Patent ID: 7083270

Claim:
A piezoelectric element, comprising: a first electrode layer; a piezoelectric layer provided on the first electrode layer; and a second electrode layer provided on the piezoelectric layer, wherein: the first electrode layer is made of an alloyed noble metal containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, manganese and copper; the piezoelectric layer is made of a rhombohedral or tetragonal perovskite oxide that is preferentially oriented along a (001) plane; and a portion of the piezoelectric layer that is closer to the first electrode layer has a structure in which a (001)-oriented region extends over the at least one metal in a portion of a surface of the first electrode layer that is closer to the piezoelectric layer, and a cross-sectional area of the (001)-oriented region taken along a plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the piezoelectric layer gradually increases in a direction away from the first electrode layer toward the second electrode layer; wherein the at least one metal forms a pattern in the first electrode to control a growth direction of the piezoelectric layer.