An intermediate transfer body includes a surface layer, an elastic layer, and a heat-insulating layer contiguously in the mentioned order, and the surface layer, the elastic layer, and the heat-insulating layer satisfy the following Equations 1 to 4:

(C1+C2)×Δt≦Q  Equation 1:

100 MPa≦E1≦1,000 MPa  Equation 2:

0.5 MPa≦E2≦50 MPa  Equation 3:

λ3≦0.13 W/m.Math.K≦λ1≦λ2.  Equation 4:

An ink jet recording method according to the present embodiment includes ejecting a water-based ink composition where a content of an organic solvent having a standard boiling point of 280° C. or more is 0.5% by mass or less from a head nozzle and attaching the water-based ink composition to a recording medium, in which a contact angle between at least a part of the surface of the member in contact with the water-based ink composition in the members in the head and the water-based ink composition is 30° or less, and the surface of the member in contact with the water-based ink composition is formed of a material having an SP value of 9 or less.

A piezoelectric element includes: a first electrode; an oxide layer formed on the first electrode; a piezoelectric layer formed on the oxide layer and containing potassium, sodium, and niobium; and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer. When a potential difference of 10 V is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, a current density of a leak current differs by 10,000 times or more between a case in which the first electrode is set at a high potential and a case in which the second electrode is set at a high potential.

A piezoelectric element includes, on a base, an underlying layer for controlling crystallinity of a piezoelectric layer, and the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer includes a crystal with an ABO.sub.3-type structure having at least Pb at A sites. In the underlying layer, an interface-with-the-base side is configured including at least Pb and another substance with a different composition rate from that of the piezoelectric layer at the A sites, and a substance with a different composition ratio from that of the piezoelectric layer at B sites. In a layer above the interface-with-the-base side in the underlying layer, the composition rate of the other substance included at the A sites of the underlying layer progressively changes and also the composition ratio of the substance included at the B sites progressively changes, from the interface-with-the-base side toward the interface-with-the-piezoelectric-layer side to approach the composition of the piezoelectric layer.

A piezoelectric body contains potassium, sodium, and niobium, and has a perovskite structure. A Raman shift of peaks assigned to A.sub.1g obtained by performing Raman spectroscopic analysis on a plurality of measurement regions is 400 cm.sup.−1 or more and 700 cm.sup.−1 or less. A difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the Raman shift among the peaks in the plurality of measurement regions is 11.0 cm.sup.−1 or less.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric substrate, the method including: forming an intermediate layer of Ti and a lower electrode of Pt oriented in a (111) axis direction on a substrate without heating the substrate; applying a coating liquid for forming an orientation control layer made of lead titanate onto the lower electrode; drying the coating liquid at a predetermined temperature to form an orientation control layer precursor made of lead titanate; applying a coating liquid for forming a piezoelectric thin film made of lead zirconate titanate; drying the coating liquid at a predetermined temperature to form a piezoelectric precursor made of a lead zirconate titanate precursor; and collectively firing the orientation control layer precursor and the piezoelectric precursor to crystallize both the precursors, to thereby form a piezoelectric thin film made of lead zirconate titanate preferentially oriented in a (110) plane.

A liquid ejecting head which includes a nozzle forming face onto which a nozzle portion from which liquid is ejected is formed to be open, in which a liquid repellent film including fluorine is formed on the nozzle forming face through a base film interposed therebetween, and a total thickness of the base film is 670 [nm] or less. In addition, a signal intensity of a molecular weight 301 in the liquid repellent film obtained by using a time-of-flight secondary ion mass analysis method is 0.00005 or more and 0.00020 or less, and is 0.00005 or more and 0.00015 or less, preferably.

There is provided a piezoelectric element which includes a first electrode which is formed on a substrate, a piezoelectric layer which is formed on the first electrode, and is formed from a compound oxide having an ABO.sub.3 type perovskite structure in which potassium (K), sodium (Na), niobium (Nb), and manganese (Mn) are provided, and a second electrode which is formed on the piezoelectric layer. The manganese includes bivalent manganese (Mn.sup.2+), trivalent manganese (Mn.sup.3+), and tetravalent manganese (Mn.sup.4+). A molar ratio (Mn.sup.2+/Mn.sup.3++Mn.sup.4+) of the bivalent manganese to a sum of the trivalent manganese and the tetravalent manganese is equal to or greater than 0.31.

A liquid discharge head includes a nozzle plate, a substrate, a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric element. The nozzle plate includes a nozzle from which liquid is discharged. The substrate is disposed on the nozzle plate and includes a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle. The diaphragm is disposed on a first side of the substrate opposite a second side of the substrate on which the nozzle plate is disposed, the diaphragm constituting one wall of the pressure chamber. The piezoelectric element is disposed on the diaphragm to deform the diaphragm to discharge liquid in the pressure chamber from the nozzle. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric film, and a second electrode. The first electrode is disposed on the diaphragm. The piezoelectric film is disposed on the first electrode.

A liquid discharge head includes a pressure chamber substrate that is provided with a plurality of pressure chambers, a piezoelectric body that is driven to apply pressure to liquid in the pressure chambers, an upper electrode that is provided above the piezoelectric body for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric body, a lower electrode that is provided below the piezoelectric body for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric body, a detection resistor that is provided below the piezoelectric body for detecting temperature of the liquid in the pressure chambers, and a first wiring portion that is electrically coupled to the detection resistor. The first wiring portion includes a first part that is extended above the piezoelectric body, and a second part that is provided in at least a part of a through hole penetrating the piezoelectric body and electrically coupled to the detection resistor.