Patent ID: 7950783

Claim:
An actuator device comprising: a substrate with a flat surface; a lower electrode formed on the flat surface of the substrate which includes a flat center portion and an inclined end portion which is inclined towards the flat surface of the substrate; a piezoelectric layer disposed above the lower electrode and the substrate, the piezoelectric layer comprising a plurality of columnar crystals and having a first piezoelectric layer portion, a second piezoelectric layer portion, and a third piezoelectric portion; and an upper electrode formed on a flat upper surface of the piezoelectric layer which is parallel to the flat surface of the substrate; wherein the first piezoelectric layer portion extends orthogonally from a surface of the flat portion of the lower electrode, the second piezoelectric layer portion extends orthogonally from a surface of the substrate, and the third piezoelectric layer portion disposed on the inclined portion between the first and second piezoelectric layer portions, each of the first piezoelectric layer portion, second piezoelectric layer portion, and third piezoelectric portions extending to a flat upper surface of the piezoelectric layer which is parallel to the flat surface of the substrate, wherein the alignment of the columnar crystals of the third piezoelectric layer portion extend orthogonally from a surface of the inclined portion of the lower electrode and are orthogonal to the surface of the substrate at the flat upper surface of the piezoelectric layer, and wherein grains of the columnar crystals of the third piezoelectric layer portion have widths that are larger than those of grains of the columnar crystals of the first and second piezoelectric layer portions at a boundary surface between the piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode.