US 7,320,163 B2
Method of manufacturing an actuator device
Li Xin-Shan, Nagano-ken (Japan); Masami Murai, Nagano-ken (Japan); Toshinao Shinbo, Nagano-ken (Japan); and Maki Ito, Nagano-ken (Japan)
Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Mar. 10, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/76,028.
Claims priority of application No. 2004-069660 (JP), filed on Mar. 11, 2004; and application No. 2004-376892 (JP), filed on Dec. 27, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2005/0210645 A1, Sep. 29, 2005
Int. Cl. H01L 41/08 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 29—25.35  [29/890.1; 427/100; 427/419.2; 310/365; 310/345; 347/70] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing an actuator device which comprises the steps of:
forming a vibration plate on one side of a substrate; and
forming on the vibration plate, a piezoelectric element including a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode,
wherein the step of forming the vibration plate includes a step of forming a zirconium layer, and thermally oxidizing the zirconium layer at a predetermined temperature to form an insulation film made of zirconia, the insulation film being an uppermost layer of the vibration plate and having a surface roughness ranging from 1 nm to 3 nm, and
wherein the step of forming the piezoelectric element includes a step of applying titanium onto the lower electrode by use of a sputtering method, and forming a seed titanium layer thereon; and a step of forming a piezoelectric precursor film by applying a piezoelectric material onto the seed titanium layer, and forming the piezoelectric layer by baking and crystallizing the piezoelectric precursor layer.