A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed of a first piezoelectric film which is formed on the first electrode and which includes potassium, sodium, and niobium and a plurality of second piezoelectric films which are formed on the first piezoelectric film and which include potassium, sodium, and niobium, and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, in which the piezoelectric layer is a stack of a plurality of piezoelectric films, the first piezoelectric film has a thickness of 30 nm to 70 nm, a concentration of sodium in each of the piezoelectric films is along a gradient in the film thickness direction with the first electrode side being high and the second electrode side being low.

An apparatus for transferring bio-ink onto a target having a slide defining a receiving area of a film of fluid containing inhomogeneities, a laser source associated with controlled diversion means and an optical block for focusing in a plane of the fluid film in order to apply a local pulse, wherein the apparatus also comprises imaging means and means for analyzing images in order to recognize the geometric positions of the inhomogeneities in the film, and an observable feature of each of the inhomogeneities (size, shape factor, type of particles, age of the particle, density, type of biomaterial, molecule, etc.) recognized by the appropriate analysis means. The apparatus further comprises selection means for selecting at least one of the inhomogeneous areas, and means for controlling the diversion in order to direct the laser beam toward the position of the inhomogeneous area and trigger the firing of the laser.

A nozzle plate includes, on a substrate: at least a base layer; an intermediate layer; and a liquid repellent layer. The base layer contains a silane coupling agent A having reactive functional groups at both terminals and including a hydrocarbon chain and a benzene ring at an intermediate part. The intermediate layer contains an inorganic oxide. The liquid repellent layer contains a fluorine (F)-containing coupling agent B.

An Inkjet printer includes: an inkjet printhead having an exposed corrodible structure containing silicon nitride, borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) or silicon oxide; and an ink reservoir containing said ink which is in fluid communication with said printhead. The ink includes: water; a dye; and a metal additive for minimizing corrosion of the exposed structure.

There is provided a piezoelectric material not containing any lead component, having stable piezoelectric characteristics in an operating temperature range, a high mechanical quality factor, and satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics. The piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide that can be expressed using the following general formula (1), and subcomponents containing Mn, Li, and Bi. When the metal oxide is 100 parts by weight, the content of Mn on a metal basis is not less than 0.04 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.36 parts by weight, content α of Li on a metal basis is not less than 0.0013 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.0280 parts by weight, and content β of Bi on a metal basis is not less than 0.042 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.850 parts by weight
(Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-y-zZr.sub.ySn.sub.z)O.sub.3  (1)
(in the formula (1), 0.09≦x≦0.30, 0.074<y≦0.085, 0≦z≦0.02, and 0.986≦a≦1.02).

In order to provide a liquid ejection device capable of ejecting a minute liquid droplet with stability, an end surface of a first partition portion is fixed to a plate with a first adhesive layer, an end surface of a second partition portion is fixed to the plate with a second adhesive layer, and an elastic coefficient of the first adhesive layer is smaller than an elastic coefficient of the second adhesive layer.

Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having satisfactory piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a device driving temperature range (−30° C. to 50° C.) The piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula 1, a first auxiliary component composed of Mn, and a second auxiliary component composed of Bi or Bi and Li. The content of Mn is 0.040 parts by weight or more and 0.500 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. The content of Bi is 0.042 parts by weight or more and 0.850 parts by weight or less and the content of Li is 0.028 parts by weight or less (including 0 parts by weight) based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 . . . (1), wherein, 0.030≦x<0.090, 0.030≦y≦0.080, and 0.9860≦a≦1.0200.

Provided is a piezoelectric film formed by a vapor phase growth method, the piezoelectric film containing:

a perovskite oxide in which a perovskite oxide represented by the following formula P is doped with Si in an amount of from 0.2 mol % to less than 0.5 mol %, wherein a ratio of a peak intensity of a pyrochlore phase to a sum of peak intensities in respective plane orientations of (100), (001), (110), (101) and (111) of a perovskite phase measured by an X-ray diffraction method is 0.25 or less:

A.sub.1+δ[(Zr.sub.xTi.sub.1−a).sub.1−aNb.sub.a]O.sub.y  Formula P

wherein, in formula P, A is an A-site element primarily containing Pb; Zr, Ti, and Nb are B-site elements; x is more than 0 but less than 1; a is 0.1 or more but less than 0.3.

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.

According to one embodiment, a control circuit for an inkjet head or the like includes an input circuit configured to receive drive information for driving liquid ejection from a plurality of nozzle arrays. The drive information includes a drive signal value to be supplied to a channel of the plurality of nozzle arrays. A latch circuit array of the control circuit has latch circuits for storing the drive information for each array in the plurality of nozzle arrays. A setting register is configured to receive a setting value to configure the input circuit to correspond to a connection mode for the plurality of latch circuits. The setting value corresponds to the number of arrays in the plurality of nozzle arrays.