A piezoelectric actuator includes a common electrode, an individual electrode, a first conductive pattern, a second conductive pattern, and a third conductive pattern. The first conductive pattern electrically connects to the common electrode. The second conductive pattern does not electrically connect to either the common electrode or the individual electrode. The third conductive pattern electrically connects to the individual electrode. The first conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern are opposite to each other relative to the second conductive pattern.

An inkjet head includes a channel unit and a piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuator includes a first piezoelectric plate, a first electrode, a second piezoelectric plate, a second electrode, and a conductive member. The first piezoelectric plate includes a first surface. The first electrode is disposed on the first surface, and includes a first extending portion. The second piezoelectric plate includes a second surface. The second electrode is disposed on the second surface, and includes a second extending portion. The conductive member includes a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion. The first conductive portion is disposed on the first surface. The second conductive portion is disposed on the second surface. The conductive portion covers, in a first direction, a spacing that is located between the first extending portion and the second extending portion in a second direction.

A liquid ejecting head includes a piezoelectric element and a vibrating plate configured to vibrate in response to actuation of the piezoelectric element, the vibrating plate including a first layer that contains SiO.sub.2 and a second layer that contains ZrO.sub.2 and that is stacked on the first layer. The second layer contains a first impurity element different from Zr, and the concentration of the first impurity element at an interface in contact with the first layer in the second layer is higher than the concentration of the first impurity element in an internal region that is included in the second layer and that is contiguous from the interface to the surface of the second layer.

Provided is a piezoelectric element in which a first electrode, a seed layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode are laminated on a substrate, in which the seed layer is a composite oxide containing at least Pb, Bi, Fe, and Ti.

A liquid discharge head includes a drive base, a flexible wiring substrate, and a mask plate. The drive base includes an array of nozzles on a surface of the drive base, a plurality of actuators corresponding to the array of nozzles, and a plurality of electrodes on the surface of the drive base and electrically connected to the plurality of actuators. The flexible wiring substrate is electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes. The mask plate covers a portion of the surface of the drive base, the plurality of electrodes, and an end portion of the flexible wiring substrate. The mask plate includes a recess portion facing the drive base.

A liquid ejecting head includes a driving substrate including a driving element configured to, in response to a signal from an external controller, expand or contract so that a liquid is discharged from a pressure chamber through a nozzle, and a connection portion connecting the driving element to a wiring substrate connectable to the external controller; a sealing member that covers the connection portion and a part of the wiring substrate; and a mask plate partially covering a part of the driving substrate including the connection portion and contacting the sealing member.

A piezoelectric element includes a first electrode disposed at a base body, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The piezoelectric layer includes a first piezoelectric layer containing a complex oxide having a perovskite structure that contains lead, zirconium, and titanium and a second piezoelectric layer containing a complex oxide having a perovskite structure that is denoted by formula (1) below. The first piezoelectric layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second piezoelectric layer and is preferentially oriented to (100) when the crystal structure of the first piezoelectric layer is assumed to be pseudo-cubic,
xPb(Mg,Nb)O.sub.3-yPbZrO.sub.3-zPbTiO.sub.3  (1)
where in formula (1), 0<x,y,z<1 and x+y+z=1.

A piezoelectric film includes a plurality of laminated main baking unit PZT layers. A first seed layer is present at a lower surface side of a lowermost main baking unit PZT layer. A second seed layer is interposed between two adjacent main baking unit PZT layers at an intermediate position between the lowermost main baking unit PZT layer and an uppermost main baking unit PZT layer.

A piezoelectric element includes: a first electrode provided on a base; a second electrode; and a piezoelectric layer that is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and that contains a complex oxide having a perovskite structure and including potassium, sodium, and niobium, where: a surface of the piezoelectric layer on a side of the second electrode is composed of faces of first grains and faces of second grains; a roughness height on the faces of the first grains is larger than a roughness height on the faces of the second grains; and an area occupied by the faces of the first grains is 10.0% or less on the surface of the piezoelectric layer.

A piezoelectric thin-film element includes a diaphragm plate on a substrate; a lower electrode on the diaphragm plate; a piezoelectric film on the lower electrode, the piezoelectric film containing Pb; and an upper electrode on the piezoelectric film. The diaphragm plate is a laminate in which a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer, and an amorphous layer containing a metal oxide to trap Pb of the piezoelectric film are laminated in turn on the substrate. The amorphous layer has a thickness of preventing Pb of the piezoelectric film from reaching the silicon nitride layer.