be dissolved in the A or B site or may be contained in grain boundaries. The piezoelectric material may contain a Mg component in the form of metal, ion, oxide, metal salt, or complex.

(Third Auxiliary Component of Piezoelectric Material)

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention contains a third auxiliary component containing at least one selected from Cu, B, and Si. The third auxiliary component content is preferably 0.001 parts by weight or more and 4.000 parts by weight or less, more preferably 0.003 parts by weight or more and 2.000 parts by weight or less, on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the perovskite type metal oxide.

The third auxiliary component content is the weight ratio of the third auxiliary component to 100 parts by weight of the constituent elements of the metal oxide having the general formula (1) on an oxide basis, which is calculated from the amounts of Ba, Ca, Ti, Sn, Zr, Mn, Mg, and metals of the third auxiliary component of the piezoelectric material measured, for example, by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), ICP spectroscopy, or atomic absorption spectrometry.

The third auxiliary component is at least one selected from Cu, B, and Si. B and Si segregate at interfaces between crystal grains of the piezoelectric material. This reduces a leakage current flowing through the interfaces between crystal grains and increases insulation resistance. Cu can dissolve in crystal grains and increase insulation resistance. A piezoelectric material containing 0.001 parts by weight or more of the third auxiliary component advantageously has high insulation resistance. A third auxiliary component content of less than 0.001 parts by weight undesirably results in low insulation resistance. More than 4.000 parts by weight of the third auxiliary component in the piezoelectric material undesirably results in a reduced dielectric constant and a reduced piezoelectric property.

The weight ratio G 1 /G 2 of the weight G 1 of Si to the weight G 2 of B may be in the range of 2.0≦G 1 /G 2 ≦3.8. This range results in particularly suitable insulation resistance. The Si content may be 0.003 parts by weight or more and 1.000 part by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide. The Cu content may be 0.100 parts by weight or more and 2.000 parts by weight or less. The B content may be 0.001 parts by weight or more and 1.000 part by weight or less.

A multilayered piezoelectric element has a thin piezoelectric material layer between electrodes and therefore requires durability in a high electric field. Because of its particularly high insulation resistance, a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for a multilayered piezoelectric element.

(Fourth Auxiliary Component of Piezoelectric Material)

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention may contain a metal oxide having the general formula (1) and a fourth auxiliary component, which is different from the first auxiliary component, the second auxiliary component, and the third auxiliary component, without variations in characteristics. The fourth auxiliary component may be an element, such as Li, Na, Al, Zn, Sr, K, Y, or V.

The amount of fourth auxiliary component may be 1.2 parts by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide having the general formula (1). More than 1.2 parts by weight of the fourth auxiliary component may result in a reduced piezoelectric property or insulation property of the piezoelectric material. The amount of metallic elements of the fourth auxiliary component other than Ba, Ca, Ti, Zr, Sn, Mn, Mg, Cu, B, and Si may be 1.0 part by weight or less on an oxide basis or 0.9 parts by weight or less on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the piezoelectric material. The term “metallic element”, as used herein, includes metalloid elements such as Ge and Sb. When the amount of metallic elements of the fourth auxiliary component other than Ba, Ca, Ti, Zr, Sn, Mn, Mg, Cu, B, and Si is more than 1.0 part by weight on an oxide basis or more than 0.9 parts by weight on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the piezoelectric material, this may result in a markedly reduced piezoelectric property or insulation property of the piezoelectric material.

The total amount of Li, Na, Al, Zn, Sr, and K of the fourth auxiliary component may be 0.5 parts by weight or less on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the piezoelectric material. When the total amount of Li, Na, Al, Zn, Sr, and K of the fourth auxiliary component is more than 0.5 parts by weight on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the piezoelectric material, this may result in insufficient sintering. The total amount of Y and V elements of the fourth auxiliary component may be 0.2 parts by weight or less on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the piezoelectric material. When the total amount of Y and V of the fourth auxiliary component is more than 0.2 parts by weight on a metal basis per 100 parts by weight of the piezoelectric material, this may make polarization treatment difficult.

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention may contain Nb inevitably contained in a commercially available raw material for Ti and Hf inevitably contained in a commercially available raw material for Zr.

The perovskite type metal oxide having the general formula (1), the first auxiliary component, the second auxiliary component, and the third auxiliary component can constitute 98.5% by mol or more of a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention. The perovskite type metal oxide having the general formula (1) preferably constitutes 90% by mol or more, more preferably 95% by mol or more, of the piezoelectric material.

(Phase Transition Temperature)

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention may have no structural phase transition temperature in the range of 0° C. to 90° C.

Generally known barium titanate has an orthorhombic-to-tetragonal transition temperature (hereinafter referred to as T o→t ) of approximately 17° C. and a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic transition temperature (T t→o ) of approximately 5° C. The transition temperature of the crystal structure is referred to as a structural phase transition temperature. While repeatedly passing through these transition temperatures of the crystal structure because of ambient temperature changes, the piezoelectric material may gradually become depolarized because of repeated variations in the unit cell volume and polarization axial direction, resulting in a reduced piezoelectric property. Thus, barium titanate is difficult to use in a wide temperature range. A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention has T o→t of less than 0° C. and does not have the problem described above. A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention has a Curie temperature (T c ) for tetragonal-to-cubic transition higher than 90° C. and can maintain piezoelectricity even at an excessively high temperature of 80° C. as in a car in summer. Furthermore, having the tetragonal structure at a temperature in the range of 0° C. to 90° C., the piezoelectric material can avoid its use in an orthorhombic crystal region having a low mechanical quality factor. Thus, the piezoelectric material can have a high and stable piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range.

(Curie Temperature)

The term “Curie temperature (T c )”, as used herein, refers to a temperature at which the ferroelectricity of a material is lost. In general, the piezoelectric property of a piezoelectric material is also lost at T c or higher. T c may be determined by directly measuring the temperature at which ferroelectricity is lost or measuring the temperature at which the relative dielectric constant reaches its maximum in a very small alternating electric field.

(Crystal Grain Size and Equivalent Circular Diameter)

The average equivalent circular diameter of crystal grains of a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably 1 μm or more and 10 μm or less. The average equivalent circular diameter refers to the mean value of equivalent circular diameters of crystal grains. A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention can have a satisfactory piezoelectric property and mechanical strength if it has an average equivalent circular diameter of crystal grains in this range. An average equivalent circular diameter of less than 1 μm may result in a reduced piezoelectric property. An average equivalent circular diameter of more than 10 μm may result in reduced mechanical strength. The average equivalent circular diameter is more preferably 1 μm or more and 4.5 μm or less.

In a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention, crystal grains having an equivalent circular diameter of 25 μm or less may constitute 99 percent by number or more of the crystal grains of the piezoelectric material. When the percentage by number of crystal grains having an equivalent circular diameter of 25 μm or less is in this range, the piezoelectric material can have satisfactory mechanical strength. The mechanical strength has a high negative correlation with the percentage of crystal grains having a large equivalent circular diameter. When the percentage by number of crystal grains having an equivalent circular diameter of 25 μm or less is less than 99 percent by number, this results in an increase in the number of crystal grains having an equivalent circular diameter of more than 25 μm, possibly resulting in reduced mechanical strength.

The term “equivalent circular diameter”, as used herein, refers to a “projected area equivalent circular diameter” generally referred to in microscopy and refers to the diameter of a perfect circle having the same area as the projected area of a crystal grain. In the present invention, the equivalent circular diameter may be determined by any method. For example, the equivalent circular diameter may be determined by the image processing of an image of a surface of the piezoelectric material taken with a polarizing microscope or a scanning electron microscope. Since the optimum magnification depends on the particle size to be measured, an optical microscope or an electron microscope may be selected in accordance with the particle size. The equivalent circular diameter may be determined from an image of a polished surface or a cross section rather than the material surface.

(Relative Density)

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a relative density of 90% or more and 100% or less.

The relative density is the ratio of the measured density to the theoretical density, which is calculated from the lattice constant of the piezoelectric material and the atomic weights of the constituent elements of the piezoelectric material. The lattice constant can be measured by X-ray diffraction analysis. The density can be determined in accordance with Archimedes' principle.

A relative density of less than 90% may result in a reduced piezoelectric property, mechanical quality factor, or mechanical strength.

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably has a relative density of 92% or more and 95% or less.

(Method for Producing Piezoelectric Material)

A method for producing a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited. A typical production method will be described below.

(Raw Materials of Piezoelectric Material)

A piezoelectric material can be produced by a common method by forming a compact from an oxide, carbonate, nitrate, or oxalate solid powder containing the constituent elements of the piezoelectric material and sintering the compact at atmospheric pressure. The raw materials include a metallic compound, such as a Ba compound, a Ca compound, a Ti compound, a Sn compound, a Zr compound, a Mn compound, a Mg compound, a Cu compound, a B compound, and/or a Si compound.

Examples of the Ba compound include barium oxide, barium carbonate, barium oxalate, barium acetate, barium nitrate, barium titanate, barium zirconate, and barium zirconate titanate. The Ba compound may be of a commercially available high purity type (for example, a purity of 99.99% or more). A low-purity Ba compound contains a large amount of Mg, and a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention sometimes cannot be produced.

Examples of the Ca compound include calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, calcium oxalate, calcium acetate, calcium titanate, and calcium zirconate. The Ca compound may be of a commercially available high purity type (for example, a purity of 99.99% or more). A low-purity Ca compound contains a large amount of Mg, and a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention sometimes cannot be produced.

Examples of the Ti compound include titanium oxide, barium titanate, barium zirconate titanate, and calcium titanate. In the case that the Ti compound contains an alkaline-earth metal, such as barium or calcium, a commercially available compound of a high purity type (for example, a purity of 99.99% or more) may be used. A low-purity Ti compound contains a large amount of Mg, and a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention sometimes cannot be produced.

Examples of the Zr compound include zirconium oxide, barium zirconate, barium zirconate titanate, and calcium zirconate. In the case that the Zr compound contains an alkaline-earth metal, such as barium or calcium, a commercially available compound of a high purity type (for example, a purity of 99.99% or more) may be used. A low-purity Zr compound contains a large amount of Mg, and a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention sometimes cannot be produced.

Examples of the Sn compound include tin oxide, barium stannate, barium stannate titanate, and calcium stannate. In the case that the Sn compound contains an alkaline-earth metal, such as barium or calcium, a commercially available compound of a high purity type (for example, a purity of 99.99% or more) may be used. A low-purity Sn compound contains a large amount of Mg, and a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention sometimes cannot be produced.

Examples of the Mn compound include manganese carbonate, manganese oxide, manganese dioxide, manganese acetate, and trimanganese tetroxide.

Examples of the Mg compound include magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, magnesium peroxide, and magnesium acetate.

Examples of the Cu compound include copper (I) oxide, copper (II) oxide, copper carbonate, copper (II) acetate, and copper oxalate.

Examples of the B compound include boron oxide.

Examples of the Si compound include silicon oxide.

A raw material for controlling the ratio a of the number of moles of Ba and Ca at the A site to the number of moles of Ti, Sn, and Zr at the B site of a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited. A Ba compound, a Ca compound, a Ti compound, a Sn compound, and a Zr compound have the same effect.

(Granulated Powder and Compact)

The term “compact”, as used herein, refers to a solid formed of a solid powder. A compact can be formed by uniaxial pressing, cold hydrostatic pressing, hot hydrostatic pressing, casting, or extrusion molding. A compact may be formed from a granulated powder. Sintering of a compact formed from a granulated powder has an advantage that the grain size distribution of the sintered body tends to become uniform. In order to increase the insulation resistance of the sintered body, the compact may contain a third auxiliary component containing at least one selected from Cu, B, and Si.

The raw material powder of a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention may be granulated by any method. Spray drying can make the particle size of the granulated powder more uniform.

A binder for use in granulation may be polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), or an acrylic resin. The amount of binder is preferably in the range of 1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the raw material powder of a piezoelectric material, more preferably 2 to 5 parts by weight in order to increase the compact density.

(Sintering)

The compact may be sintered by any method.

Examples of the sintering method include sintering in an electric furnace, sintering in a gas furnace, electric heating, microwave sintering, millimeter-wave sintering, and hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Sintering in an electric furnace or a gas furnace may be performed in a continuous furnace or a batch furnace.

The sintering temperature of a piezoelectric material in the sintering method is not particularly limited and may be a temperature at which the compounds can react to sufficiently grow crystals. The sintering temperature is preferably 1100° C. or more and 1400° C. or less, more preferably 1100° C. or more and 1350° C. or less, such that the particle size of the piezoelectric material is in the range of 1 to 10 μm. A piezoelectric material sintered in the temperature range described above has satisfactory piezoelectric performance. In order to ensure the reproducibility and stability of the characteristics of a piezoelectric material produced by sintering, sintering may be performed at a constant temperature within the range described above for two hours or more and 48 hours or less. Although two-step sintering may also be performed, a sintering method without an abrupt temperature change can improve productivity.

A piezoelectric material produced by sintering may be polished and then heat-treated at a temperature of 1000° C. or more. Heat treatment of the piezoelectric material at a temperature of 1000° C. or more can relieve the residual stress of the piezoelectric material resulting from mechanically polishing and thereby improves the piezoelectric property of the piezoelectric material. Heat treatment of the piezoelectric material can also remove the raw material powder, such as barium carbonate, precipitated at grain boundaries. The heat-treatment time may be, but is not limited to, one hour or more.

(Piezoelectric Element)

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode 1 , a piezoelectric material 2 , and a second electrode 3 . The piezoelectric material 2 is a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The piezoelectric property of the piezoelectric material can be evaluated by at least attaching the first electrode and the second electrode to the piezoelectric material to form the piezoelectric element. Each of the first electrode and the second electrode is an electrically conductive layer having a thickness in the range of approximately 5 nm to 10 μm. The materials of the first electrode 1 and the second electrode 3 are not particularly limited and may be any materials that are commonly used for piezoelectric elements. Examples of such materials include metals, such as Ti, Pt, Ta, Ir, Sr, In, Sn, Au, Al, Fe, Cr, Ni, Pd, Ag, and Cu, and compounds thereof.

Each of the first electrode and the second electrode may be made of one of these materials or may be a multilayer made of two or more of the materials. The material(s) of the first electrode may be different from the material(s) of the second electrode.

The first electrode and the second electrode may be manufactured by any method, for example, by baking of a metal paste, sputtering, or vapor deposition. The first electrode and the second electrode may have a desired pattern.

(Polarization Treatment) The piezoelectric element may have a unidirectional spontaneous polarization axis. Having the unidirectional spontaneous polarization axis can increase the piezoelectric constant of the piezoelectric element.

The polarization method for the piezoelectric element is not particularly limited. Polarization treatment may be performed in the ambient atmosphere or in a silicone oil. The polarization temperature may be in the range of 60° C. to 150° C. The optimum conditions for polarization may vary with the composition of the piezoelectric material of the piezoelectric element. The electric field applied in polarization treatment may be in the range of 800 V/mm to 2.0 kV/mm.

(Measurement of Piezoelectric Constant and Mechanical Quality Factor) The piezoelectric constant and the mechanical quality factor of the piezoelectric element can be calculated from the resonance frequency and the antiresonant frequency measured with a commercially available impedance analyzer in accordance with a standard of Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA EM-4501). This method is hereinafter referred to as a resonance-antiresonance method.

(Multilayered Piezoelectric Element)

A multilayered piezoelectric element manufactured using a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

The multilayered piezoelectric element includes a multilayered body including piezoelectric material layers and internal electrodes alternately stacked on top of one another, a first electrode, and a second electrode, wherein the piezoelectric material layers are formed of a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multilayered piezoelectric element according to another embodiment of the present invention. A multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the piezoelectric material layers 54 and electrode layers alternately stacked on top of one another. The electrode layers include the internal electrode 55 . The piezoelectric material layers 54 are formed of the piezoelectric material described above. The electrode layers may include external electrodes, such as a first electrode 51 and a second electrode 53 , as well as the internal electrode 55 .

FIG. 2A illustrates a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention that includes a multilayered body between a first electrode 51 and a second electrode 53 , wherein the multilayered body includes two piezoelectric material layers 54 with one internal electrode 55 interposed therebetween. As illustrated in FIG. 2B , the number of piezoelectric material layers and the number of internal electrodes of a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention may be increased without limitation. The multilayered piezoelectric element illustrated in FIG. 2B includes a multilayered body between a first electrode 501 and a second electrode 503 . The multilayered body includes nine piezoelectric material layers 504 and eight internal electrodes 505 ( 505 a and 505 b ) alternately stacked on top of one another. The multilayered piezoelectric element further includes an external electrode 506 a and an external electrode 506 b for connecting the internal electrodes to each other.

The size and shape of the internal electrodes 55 and 505 and the external electrodes 506 a and 506 b may be different from the size and shape of the piezoelectric material layers 54 and 504 . Each of the internal electrodes 55 and 505 and the external electrodes 506 a and 506 b may be composed of a plurality of portions.

Each of the internal electrodes 55 and 505 , the external electrodes 506 a and 506 b , the first electrodes 51 and 501 , and the second electrodes 53 and 503 is an electrically conductive layer having a thickness in the range of approximately 5 nm to 10 μm. The material of each of the electrodes is not particularly limited and may be any material that is commonly used for piezoelectric elements. Examples of such a material include metals, such as Ti, Pt, Ta, Ir, Sr, In, Sn, Au, Al, Fe, Cr, Ni, Pd, Ag, and Cu, and compounds thereof. Each of the internal electrodes 55 and 505 and the external electrodes 506 a and 506 b may be made of one of these materials or a mixture or an alloy thereof or may be a multilayer made of two or more of the materials. These electrodes may be made of different materials. The internal electrodes 55 and 505 may be mainly composed of Ni, which is an inexpensive electrode material.

A multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an internal electrode containing Ag and Pd. The weight ratio M 1 /M 2 of the weight M 1 of Ag to the weight M 2 of Pd is preferably in the range of 1.5≦M 1 /M 2 ≦9.0, more preferably 2.3≦M 1 /M 2 ≦4.0. A weight ratio M 1 /M 2 of less than 1.5 is undesirable because of a high sintering temperature of the internal electrode. A weight ratio M 1 /M 2 of more than 9.0 is also undesirable because the internal electrode has an island structure and a heterogeneous surface.

As illustrated in FIG. 2B , the plurality of electrodes including the internal electrodes 505 may be connected to each other in order to synchronize the driving voltage phases. For example, internal electrodes 505 a may be connected to the first electrode 501 through the external electrode 506 a . The internal electrodes 505 b may be connected to the second electrode 503 through the external electrode 506 b . The internal electrodes 505 a and the internal electrodes 505 b may be alternately disposed. The electrodes may be connected by any method. For example, an electrode or an electric wire for connection may be disposed on a side surface of the multilayered piezoelectric element, or a through hole passing through the piezoelectric material layers 504 may be formed and coated with an electrically conductive material to connect the electrodes.

(Method for Manufacturing Multilayered Piezoelectric Element)

A method for manufacturing a multilayered piezoelectric element using a piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

The method for manufacturing a multilayered piezoelectric element includes (A) dispersing a metallic compound powder containing at least Ba, Ca, Ti, Sn, Zr, Mn, and Mg to produce a slurry, (B) forming a compact from the slurry, (C) forming an electrode on the compact, and (D) sintering a compact that includes the compacts containing the metallic compound and the electrodes alternately stacked on top of one another to manufacture the multilayered piezoelectric element. The sintering temperature in (D) is 1200° C. or less. The metal oxide powder may contain no Zr. The term “powder”, as used herein, refers to an aggregate of solid particles. The aggregate may be composed of particles containing Ba, Ca, Ti, Sn, Zr, Mn, and Mg or different particles each containing a certain element.

The metallic compound powder in (A) may be a powder of a Ba compound, a Ca compound, a Ti compound, a Sn compound, a Zr compound, a Mn compound, a Mg compound, a Cu compound, a B compound, and a Si compound.

An exemplary method for preparing the slurry in (A) will be described below. The metallic compound powder is mixed with a solvent. The weight of the solvent is 1.6 to 1.7 times the weight of the metallic compound powder. The solvent may be toluene, ethanol, a mixed solvent of toluene and ethanol, n-butyl acetate, or water. After mixing in a ball mill for 24 hours, a binder and a plasticizer are added to the mixture. The binder may be polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), or an acrylic resin. When the binder is PVB, the weight ratio of the solvent to PVB may be 88:12. The plasticizer may be dioctyl sebacate, dioctyl phthalate, or dibutyl phthalate. When the plasticizer is dibutyl phthalate, the weight of dibutyl phthalate is the same as the weight of the binder. The mixture is again mixed in the ball mill overnight. The amount of solvent or binder is controlled such that the slurry viscosity is in the range of 300 to 500 mPa·s.

The compact in (B) is a sheet of the mixture of the metallic compound powder, the binder, and the plasticizer. The compact in (B) may be formed by a sheet forming method. The sheet forming method may be a doctor blade method. In accordance with the doctor blade method, the slurry is applied to a substrate with a doctor blade and is dried to form a sheet of the compact. The substrate may be a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. A surface of the PET film on which the slurry is to be applied may be coated with a fluorine compound in order to facilitate the removal of the compact. The slurry may be dried by natural drying or hot-air drying. The thickness of the compact is not particularly limited and may be adjusted to the thickness of the multilayered piezoelectric element. The thickness of the compact can be increased with increasing viscosity of the slurry.

The electrodes in (C), more specifically, the internal electrodes 505 and the external electrodes 506 a and 506 b may be manufactured by any method, for example, baking of a metal paste, a sputtering process, a vapor deposition method, or a printing method. In order to reduce the driving voltage, the thickness and the intervals of the piezoelectric material layers 504 may be reduced. In such a case, a multilayered body containing precursors of the piezoelectric material layers 504 and the internal electrodes 505 a and 505 b is fired. The material of the internal electrodes should not change its shape or cause a deterioration in electrical conductivity at the sintering temperature of the piezoelectric material layers 504 . A metal that has a lower melting point and is more inexpensive than Pt, such as Ag, Pd, Au, Cu, or Ni, or an alloy thereof may be used for the internal electrodes 505 a and 505 b and the external electrodes 506 a and 506 b . The external electrodes 506 a and 506 b may be formed after firing the multilayered body. In this case, the external electrodes 506 a and 506 b may be made of Al or a carbonaceous electrode material, as well as Ag, Pd, Cu, or Ni.

These electrodes may be formed by screen printing. In accordance with screen printing, a metal paste is applied to the compact disposed on a substrate through a screen printing plate using a blade. The screen printing plate has a screen mesh. The metal paste is applied to the compact through the screen mesh. The screen mesh of the screen printing plate may have a pattern. The pattern can be transferred to the compact using the metal paste, thereby patterning an electrode on the compact.

After the electrode is formed in (C), one or a plurality of compacts removed from the substrate are stacked and press-bonded, for example, by uniaxial pressing, cold hydrostatic pressing, or hot hydrostatic pressing. Hot hydrostatic pressing can apply isotropically uniform pressure. Heating the compacts to approximately the glass transition point of the binder can enhance press bonding. A plurality of compacts can be press-bonded in order to achieve the desired thickness. For example, 10 to 100 layers of the compacts can be heat-pressed at a temperature in the range of 50° C. to 80° C. at a pressure in the range of 10 to 60 MPa for 10 seconds to 10 minutes. The electrodes may have an alignment mark in order to accurately stack the compacts. The compacts may have a positioning through hole in order to accurately stack the compacts.

A sintering temperature of 1200° C. or less in (D) allows the use of a metal that has a lower melting point and is more inexpensive than Pt, such as Ag, Pd, Au, Cu, or Ni, or an alloy thereof.

In a method for manufacturing a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention, the slurry may contain a perovskite type metal oxide containing at least one of Ba and Ca and at least one of Ti and Sn. Examples of the perovskite type metal oxide include barium titanate, barium stannate, barium zirconate titanate, barium stannate titanate, calcium titanate, calcium stannate, calcium zirconate titanate, and calcium stannate titanate. The slurry may contain Zr. In this case, the perovskite type metal oxide may be barium zirconate or calcium zirconate.

When the slurry contains the perovskite type metal oxide, this advantageously promotes grain growth and increases the density of the compact.

(Liquid Discharge Head)

A liquid discharge head according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

The liquid discharge head includes a liquid chamber and a discharge port in communication with the liquid chamber. The liquid chamber has a vibrating unit that includes a piezoelectric element or a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a schematic view of a liquid discharge head according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3B is a schematic perspective view of the liquid discharge head illustrated in FIG. 3A . As illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B , the liquid discharge head includes a piezoelectric element 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The piezoelectric element 101 includes a first electrode 1011 , a piezoelectric material 1012 , and a second electrode 1013 . As illustrated in FIG. 3B , the piezoelectric material 1012 may be patterned.

FIG. 3B is a schematic view of a liquid discharge head. The liquid discharge head includes a discharge port 105 , an individual liquid chamber 102 , a communicating hole 106 that connects the individual liquid chamber 102 to the discharge port 105 , a liquid chamber partition wall 104 , a common liquid chamber 107 , a diaphragm 103 , and the piezoelectric element 101 . Although the piezoelectric element 101 is rectangular in FIG. 3B , the piezoelectric element 101 may be of another shape, such as elliptical, circular, or parallelogrammic. In general, the piezoelectric material 1012 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the individual liquid chamber 102 .

The piezoelectric element 101 of the liquid discharge head will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 3A . FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3B in the width direction of the piezoelectric element. Although the piezoelectric element 101 has a rectangular cross section in FIG. 3A , the piezoelectric element 101 may have a trapezoidal or inverted trapezoidal cross section.

In FIG. 3A , the first electrode 1011 is a lower electrode, and the second electrode 1013 is an upper electrode. The first electrode 1011 and the second electrode 1013 may be arranged differently. For example, the first electrode 1011 may be a lower electrode or an upper electrode. Likewise, the second electrode 1013 may be an upper electrode or a lower electrode. A buffer layer 108 may be disposed between the diaphragm 103 and the lower electrode. These different designations result from variations in the method for manufacturing the device, and each of the cases has the advantages of the present invention.

In the liquid discharge head, the diaphragm 103 bends upward and downward with the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric material 1012 , thereby applying pressure to a liquid in the individual liquid chamber 102 . This allows the liquid to be discharged from the discharge port 105 . A liquid discharge head according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used in printers and in the manufacture of electronic equipment.

The thickness of the diaphragm 103 is 1.0 μm or more and 15 μm or less, preferably 1.5 μm or more and 8 μm or less. The material of the diaphragm is not particularly limited and may be Si. Si of the diaphragm may be doped with boron or phosphorus. The buffer layer and the electrode on the diaphragm may constitute the diaphragm. The buffer layer 108 has a thickness of 5 nm or more and 300 nm or less, preferably 10 nm or more and 200 nm or less. The discharge port 105 has an equivalent circular diameter of 5 μm or more and 40 μm or less. The discharge port 105 may be circular, star-shaped, square, or triangular.

(Liquid Discharge Apparatus)

A liquid discharge apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The liquid discharge apparatus includes a recording medium conveying unit and the liquid discharge head described above.

The liquid discharge apparatus may be an ink jet recording apparatus, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 . FIG. 5 illustrates the liquid discharge apparatus (ink jet recording apparatus) 881 illustrated in FIG. 4 without exteriors 882 to 885 and 887 . The ink jet recording apparatus 881 includes an automatic feeder 897 for automatically feeding a recording paper sheet as a recording medium to the main body 896 of the apparatus. The ink jet recording apparatus 881 further includes a conveying unit 899 for conveying a recording paper sheet from the automatic feeder 897 to a predetermined recording position and from the recording position to an outlet 898 , a recording unit 891 for recording to the recording paper at the recording position, and a recovering unit 890 for recovering the recording unit 891 . The recording unit 891 includes a carriage 892 for housing a liquid discharge head according to an embodiment of the present invention. The carriage 892 travels along a rail.

In such an ink jet recording apparatus, the carriage 892 travels along a rail in response to electric signals sent from a computer. Upon the application of a driving voltage to electrodes disposed on a piezoelectric material, the piezoelectric material is deformed. Upon the deformation, the piezoelectric material presses the individual liquid chamber 102 via the diaphragm 103 illustrated in FIG. 3B , thereby discharging an ink from the discharge port 105 to print characters.

A liquid discharge apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can uniformly discharge a liquid at a high speed and can be reduced in size.

In addition to the printer described above, a liquid discharge apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used in printing apparatuses, for example, ink jet recording apparatuses, such as facsimile machines, multifunction devices, and copying machines, industrial liquid discharge apparatuses, and apparatuses for drawing objects.

(Ultrasonic Motor)

An ultrasonic motor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The ultrasonic motor includes a vibrating member and a moving body in contact with the vibrating member. The vibrating member includes a piezoelectric element or a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a schematic view of an ultrasonic motor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a schematic view of an ultrasonic motor according to another embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic motor illustrated in FIG. 6A includes a single plate of a piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic motor includes an oscillator 201 , a rotor 202 pressed against a sliding surface of the oscillator 201 by the action of a pressure spring (not shown), and an output shaft 203 , which is formed integrally with the rotor 202 . The oscillator 201 includes a metal elastic ring 2011 , a piezoelectric element 2012 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and an organic adhesive 2013 (epoxy or cyanoacrylate) that bonds the piezoelectric element 2012 to the elastic ring 2011 . Although not shown in the figure, the piezoelectric element 2012 includes a piezoelectric material between a first electrode and a second electrode.

Upon the application of two-phase alternating voltages that differ by an odd number times π/2 in phase to a piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention, a flexural traveling wave occurs in the oscillator 201 , and points on the sliding surface of the oscillator 201 go through elliptical motion. The rotor 202 pressed against the sliding surface of the oscillator 201 receives friction force from the oscillator 201 and rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of the flexural traveling wave. A body to be driven (not shown) joined to the output shaft 203 is driven by the rotational force of the rotor 202 . Upon the application of a voltage to a piezoelectric material, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts because of the transverse piezoelectric effect. An elastic body, such as a metal, joined to the piezoelectric element is bent with the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric material. The ultrasonic motor described herein utilizes this principle.

FIG. 6B illustrates an ultrasonic motor that includes a multilayered piezoelectric element. The oscillator 204 includes a multilayered piezoelectric element 2042 in a tubular metal elastic body 2041 . The multilayered piezoelectric element 2042 includes a plurality of layered piezoelectric materials (not shown) and includes a first electrode and a second electrode on the outer surfaces of the layered piezoelectric materials and internal electrodes within the layered piezoelectric materials. The metal elastic body 2041 is fastened with a bolt to hold the piezoelectric element 2042 , thereby constituting the oscillator 204 .

Upon the application of alternating voltages of different phases to the multilayered piezoelectric element 2042 , the oscillator 204 causes two oscillations perpendicular to each other. The two oscillations are synthesized to form a circular oscillation for driving the tip of the oscillator 204 . The oscillator 204 has an annular groove at its upper portion. The annular groove increases the oscillatory displacement for driving. A rotor 205 is pressed against the oscillator 204 by the action of a pressure spring 206 and receives friction force for driving. The rotor 205 is rotatably supported by a bearing.

(Optical Apparatus)

An optical apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The optical apparatus includes a drive unit that includes the ultrasonic motor described above.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of an interchangeable lens barrel of a single-lens reflex camera, which is an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of an interchangeable lens barrel of a single-lens reflex camera, which is an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. A fixed barrel 712 , a linear guide barrel 713 , and a front lens group barrel 714 are fixed to a removable mount 711 of the camera. These components are fixed members of the interchangeable lens barrel.

The linear guide barrel 713 has a linear guide groove 713 a for a focus lens 702 in the optical axis direction. The focus lens 702 is supported by a rear lens group barrel 716 . Cam rollers 717 a and 717 b protruding outwardly in the radial direction are fixed to the rear lens group barrel 716 with a screw 718 . The cam roller 717 a fits in the linear guide groove 713 a.

A cam ring 715 rotatably fits in the internal circumference of the linear guide barrel 713 . A roller 719 fixed to the cam ring 715 is caught in an annular groove 713 b of the linear guide barrel 713 , thereby restricting the relative displacement of the linear guide barrel 713 and the cam ring 715 in the optical axis direction. The cam ring 715 has a cam groove 715 a for the focus lens 702 . The cam roller 717 b also fits in the cam groove 715 a.

A rotation transmitting ring 720 is rotatably held by a ball race 727 at a fixed position on the periphery of the fixed barrel 712 . A driven roller 722 is rotatably held by a shaft 720 f extending radially from the rotation transmitting ring 720 . A large-diameter portion 722 a of the driven roller 722 is in contact with a mount side end face 724 b of a manual focus ring 724 . A small-diameter portion 722 b of the driven roller 722 is in contact with a joint 729 . Six driven rollers 722 are disposed at regular intervals on the periphery of the rotation transmitting ring 720 . Each of the driven rollers 722 satisfies the structural relationship described above.

A low-friction sheet (washer member) 733 is disposed on the inside of the manual focus ring 724 . The low-friction sheet 733 is disposed between a mount side end face 712 a of the fixed barrel 712 and a front end face 724 a of the manual focus ring 724 . The low-friction sheet 733 has a circular outer surface having a diameter that fits to the inner diameter 724 c of the manual focus ring 724 . The inner diameter 724 c of the manual focus ring 724 fits to the diameter of an outer portion 712 b of the fixed barrel 712 . The low-friction sheet 733 can reduce friction in the rotating ring mechanism in which the manual focus ring 724 rotates about the optical axis relative to the fixed barrel 712 .

The large-diameter portion 722 a of the driven roller 722 is pressed against the mount side end face 724 b of the manual focus ring because the wave washer 726 presses the ultrasonic motor 725 forward to the front of the lens. Likewise, because the wave washer 726 presses the ultrasonic motor 725 forward to the front of the lens, the small-diameter portion 722 b of the driven roller 722 is pressed against the joint 729 . The wave washer 726 is prevented from moving toward the mount by a washer 732 bayonet coupled to the fixed barrel 712 . The spring force (impellent force) of the wave washer 726 is transmitted to the ultrasonic motor 725 and the driven roller 722 and furthermore presses the manual focus ring 724 against the mount side end face 712 a of the fixed barrel 712 . In other words, the manual focus ring 724 is pressed against the mount side end face 712 a of the fixed barrel 712 via the low-friction sheet 733 .

Thus, when the ultrasonic motor 725 is rotated by a control unit (not shown) relative to the fixed barrel 712 , the driven roller 722 rotates about the shaft 720 f because the joint 729 is in frictional contact with the small-diameter portion 722 b of the driven roller 722 . The rotation of the driven roller 722 about the shaft 720 f causes the rotation of the rotation transmitting ring 720 about the optical axis (automatic focusing).

When a manual input unit (not shown) provides the manual focus ring 724 with rotational force about the optical axis, since the mount side end face 724 b of the manual focus ring 724 is pressed against the large-diameter portion 722 a of the driven roller 722 , the driven roller 722 is rotated about the shaft 720 f because of friction force. The rotation of the large-diameter portion 722 a of the driven roller 722 about the shaft 720 f causes the rotation of the rotation transmitting ring 720 about the optical axis. However, the ultrasonic motor 725 is not rotated because of the friction force between a rotor 725 c and a stator 725 b (manual focusing).

The rotation transmitting ring 720 is provided with two focus keys 728 facing each other. These focus keys 728 fit into notches 715 b at the tip of the cam ring 715 . Upon automatic focusing or manual focusing, the rotation transmitting ring 720 is rotated about the optical axis, and the rotational force is transmitted to the cam ring 715 via the focus keys 728 . When the cam ring 715 is rotated about the optical axis, the cam roller 717 b moves the cam roller 717 a and the rear group lens barrel 716 restricted by the linear guide groove 713 a forward or backward along the cam groove 715 a of the cam ring 715 . This drives the focus lens 702 and allows focusing.

Although an optical apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to an interchangeable lens barrel of a single-lens reflex camera, the optical apparatus may also be applied to optical apparatuses that include an ultrasonic motor in a drive unit, for example, cameras, such as compact cameras, electronic still cameras, and personal digital assistants including a camera.

(Vibratory Apparatus and Dust Removing Device)

Vibratory apparatuses for conveying or removing particles, powders, and droplets are widely used in electronic equipment.

As an example of a vibratory apparatus according to the present invention, a dust removing device that includes a piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. A vibratory apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vibrating member that includes the piezoelectric element or the multilayered piezoelectric element described above disposed on a diaphragm. The dust removing device includes a vibrating unit that includes the vibratory apparatus described above.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic views of a dust removing device 310 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The dust removing device 310 includes a plate of the piezoelectric element 330 and the diaphragm 320 . The piezoelectric element 330 may be a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. The diaphragm 320 may be made of any material. When the dust removing device 310 is used in optical devices, the diaphragm 320 may be made of a translucent or transparent material or a light reflective material.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are schematic views of the piezoelectric element 330 illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B . FIGS. 10A and 10C illustrate the front and back sides of the piezoelectric element 330 . FIG. 10B is a side view of the piezoelectric element 330 . As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B , the piezoelectric element 330 includes a piezoelectric material 331 , a first electrode 332 , and a second electrode 333 . The first electrode 332 and the second electrode 333 are disposed on opposite sides of the piezoelectric material 331 . As in FIGS. 9A and 9B , the piezoelectric element 330 may be a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the piezoelectric material 331 includes piezoelectric material layers and internal electrodes alternately stacked on top of one another. The internal electrodes are alternately connected to the first electrode 332 and the second electrode 333 , thereby allowing the piezoelectric material layers to alternately have a drive waveform of a different phase. As illustrated in FIG. 10C , a surface of the piezoelectric element 330 on which the first electrode 332 is disposed is referred to as a first electrode surface 336 . As illustrated in FIG. 10A , a surface of the piezoelectric element 330 on which the second electrode 333 is disposed is referred to as a second electrode surface 337 .

The term “electrode surface”, as used herein, refers to a surface of a piezoelectric element on which an electrode is disposed. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10B , the first electrode 332 may round a corner and extends to the second electrode surface 337 .

As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B , the first electrode surface 336 of the piezoelectric element 330 is bonded to the diaphragm 320 . Actuation of the piezoelectric element 330 produces a stress between the piezoelectric element 330 and the diaphragm 320 , causing out-of-plane oscillations on the diaphragm 320 . The dust removing device 310 removes foreign matter, such as dust, on the diaphragm 320 by the action of out-of-plane oscillations. The term “out-of-plane oscillations”, as used herein, refers to elastic oscillations that cause displacements of a diaphragm in the optical axis direction or the diaphragm thickness direction.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic views illustrating the vibration principle of a dust removing device 310 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11A , an in-phase alternating electric voltage is applied to a left-and-right pair of the piezoelectric elements 330 to cause out-of-plane oscillations of the diaphragm 320 . The direction of polarization of the piezoelectric material constituting the left-and-right pair of the piezoelectric elements 330 is the same as the thickness direction of the piezoelectric elements 330 . The dust removing device 310 is driven in a seventh oscillation mode. In FIG. 11B , an anti-phase alternating voltage is applied to a left-and-right pair of the piezoelectric elements 330 to cause out-of-plane oscillations of the diaphragm 320 . The dust removing device 310 is driven in a sixth oscillation mode. The dust removing device 310 can employ at least two oscillation modes to effectively remove dust on the surface of the diaphragm.

(Image Pickup Apparatus)

An image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The image pickup apparatus includes the dust removing device described above and an image pickup element unit, wherein the diaphragm of the dust removing device and a light-receiving surface of the image pickup element unit are disposed on the same axis, and the dust removing device faces the light-receiving surface of the image pickup element unit. FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a digital single-lens reflex camera, which is an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of the main body 601 of the camera viewed from the object side. An imaging lens unit has been removed. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the inside of the camera, illustrating surrounding structures of a dust removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention and an image pickup unit 400 .

The main body 601 of the camera includes a mirror box 605 to which an image light beam passing through an imaging lens is directed. The mirror box 605 includes a main mirror (quick return mirror) 606 . The main mirror 606 can make an angle of 45 degrees with the optical axis to direct an image light beam to a penta roof mirror (not shown) or may avoid the image light beam in order to direct the image light beam to an image pickup element (not shown).

The mirror box 605 and a shutter unit 200 are disposed in front of a main body chassis 300 of the main body 601 of the camera in this order from the object side. The image pickup unit 400 is disposed on the photographer side of the main body chassis 300 . The image pickup unit 400 is installed such that an image pickup surface of the image pickup element is disposed at a predetermined distance from and parallel to the surface of a mount 602 to which an imaging lens unit is to be attached.

The image pickup unit 400 includes a vibrating component of a dust removing device and an image pickup element unit. The vibrating component of the dust removing device is disposed on the same axis as the light-receiving surface of the image pickup element unit.

Although the digital single-lens reflex camera has been described as an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the image pickup apparatus may be an interchangeable-lens camera, such as a mirrorless digital interchangeable-lens camera without the mirror box 605 . Among various image pickup apparatuses and electrical and electronic equipment that include image pickup apparatuses, such as interchangeable-lens video cameras, copying machines, facsimile machines, and scanners, an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can particularly be applied to devices that require the removal of dust deposited on a surface of an optical component.

(Electronic Equipment)

Electronic equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The electronic equipment includes a piezoelectric acoustic component that includes a piezoelectric element or a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. The piezoelectric acoustic component may be a loudspeaker, a buzzer, a microphone, or a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the main body 931 of a digital camera, which is electronic equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. An optical device 901 , a microphone 914 , an electronic flash unit 909 , and a fill light unit 916 are disposed on the front surface of the main body 931 . The microphone 914 is disposed within the main body and is indicated by a broken line. An opening for catching external sound is disposed in front of the microphone 914 .

A power switch 933 , a loudspeaker 912 , a zoom lever 932 , and a release button 908 for focusing are disposed on the top surface of the main body 931 . The loudspeaker 912 is disposed within the main body 931 and is indicated by a broken line. An opening for transmitting sound to the outside is disposed in front of the loudspeaker 912 .

The piezoelectric acoustic component may be used in at least one of the microphone 914 , the loudspeaker 912 , and a surface acoustic wave device.

Although the digital camera has been described as electronic equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic equipment may also be applied to electronic equipment that includes a piezoelectric acoustic component, such as audio-reproducing devices, audio-recording devices, mobile phones, and information terminals.

As described above, a piezoelectric element and a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention are suitable for liquid discharge heads, liquid discharge apparatuses, ultrasonic motors, optical apparatuses, vibratory apparatuses, dust removing devices, image pickup apparatuses, and electronic equipment. A liquid discharge head manufactured by using a piezoelectric element or a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention can have a nozzle density and a discharge velocity higher than or equal to those of liquid discharge heads manufactured by using a lead-containing piezoelectric element.

A liquid discharge apparatus manufactured by using a liquid discharge head according to an embodiment of the present invention can have a discharge velocity and discharge accuracy higher than or equal to those of liquid discharge apparatuses manufactured by using a lead-containing piezoelectric element.

An ultrasonic motor manufactured by using a piezoelectric element or a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention can have driving force and durability higher than or equal to those of ultrasonic motors manufactured by using a lead-containing piezoelectric element.

An optical apparatus manufactured by using an ultrasonic motor according to an embodiment of the present invention can have durability and operation accuracy higher than or equal to those of optical apparatuses manufactured by using a lead-containing piezoelectric element.

A vibratory apparatus manufactured by using a piezoelectric element or a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention can have vibratory capacity and durability higher than or equal to those of ultrasonic motors manufactured by using a lead-containing piezoelectric element.

A dust removing device manufactured by using a vibratory apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can have dust removal efficiency and durability higher than or equal to those of dust removing devices manufactured by using a lead-containing piezoelectric element.

An image pickup apparatus manufactured by using a dust removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention can have a dust removal function higher than or equal to those of image pickup apparatuses manufactured by using a lead-containing piezoelectric element.

A piezoelectric acoustic component that includes a piezoelectric element or a multilayered piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used to provide electronic equipment that has sound production ability higher than or equal to those of electronic equipment manufactured by using a lead-containing piezoelectric element.

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention may be used in ultrasonic transducers, piezoelectric actuators, piezoelectric sensors, and ferroelectric memories, as well as liquid discharge heads and motors.

Although the present invention is further described in the following examples, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

A piezoelectric material according to an example of the present invention was produced as described below.

(Piezoelectric Material)

(Piezoelectric Material according to Example 1)

A raw material having the composition (Ba 0.900 Ca 0.100 ) 1.0111 (Ti 0.970 Sn 0.030 )O 3 , which is represented by the general formula (1) (Ba 1-x Ca x ) a (Ti 1-y-z Sn y Zr z )O 3 , wherein x=0.100, y=0.030, z=0, and a=1.0111, was weighed as described below.

Raw powders of barium titanate having an average particle size of 100 nm and a purity of 99.999% or more, calcium titanate having an average particle size of 300 nm and a purity of 99.999% or more, and barium stannate having an average particle size of 300 nm and a purity of 99.999% or more were produced by a solid phase method. These raw powders were weighed such that Ba, Ca, Ti, and Sn satisfied the composition (Ba 0.900 Ca 0.100 ) 1.0111 (Ti 0.970 Sn 0.030 )O 3 . The Mg content of each of these raw powders (barium titanate, calcium titanate, and barium stannate) was 0.0001 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the raw powder as measured by ICP spectroscopy. The value a representing the ratio of the number of moles of Ba and Ca at the A site to the number of moles of Ti and Sn at the B site was controlled with barium oxalate and calcium oxalate.

Manganese dioxide was weighed such that the amount b (mol) of the first auxiliary component Mn was 0.0121 mol per mole of the composition (Ba 0.900 Ca 0.100 ) 1.0111 (Ti 0.970 Sn 0.030 )O 3 .

These weighed powders were dry-blended in a ball mill for 24 hours. The Mg content of the mixed powder was measured by ICP spectroscopy. The Mg content was 0.0001 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the other raw materials based on the chemical formula (Ba 0.900 Ca 0.100 ) 1.0111 (Ti 0.970 Sn 0.030 )O 3 . Three parts by weight of a PVA binder was deposited on the surface of 100 parts by weight of the mixed powder with a spray drier.

The resulting granulated powder was charged in a mold and was pressed at 200 MPa with a pressing machine to form a discoidal compact. This compact may be further pressed with a cold isostatic pressing machine.

The compact was held in an electric furnace at a maximum temperature T max of 1300° C. for 5 hours and was sintered in the ambient atmosphere for 24 hours in total.

The average equivalent circular diameter of the crystal grains, the percentage by number of crystal grains having an equivalent circular diameter of 25 μm or less (hereinafter referred to as D25), and the relative density of the resulting sintered body were measured. The average equivalent circular diameter was 1.27 μm, D25 was 99.7%, and the relative density was 98.3%. The crystal grains were observed mainly with a polarizing microscope. A small crystal grain size was determined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Photographic images taken with the polarizing microscope and the scanning electron microscope were processed to determine the average equivalent circular diameter and D25. The relative density was measurement in accordance with Archimedes' principle.

The sintered body was polished to a thickness of 0.5 mm, and the crystal structure of the sintered body was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Only peaks corresponding to a perovskite structure were observed.

The composition of the piezoelectric material was determined by ICP spectroscopy. The piezoelectric material was mainly composed of a metal oxide having the chemical formula (Ba 0.900 Ca 0.100 ) 0.0111 (Ti 0.970 Sn 0.030 )O 3 . One mol of the main component metal oxide contained 0.0121 mol of Mn. 100 parts by weight of the main component contained 0.0001 parts by weight of Mg. With respect to the other metals, the weighed composition agreed with the composition after sintering. Elements other than Ba, Ca, Ti, Sn, Mn, and Mg were below the detection limits of ICP spectroscopy.

The crystal grains were again observed. The average equivalent circular diameter was not significantly changed by polishing.

(Piezoelectric Materials According to Examples 2 to 58)

Piezoelectric materials according to Examples 2 to 58 were produced in the same manner as in Example 1. In addition to the raw materials used in Example 1, a barium zirconate powder having an average particle size of 300 nm and a purity of 99.999% or more was used if necessary. The raw powders were weighed such that Ba, Ca, Ti, Sn, and Zr had the ratio listed in Table 1. The value a representing the ratio of the number of moles of Ba and Ca at the A site to the number of moles of Ti and Sn at the B site was controlled with barium oxalate and calcium oxalate.

The raw powders were dry-blended in a ball mill for 24 hours. In order to control the Mg content in Examples 49 to 58, 100 parts by weight of barium titanate, calcium titanate, barium stannate, calcium zirconate, and barium oxalate in total based on the chemical formula (Ba 1-x Ca x ) a (Ti 1-y-z Sn y Zr z )O 3 were dry-blended with 0.0004 parts by weight (Example 49), 0.0009 parts by weight (Example 50), 0.0049 parts by weight (Example 51), 0.0099 parts by weight (Example 52), 0.0499 parts by weight (Example 53, 55, or 57), or 0.0999 parts by weight (Example 54, 56, or 58) of magnesium oxide in a ball mill for 24 hours.

These weighed powders were dry-blended in a ball mill for 24 hours. Three parts by weight of a PVA binder was deposited on the surface of 100 parts by weight of the mixed powder with a spray drier.

The resulting granulated powder was charged in a mold and was pressed at 200 MPa with a pressing machine to form a discoidal compact.

The compact was held in an electric furnace at a maximum temperature T max listed in Table 1 for 5 hours and was sintered in the ambient atmosphere for 24 hours in total.

The average equivalent circular diameter, D25, and the relative density were determined in the same manner as in Example 1. Table 2 shows the results.

The composition analysis was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. Table 3 shows the results. The fourth auxiliary component in the table is an element other than Ba, Ca, Ti, Zr, Sn, Mn, and Mg. Zero in the following table means that the corresponding component was below the detection limit of ICP spectroscopy. 0.0001 parts by weight of the Mg component was derived from high-purity raw materials. With respect to the other metals, the weighed composition agreed with the composition after sintering.

(Metal Oxide Materials According to Comparative Examples 1 to 24)

Comparative metal oxide materials were produced in the same manner as in Example 1. Table 1 listed the main components, the first auxiliary component and the second auxiliary component, the A/B site ratio, and the maximum temperature T max in sintering.

The average equivalent circular diameter and the relative density were determined in the same manner as in Example 1. Table 2 shows the results.

The composition analysis was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. Table 3 shows the results. The fourth auxiliary component in the table is an element other than Ba, Ca, Ti, Zr, Sn, Mn, and Mg. Zero means that the corresponding component was below the detection limit of ICP spectroscopy. 0.0001 parts by weight of the Mg component was probably derived from high-purity raw materials. With respect to the other metals, the weighed composition agreed with the composition after sintering. In order to control the Mg content in Comparative Example 24, 100 parts by weight of barium titanate, calcium titanate, barium stannate, and barium oxalate in total based on the chemical formula (Ba 0.900 Ca 0.100 ) 1.0111 (Ti 0.970 Sn 0.030 )O 3 were dry-blended with 0.1199 parts by weight of magnesium oxide in a ball mill for 24 hours.

A piezoelectric material according to an embodiment of the present invention has a high and stable piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range. The piezoelectric ceramic contains no lead and can reduce the load on the environment. Thus, the piezoelectric material can be used for apparatuses manufactured using a large amount of piezoelectric material, such as liquid discharge heads, ultrasonic motors, and dust removing devices, without problems.

1 first electrode

2 piezoelectric material

3 second electrode

101 piezoelectric element

102 individual liquid chamber

103 diaphragm

104 liquid chamber partition wall

105 discharge port

106 communicating hole

107 common liquid chamber

108 buffer layer

1011 first electrode

1012 piezoelectric material

1013 second electrode

201 oscillator

202 rotor

203 output shaft

204 oscillator

205 rotor

206 spring

2011 elastic ring

2012 piezoelectric element

2013 organic adhesive

2041 metal elastic body

2042 multilayered piezoelectric element

310 dust removing device

320 diaphragm

330 piezoelectric element

331 piezoelectric material

332 first electrode

333 second electrode

336 first electrode surface

337 second electrode surface

51 first electrode

53 second electrode

54 piezoelectric material layer

55 internal electrode

56 multilayered body

501 first electrode

503 second electrode

504 piezoelectric material layer

505 a internal electrode

505 b internal electrode

506 a external electrode

506 b external electrode

601 camera main body

602 mount

605 mirror box

606 main mirror

200 shutter unit

300 main body chassis

400 image pickup element unit

701 front lens group lens

702 rear lens group lens (focus lens)

711 removable mount

712 fixed barrel

713 linear guide barrel

714 front lens group barrel

715 cam ring

716 rear lens group barrel

717 cam roller

718 screw

719 roller

720 rotation transmitting ring

722 driven roller

724 manual focus ring

725 ultrasonic motor

726 wave washer

727 ball race

728 focus key

729 joint member

732 washer

733 low-friction sheet

881 liquid discharge apparatus

882 exterior

883 exterior

884 exterior

885 exterior

887 exterior

890 recovering section

891 recording portion

892 carriage

896 main body of apparatus

897 automatic feeder

898 outlet

899 conveying unit

901 optical device

908 release button

909 electronic flash unit

912 loudspeaker

914 microphone

916 fill light unit

931 main body

932 zoom lever

933 power switch

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The present invention can provide a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high and stable piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range.

The present invention can also provide a piezoelectric element, a multilayered piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, a liquid discharge apparatus, an ultrasonic motor, an optical apparatus, a vibratory apparatus, a dust removing device, an image pickup apparatus, and electronic equipment, each including the piezoelectric material.