Actuator, liquid ejection head, liquid ejection unit, and liquid ejection device

Abstract

To provide an actuator which enables improvement of reliability, and to provide a liquid discharge head and a liquid discharge device.SOLUTION: An actuator 10 includes: a deformable thin film member 102 having an opening 102a; and a piezoelectric element 103 disposed around the opening 102a on one surface side of the thin film member 102. Further, an insulator film 115 which covers the piezoelectric element 103 is provided. The surface side of the insulator film 115 is provided with a protection film 119 which covers the insulator film 115 including electrode wirings 116, 117 connected to the piezoelectric element 103. An adhesion improvement film 118 is interposed at least between the electrode wirings 116, 117 and the protection film 119.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an actuator, a liquid ejection head, a liquid ejection unit, and an apparatus for ejecting liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] As a liquid ejection head, for example, there is a type in which a piezoelectric element that bends and deforms is provided on a deformable nozzle plate having nozzles that eject liquid, and by deforming the nozzle plate, liquid in a liquid chamber is pressurized and the liquid is ejected from the nozzle.

[0003] For example, a known device includes a substrate having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a cylindrical hole connecting the first surface and the second surface, and a nozzle plate that is laminated with the first surface of the substrate to block one end of the hole to form a pressure chamber, and that has a vibration plate with a nozzle that communicates with the pressure chamber and a drive element that deforms the vibration plate when voltage is applied to change the volume of the pressure chamber, and has an insulating film on the surface of the drive element and a protective film on the surface of the insulating film (Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-186842 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-047429 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when a protective film is formed on the insulating film of an electromechanical transducer, there is a problem that the adhesion (bonding) between the insulating film and the protective film decreases.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention Claim 1 The actuator according to a deformable thin film member having an opening; an electromechanical conversion element disposed around the opening of the thin film member and deforming the thin film member; an insulating film is provided to cover the electromechanical transducer; a protective film is provided on the surface side of the insulating film, covering the surface including the electrode wiring connected to the electromechanical conversion element; An adhesion improving film is interposed at least between the electrode wiring and the protective film. And, a barrier layer having a lower moisture permeability than the protective film is provided on a surface of the insulating film and a surface of the electrode wiring; The adhesion improving film is provided on the barrier layer. The composition was as follows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, reliability can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a liquid ejection head according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] 2A to 2C are cross-sectional explanatory views illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid ejection head according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the process following FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a liquid ejection head according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a plan view illustrating a main part of an example of a device for discharging a liquid according to the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating a main part of another example of a liquid ejection unit according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating still another example of a liquid discharge unit according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating another example of the device for discharging liquid according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection head according to the embodiment, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1.

[0011] The liquid ejection head 1 has a plurality of actuators 10 and a liquid chamber forming member 20.

[0012] The actuator 10 has a thin film member 102 that serves as a deformable nozzle plate / vibration plate having an opening 102a that forms a nozzle 101 for ejecting liquid, and a piezoelectric element 103 that serves as a ring-shaped electromechanical conversion element that is arranged on one surface of the thin film member 102 around the opening 102a.

[0013] The piezoelectric element 103 is formed by sequentially laminating a lower electrode 111, a piezoelectric film 112 as an electromechanical transducer film, and an upper electrode 113 on one surface of the thin film member 102. An insulating film 115 covering the piezoelectric element 103 is then provided.

[0014] In the piezoelectric element 103, an opening is made in the insulating film 115, and an electrode wiring 116 is connected to the lower electrode 111 as a lower electrode lead wiring, and an electrode wiring 117 is connected to the upper electrode 113 as an upper electrode lead wiring.

[0015] Furthermore, an adhesion-improving film 118 is formed on the surface of the insulating film 115 of the piezoelectric element 103, including the surfaces of the electrode wirings 116 and 117, and a protective film 119 is formed on this adhesion-improving film 118. In other words, the protective film 119 is provided on the surface side of the insulating film 115, covering the electrode wirings 116 and 117 connected to the piezoelectric element 103, and the adhesion-improving film 118 is interposed between at least the electrode wirings 116 and 117 and the protective film 119.

[0016] The adhesion improving film 118 is a layer that has the function of increasing the adhesiveness (adhesion) between the protective film 119 and the electrode wirings 116 and 117 compared to when the protective film 119 is formed directly on the surfaces of the electrode wirings 116 and 117 .

[0017] Here, the insulating film 115 is an SiO2 film, the protective film 119 is a resin film using benzocyclobutene (BCB), and the adhesion improving film 118 is an SiO2 film.

[0018] A liquid chamber forming member 20 is joined to the other surface of the thin layer member 102 of the actuator 10, and the liquid chamber forming member 20 forms a liquid chamber 201 to which the nozzle 101 (opening 102a) communicates. The portion of the thin layer member 102 facing the liquid chamber 201 becomes a displaceable portion 121.

[0019] With this configuration, the adhesion between the protective film 119 made of benzocyclobutene (BCB) and the electrode wirings 116 and 117 can be improved.

[0020] That is, in this embodiment, the protective film 119 is formed as the uppermost layer film using benzocyclobutene (BCB), which has high chemical resistance, low moisture absorption, high heat resistance, high planarization properties, and high liquid repellency. However, if the protective film 119 made of BCB is formed directly on the base layer, it is difficult to ensure sufficient adhesion with the wiring material.

[0021] In particular, the aluminum wiring that forms the electrode wirings 116 and 117 arranged in the displaceable portion 121 and the protective film 119 are displaced when the actuator 10 is driven. This causes stress, and if the adhesion between the protective film 119 and the electrode wirings 116 and 117 is insufficient, they may peel off at the interface, preventing them from fulfilling their liquid ejection function or making it impossible to ensure reliability.

[0022] However, the adhesiveness of the interface of the BCB protective film 119 is significantly affected by the underlying material. To ensure sufficient adhesiveness, it is necessary to form a covalent bond between the protective film 119 and the underlying material.

[0023] In the case of an SiO2 film used as the insulating film 115 covering the piezoelectric element 103, if the underlying surface is clean, it can form a strong siloxane bond (-O-Si-O-) with the protective film 119, but its adhesion to the metal material (here, aluminum wiring) that forms the electrode wiring 116, 117 is inferior to its adhesion to the insulating film 115.

[0024] Therefore, by forming an SiO2 film as the adhesion improving layer 118 on the surfaces of the electrode wirings 116 and 117, it is possible to form a strong covalent bond (siloxane bond) with the protective film 119, similar to the insulating film 115. That is, in this embodiment, the entire surface of the film that comes into contact with the protective film 119, including the electrode wirings 116 and 117, is made of an SiO2 film as the adhesion improving layer 118.

[0025] The thickness of the adhesion improving film 118 is preferably 10 nm or less because it affects the rigidity of the thin layer member 102 .

[0026] The adhesion improving film 118 can be formed by sputtering, vapor deposition, ALD, etc., but from the viewpoint of functionality, ALD is preferred in terms of thin film formation, step coverage, film quality stability, and film thickness uniformity.

[0027] Furthermore, the BCB film used as the protective film 119 has excellent low moisture absorption properties as a resin, but its functionality is inferior to that of inorganic materials. Therefore, by providing a barrier layer such as an Al2O3 film or SiN film with lower moisture permeability than the protective film 119 on the surface of the base layer (insulating film 115, electrode wiring 116, 117), and then providing an adhesion improving film 118 on this barrier layer, it is possible to further improve reliability.

[0028] The insulating film 115 is not limited to an SiO2 film, and an SiN film or the like can also be used. In this case, as in this embodiment, by providing an adhesion improving film 118 including the surface of the insulating film 115, the adhesion between the protective film 119 and the underlayer can be improved.

[0029] Next, an example of a manufacturing process for the liquid ejection head according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional explanatory views illustrating the process.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3(a), a silicon oxide film (SiO2 film) 301 having a thickness of 2 μm, which will become the thin film member 102, is formed by plasma CVD on a silicon substrate 300 having a crystal plane orientation (100) and a thickness of 625 μm, which will become the liquid chamber forming member 20.

[0031] Next, a TiO film as an adhesive layer with the SiO film 301 and Pt as an electrode are formed by sputtering to thicknesses of 50 nm and 120 nm, respectively, on the SiO film 301 as the lower electrode layer 302 that will become the lower electrode 111. The TiO film may be formed by forming Ti by sputtering and then oxidizing the Ti by RTA in an oxygen atmosphere.

[0032] Furthermore, a PZT film 303, which will become the piezoelectric film 112, is formed on the lower electrode layer 302 in multiple steps using, for example, spin coating, until it is finally formed to a thickness of 2 μm. On this PZT film 303, a Pt film is formed to a thickness of, for example, 100 nm using a sputtering method as an upper electrode layer 304, which will become the upper electrode 113. Here, the method for forming the PZT film 303 is not limited to spin coating, and other methods such as sputtering, ion plating, aerosol deposition, sol-gel deposition, or inkjet deposition may also be used.

[0033] 3(b), the upper electrode layer 304, the PZT film 303, and the lower electrode layer 302 are patterned by litho-etching to position the piezoelectric element 103 at a position corresponding to the liquid chamber 201 to be formed later. This forms the upper electrode 113, the piezoelectric film 112, and the lower electrode 111. Thereafter, a SiO2 film 305 is formed as the insulating film 115 to a thickness of, for example, 1 μm by plasma CVD.

[0034] Next, as shown in FIG. 3(c), the contact portion 123 that connects the lower electrode 111 and the electrode wiring 116 and the contact portion 123 that connects the upper electrode 113 and the electrode wiring 117 are formed on the SiO2 film 305 by litho-etching.

[0035] Thereafter, for example, TiN / Al films 306 and 307 are formed by sputtering to a thickness of 30 nm and 1 um, respectively, as the electrode wirings 116 and 117. Here, TiN is alloyed by the heat history in a later process due to direct contact between Pt, the material of the upper electrode 113 or lower electrode 111, and Al, the material of the lead wiring, at the bottom of the contact part 123, and is used as a barrier layer to prevent film peeling due to stress caused by volume change.

[0036] Then, the TiN / Al films 306 and 307 are formed into desired patterns by litho-etching, to form electrode wirings 116 and 117, respectively.

[0037] Thereafter, an SiO2 film 308 is formed as the adhesion improving film 118 to obtain sufficient adhesion with the protective film 119. The SiO2 film 308 is formed by, for example, an ALD method (atomic layer deposition) that can form a thin film with good step coverage and uniformity. The SiO2 film 308 has a thickness that does not inhibit the displacement of the displaceable portion 121. In addition, since it is sufficient that the protective film 119 and the adhesion improving film 118 are bonded by siloxane (-O-Si-O-), the SiO2 film 308 only needs to have one SiO2 molecular layer.

[0038] 4(a), a benzocyclobutene (BCB) film 309 is formed by spin coating to a thickness of 4 μm as the protective film 119. Then, in order to polymerize and harden the film, it is heat-treated in a nitrogen atmosphere at 250° C. for 1 hour.

[0039] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the silicon substrate 300 is polished to make the depth of the liquid chamber 201 to the required depth.

[0040] Next, to form the nozzle 101, a resist pattern is formed by lithography, and the BCB film 309 that will become the protective film 119, the SiO2 film 308 that will become the adhesion improving film 118, the SiO2 film 305 that will become the insulating film 115, and the SiO2 film 301 that will become the thin film member 102 are etched. The etching is performed by dry etching, and the BCB film 309 is etched with O2 or CF4 / O2 gas using, for example, an RIE etcher or a high-density plasma etcher.

[0041] Then, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the liquid chamber 201 is opened in the silicon substrate 300 that will become the liquid chamber forming member 20 by etching.

[0042] In this way, the liquid ejection head 1 is formed.

[0043] In this liquid ejection head 1, the adhesion of the protective film 119 is ensured by the presence of an adhesion improving film 118 between the protective film 119 and the underlying layer (insulating film 115, electrode wiring 116, 117), thereby achieving high reliability.

[0044] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a liquid ejection head according to the second embodiment.

[0045] In this embodiment, a barrier layer 120 is provided between the adhesion improving film 118 and the underlayer (insulating layer 115, electrode wirings 116, 117). As the barrier layer 120, for example, a film such as Al2O3 or SiN can be used.

[0046] When BCB film 309 is used as protective film 119, it has excellent low moisture absorption properties as a resin, but its moisture permeability is relatively high compared to inorganic materials. Therefore, by providing barrier layer 120 that has better moisture resistance than protective film 119, i.e., lower moisture permeability, moisture that has permeated protective film 119 is blocked by barrier layer 120, thereby achieving even higher reliability.

[0047] In addition, in order to improve the adhesion between the adhesion improving layer 118 and the underlayer, a two-layer film of SiO2 / SiN or a two-layer film of Al2O3 / SiO2 can be provided instead of the barrier layer 120, resulting in an overall three-layer film structure.

[0048] Next, an example of a liquid ejection device according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is an explanatory plan view of the main parts of the device, and Figure 7 is an explanatory side view of the main parts of the device.

[0049] This device is a serial type device, and a carriage 403 is moved back and forth in the main scanning direction by a main scanning movement mechanism 493. The main scanning movement mechanism 493 includes a guide member 401, a main scanning motor 405, a timing belt 408, etc. The guide member 401 is hung between left and right side plates 491A and 491B, and movably holds the carriage 403. The main scanning motor 405 then moves the carriage 403 back and forth in the main scanning direction via a timing belt 408 hung between a drive pulley 406 and a driven pulley 407.

[0050] This carriage 403 is equipped with a liquid ejection unit 440 that integrates a liquid ejection head 1 according to the present invention and a head tank 441. The liquid ejection head 1 of the liquid ejection unit 440 ejects liquid of each color, for example, yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K). The liquid ejection head 1 is mounted with a nozzle row consisting of multiple nozzles arranged in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and the ejection direction facing downward.

[0051] A supply mechanism 494 for supplying the liquid stored outside the liquid ejection head 1 to the liquid ejection head 1 supplies the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 450 to the head tank 441 .

[0052] The supply mechanism 494 is composed of a cartridge holder 451 which is a filling section to which the liquid cartridge 450 is attached, a tube 456, a liquid delivery unit 452 including a liquid delivery pump, etc. The liquid cartridge 450 is detachably attached to the cartridge holder 451. The liquid is delivered from the liquid cartridge 450 to the head tank 441 by the liquid delivery unit 452 via the tube 456.

[0053] This device is provided with a transport mechanism 495 for transporting paper 410. The transport mechanism 495 includes a transport belt 412, which is a transport means, and a sub-scanning motor 416 for driving the transport belt 412.

[0054] The conveyor belt 412 attracts the paper 410 and conveys it at a position facing the liquid ejection head 1. The conveyor belt 412 is an endless belt that is stretched between a conveyor roller 413 and a tension roller 414. The paper can be attracted by electrostatic attraction or air suction.

[0055] The conveyor belt 412 moves in a circular motion in the sub-scanning direction when the conveyor roller 413 is rotationally driven by a sub-scanning motor 416 via a timing belt 417 and a timing pulley 418 .

[0056] Furthermore, a maintenance and recovery mechanism 420 for performing maintenance and recovery of the liquid ejection head 1 is disposed on one side of the conveyor belt 412 on one side of the carriage 403 in the main scanning direction.

[0057] The maintenance and recovery mechanism 420 is made up of, for example, a cap member 421 that caps the nozzle surface (the surface on which the nozzles are formed) of the liquid ejection head 1, a wiper member 422 that wipes the nozzle surface, and the like.

[0058] The main scanning movement mechanism 493, the supply mechanism 494, the maintenance and recovery mechanism 420, and the transport mechanism 495 are attached to a housing including side plates 491A and 491B and a back plate 491C.

[0059] In this device configured as described above, a sheet of paper 410 is fed onto and attracted to the conveyor belt 412, and the sheet of paper 410 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the circular movement of the conveyor belt 412.

[0060] Therefore, by driving the liquid ejection head 1 in accordance with an image signal while moving the carriage 403 in the main scanning direction, liquid is ejected onto the stationary paper 410 to form an image. do.

[0061] As described above, this device is equipped with the liquid ejection head according to the present invention, and therefore can stably form high-quality images.

[0062] Next, another example of a liquid discharge unit according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is an explanatory plan view of the main part of the unit.

[0063] This liquid ejection unit is composed of the components that make up the device for ejecting the liquid, including a housing portion consisting of side plates 491A, 491B and a back plate 491C, a main scanning movement mechanism 493, a carriage 403, and a liquid ejection head 1.

[0064] It is also possible to configure a liquid discharge unit in which at least one of the maintenance and recovery mechanism 420 and the supply mechanism 494 described above is further attached to, for example, the side plate 491B of this liquid discharge unit.

[0065] Next, still another example of a liquid discharge unit according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is an explanatory front view of the unit.

[0066] This liquid discharge unit is composed of a liquid discharge head 1 to which a flow path part 444 is attached, and a tube 456 connected to the flow path part 444 .

[0067] The flow path part 444 is disposed inside the cover 442. A head tank 441 may be included instead of the flow path part 444. A connector 443 for electrically connecting with the liquid ejection head 1 is provided on the upper part of the flow path part 444.

[0068] Next, another example of a liquid ejection device according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a perspective explanatory view of the device.

[0069] In this device, a Y-axis driving means 501 is placed on a stand 500, and a stage 503 carrying an object 502 is set on the Y-axis driving means 501, and the stage 503 is moved back and forth in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis driving means 501.

[0070] In addition, an X-axis driving means 505 is attached to the X-axis support member 504, and a head base 507 mounted on a Z-axis driving means 506 is attached to this, so that the head base 507 is moved in the X-axis and Z-axis directions.

[0071] One or more liquid ejection heads 1 according to the present invention for ejecting liquid are mounted on the head base 507, and liquid is supplied from a liquid storage section via supply means 509.

[0072] By including the liquid ejection head according to the present invention, it is possible to eject liquid with high ejection efficiency.

[0073] In the present application, the liquid to be ejected may have a viscosity and surface tension that allows it to be ejected from the head, and is not particularly limited, but preferably has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and normal pressure, or upon heating or cooling. More specifically, the liquid may be a solution, suspension, emulsion, or the like containing a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a colorant such as a dye or pigment, a polymerizable compound, a resin, a surfactant, or the like, a biocompatible material such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, or calcium, or an edible material such as a natural colorant, and the like. These liquids can be used, for example, as inkjet inks, surface treatment liquids, liquids for forming components of electronic devices or light-emitting elements, or electronic circuit resist patterns, and material liquids for 3D modeling.

[0074] Energy sources for ejecting liquid include piezoelectric actuators (laminated piezoelectric elements and thin-film piezoelectric elements), thermal actuators that use electrothermal conversion elements such as heating resistors, and electrostatic actuators consisting of a vibration plate and an opposing electrode.

[0075] The term "liquid ejection unit" includes a combination of a liquid ejection head and at least one of a head tank, a carriage, a supply mechanism, a maintenance and recovery mechanism, and a main scanning movement mechanism.

[0076] Here, "integrated" includes, for example, a liquid ejection head and a functional part or mechanism that are fixed to each other by fastening, bonding, engaging, etc., or one that is held movably relative to the other. The liquid ejection head, functional part, or mechanism may also be configured to be detachable from each other.

[0077] For example, some liquid ejection units have a liquid ejection head and a head tank integrated together, while others have a liquid ejection head and a head tank integrated together by being connected to each other by a tube, etc. Here, a unit including a filter can be added between the head tank and the liquid ejection head of these liquid ejection units.

[0078] Furthermore, there is a liquid ejection unit in which the liquid ejection head and the carriage are integrated.

[0079] In some liquid ejection units, the liquid ejection head is movably held by a guide member that constitutes part of the scanning movement mechanism, and the liquid ejection head and the scanning movement mechanism are integrated together. In other liquid ejection units, the liquid ejection head, the carriage, and the main scanning movement mechanism are integrated together.

[0080] Furthermore, there is a liquid ejection unit in which a cap member, which is part of the maintenance and recovery mechanism, is fixed to a carriage on which a liquid ejection head is attached, thereby integrating the liquid ejection head, carriage, and maintenance and recovery mechanism.

[0081] In some liquid ejection units, a tube is connected to a liquid ejection head equipped with a head tank or flow path components, integrating the liquid ejection head with a supply mechanism. Liquid is supplied from a liquid storage source to the liquid ejection head via this tube.

[0082] The main scanning movement mechanism includes the guide member alone, and the supply mechanism includes the tube alone and the loading unit alone.

[0083] "Liquid ejection devices" include devices that have a liquid ejection head or a liquid ejection unit and eject liquid by driving the liquid ejection head. Liquid ejection devices include not only devices that can eject liquid onto objects to which the liquid can adhere, but also devices that eject liquid into air or liquid.

[0084] This "liquid ejecting device" can also include means for feeding, transporting, and discharging items onto which liquid can be attached, as well as pre-processing devices and post-processing devices.

[0085] For example, examples of "liquid ejecting devices" include image forming devices that eject ink to form images on paper, and three-dimensional modeling devices (three-dimensional modeling devices) that eject modeling liquid onto a powder layer formed from layers of powder in order to create a three-dimensional object (a three-dimensional model).

[0086] Furthermore, the term "liquid ejection device" is not limited to devices that use ejected liquid to visualize meaningful images such as letters and figures. For example, it also includes devices that form patterns that have no meaning in themselves, and devices that create three-dimensional images.

[0087] The above-mentioned "object onto which a liquid can adhere" means an object onto which a liquid can adhere at least temporarily, an object onto which the liquid can adhere and stick, an object onto which the liquid can penetrate, etc. Specific examples include media such as paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic circuit boards, electronic components such as piezoelectric elements, powder layers, organ models, and test cells, and unless otherwise specified, includes all objects onto which a liquid can adhere.

[0088] The material of the "substance to which a liquid can adhere" may be any material to which a liquid can adhere, even temporarily, such as paper, thread, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, or ceramics.

[0089] Furthermore, the "liquid ejection device" may be a device in which a liquid ejection head and an object onto which liquid can be attached move relatively, but is not limited to this. Specific examples include a serial type device in which a liquid ejection head moves, and a line type device in which a liquid ejection head does not move.

[0090] Other examples of "liquid ejecting devices" include a treatment liquid application device that ejects a treatment liquid onto paper to apply the treatment liquid to the surface of the paper for purposes such as modifying the surface of the paper, and an injection granulation device that ejects a composition liquid in which raw materials are dispersed through a nozzle to granulate fine particles of the raw materials.

[0091] In the present application, the terms image formation, recording, printing, copying, printing, modeling, etc. are all synonymous. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1 Liquid ejection head 10 Actuator 20 Liquid chamber forming member 101 Nozzle 102 Thin film materials 102a aperture 103 Piezoelectric element 115 Insulating layer 116 Electrode wiring 117 Electrode wiring 118 Adhesion improvement film 119 Protective film 120 Barrier Layer 403 Carriage 404 Liquid ejection head 440 Liquid Dispensing Unit

Claims

1. a deformable thin film member having an opening; an electromechanical conversion element disposed around the opening of the thin film member and deforming the thin film member; an insulating film is provided to cover the electromechanical transducer; a protective film is provided on the surface side of the insulating film, covering the surface including the electrode wiring connected to the electromechanical conversion element; an adhesion improving film is interposed at least between the electrode wiring and the protective film; a barrier layer having a lower moisture permeability than the protective film is provided on a surface of the insulating film and a surface of the electrode wiring; The adhesion improving film is provided on the barrier layer. An actuator characterized by:

2. The adhesion improving film is made of SiO ２ It is a membrane 2. The actuator according to claim 1.

3. The thickness of the adhesion improving film is 10 nm or less.

3. The actuator according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The electromechanical transducer element is annular.

4. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a piezoelectric actuator.

5. An actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a liquid chamber communicating with the opening of the thin film member; A liquid ejection head characterized by:

6. A liquid ejection unit comprising the liquid ejection head according to claim 5.

7. The liquid ejection head is integrated with at least one of a head tank that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, a carriage that mounts the liquid ejection head, a supply mechanism that supplies liquid to the liquid ejection head, a maintenance and recovery mechanism that performs maintenance and recovery of the liquid ejection head, and a main scanning movement mechanism that moves the liquid ejection head in a main scanning direction. The liquid ejection unit according to claim 6 .

8. 8. A liquid ejection device comprising: a liquid ejection head according to claim 5; or a liquid ejection unit according to claim 6 or 7.

9. A deformable thin film member having an opening; an electromechanical conversion element disposed around the opening of the thin film member and deforming the thin film member; an insulating film is provided to cover the electromechanical transducer; a protective film is provided on the surface side of the insulating film, covering the surface including the electrode wiring connected to the electromechanical conversion element; an adhesion improving film is interposed at least between the electrode wiring and the protective film; The thickness of the adhesion improving film is 10 nm or less. An actuator characterized by:

Images