A ferroelectric device comprising a substrate; a textured layer; a first electrode comprising a thin layer of metallic material having a crystal lattice structure divided into granular regions; a seed layer; the seed layer being epitaxially deposited so as to form a column-like structure on top of the granular regions of the first electrode; at least one ferroelectric material layer exhibiting spontaneous polarization epitaxially deposited on the seed layer; the ferroelectric material layer, the seed layer, and first electrode each having granular regions in which column-like structures produce a high degree of polarization normal to the growth plane and a method of making.

A piezoelectric element 1 includes a first electrode 20, a second electrode 40, and a piezoelectric layer 30 provided between the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 40. The piezoelectric layer 30 is composed of a composite oxide having a perovskite-type structure and containing potassium (K), sodium (Na), and niobium (Nb), and has a first peak derived from a (100) plane, a second peak derived from a (010) plane, and a third peak derived from a (001) plane in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by θ-2θ measurement.

A method to deposit a coating including a material with highly oriented microstructure, the method including at least the following sequence of process steps: providing a flat substrate into a first vacuum processing chamber; etching one surface of the substrate by physical vapor etching; depositing a first metallic layer on the etched substrate surface by sputtering in a first metal deposition step; annealing the first metallic layer at an annealing temperature at least 50° C. higher than a compound deposition temperature of the subsequent compound deposition step; depositing a first compound layer at the compound deposition temperature on the outer surface of the first metallic layer by reactive sputtering in a first compound deposition step; and depositing a second metallic layer on the outer surface of the first compound layer by sputtering in a second metal deposition step.

Provided are a piezoluminescence structure, a piezoelectric structure, a manufacturing method thereof, and a high-sensitivity pressure sensor using the same. The piezoelectric structure includes: a plurality of perovskite material layers each including a material having an A.sub.nB.sub.nO.sub.3n perovskite structure; and interlayers inserted between the plurality of perovskite material layers and including A*O which is a metal oxide having reaction resistance to CO.sub.2. Here, A and A* are different elements and are one of an alkaline earth metal element, an alkali metal element, a lanthanide element, and a post-transition metal element, B is a transition metal element, O is an oxygen element, and n is a positive (+) integer. The piezoelectric structure may be a piezoluminescence structure.

A piezoelectric sensor, comprising: a stress applying layer in which a plurality of stress applying grooves extending in parallel with a first direction are formed in a predetermined region on a whole surface; and a piezoelectric layer that is layered on the stress applying layer and formed from a polymer piezoelectric material containing an optical active polymer.

According to the present invention, a piezoelectric film having a single crystal structure is able to be formed, from various piezoelectric materials, on a film structure of the present invention. A film structure according to the present invention includes: a substrate; a buffer film which is formed on the substrate and has a tetragonal crystal structure containing zirconia; a metal film containing a platinum group element, which is formed on the buffer film by means of epitaxial growth; and a film containing Sr(Ti.sub.1−x, Ru.sub.x)O.sub.3 (wherein 0≤x≤1), which is formed on the metal film by means of epitaxial growth.

The occurrence of cracking in a functional layer is suppressed, while maintaining flexibility of a layered structure. The layered structure includes a polymer substrate, and a crystalline functional layer formed on the first surface of the substrate. The surface roughness of the first surface of the substrate is 3 nm or less in terms of arithmetic mean roughness (Ra).

Provided is a method for forming a ferroelectric film of a metal oxide having a fluorite-type structure at a low temperature of lower than 300° C., and a ferroelectric film obtained at a low temperature. The present invention provides a production method of a ferroelectric film comprising a crystalline metal oxide having a fluorite-type structure of an orthorhombic crystal phase, which comprises using a film sputtering method comprising sputtering a target at a substrate temperature of lower than 300° C., to deposit on the substrate a film of a metal oxide which is capable of having a fluorite-type structure of an orthorhombic crystal phase, and having a subsequent thermal history of said film of lower than 300° C.; or applying an electric field to said film after said deposition or after said thermal history of lower than 300° C. Also provided are the ferroelectric film, which is formed on an organic substrate, glass, or metal substrate, which can be used only at low temperatures, and a ferroelectric element and a ferroelectric functional element or device using the ferroelectric film.

A piezoelectric element 10 includes a lower electrode, constituted of a Pt/Ti laminated film, a PLT seed layer, formed on the lower electrode, a PZT piezoelectric film, formed on the PLT seed layer, and an upper electrode, formed on the PZT piezoelectric film. A curve Q1 is a curve drawn such as to pass through a plurality of plotted points, each expressing a PLT (100) peak intensity with respect to a Pt (111) peak intensity according to a substrate setting temperature during forming of the Pt/Ti laminated film. A relationship of the PLT (100) peak intensity with respect to the Pt (111) peak intensity is within a range in the curve Q1 until the PLT (100) peak intensity decreases by 5% from a peak point P, at which the PLT (100) peak intensity is the maximum, and a (100) orientation rate of PLT constituting the seed layer is not less than 85%.

A thin-film piezoelectric material elements are arranged on a thin-film piezoelectric material substrate. The thin-film piezoelectric material substrate includes an insulator on Si substrate including a substrate including silicon and an insulating layer on a surface of the substrate. The thin-film piezoelectric material element includes a thin-film laminated part on a top surface of the insulating layer. The thin-film laminated part includes a YZ seed layer including yttrium and zirconium, and formed on the top surface; a lower electrode film laminated on the YZ seed layer; a piezoelectric material film including lead zirconate titanate, shown by a formula Pb (Zr.sub.xTi.sub.(1-x)) O.sub.3(0≤×≤1), and an upper electrode film laminated on the piezoelectric material film. The thin-film laminated part further includes an upper piezoelectric-material protective-film, laminated on the upper side of the upper electrode film.