Patent ID: 7033001

Claim:
A piezoelectric element, comprising: a first electrode layer provided on a substrate; an orientation control layer provided on the first electrode layer; a piezoelectric layer provided on the orientation control layer; and a second electrode layer provided on the piezoelectric layer, wherein the first electrode layer is made of a noble metal containing titanium or titanium oxide, the orientation control layer is made of a cubic or tetragonal perovskite oxide that is preferentially oriented along a (100) or (001) plane, the piezoelectric layer is made of a rhombohedral or tetragonal perovskite oxide that is preferentially oriented along a (001) plane, and in the vicinity of one surface of the orientation control layer that is closer to the first electrode layer, a (100)- or (001)-oriented region extends over titanium or titanium oxide located on one surface of the first electrode layer that is closer to the orientation control layer, and the cross-sectional area of the (100)- or (001)-oriented region in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction gradually increases in the direction away from the first electrode layer toward the piezoelectric layer.