Patent ID: 7943192

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type device comprising a thin ceramic substrate and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating portion disposed on the ceramic substrate, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive operation portion including a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film including a large number of crystal particles having a piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition, and an upper electrode film successively laminated on the ceramic substrate, the method comprising steps of: disposing and firing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition which satisfies the following conditions (1) as a layer on the lower electrode film to thereby form the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film; wherein the conditions (1) include preparing the piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition using one or more of a plurality of material compounds each excluding lead (Pb) and each including one or more alkali metal elements selected from the group consisting of lithium (Li), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) and one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), antimony (Sb), and silver (Ag), wherein an amount of the material compound is larger than a theoretical necessary amount calculated from a general formula representing the piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition of the crystal particles contained in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film; wherein at least one of the alkali metal element and the metal element diffuses into the ceramic substrate; and wherein each of the material compounds include 0.1 to 25 mass % more of the alkali metal element and the metal element compared with the corresponding theoretical necessary amount of the alkali metal element and the metal element.