Patent ID: 7052732

Claim:
A method for producing a piezoelectric element comprising the steps of: providing a ceramic substrate; superposing a piezoelectric material on one of said ceramic substrate and an electrode formed on said ceramic substrate, said piezoelectric material having a piezoelectric ceramic composition comprising a PbMg 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 —PbZrO 3 —PbTiO 3 ternary system solid solution composition as a main component, represented by a general formula of Pb x (Mg y/3 Nb 2/3 ) a Ti b Zr c O 3 , wherein 0.95≦x≦1.05; 0.8≦y≦1.0, and a, b and c are decimals in a range of (a,b,c)=(0.550, 0.425, 0.025), (0.550, 0.325, 0.125), (0.375, 0.325, 0.300), (0.100, 0.425, 0.475), (0.100, 0.475, 0.425) and (0.375, 0.425, 0.200), in coordinates having coordinate axes of said a, b and c values, wherein a+b+c=1.00, said piezoelectric composition also including 0.05 to 10.0 mass % of NiO; providing a container defining a space having a volume and including an atmosphere, said atmosphere comprising an atmosphere-controlling material having the same composition as said piezoelectric material and including 0.03 to 0.5 mg/cm 3 of NiO per unit volume of said space; and subjecting said superposed piezoelectric material to a thermal treatment in said atmosphere.