METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PIEZOELECTRIC ELEMENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element processing an epitaxially grown PZT (lead zirconate titanate) film at an appropriate etching rate. SOLUTION: The method includes the growing step of epitaxially growing the PZT film 15 on a first electrode film 11 and the processing step of processing the PZT film 15 into a desired form with an etchant after the growing step. The etchant contains at least one acid of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid such that CHC1+3.3CHNO3is at least 1 wt.% and not more than 10 wt.% when the weight concentrations of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid relative to the weight of the etchant are respectively CHC1and CHNO3and contains at least one fluorine compound of ammonium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride such that the weight concentration of a fluorine derived from ammonium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride relative to the weight of the etchant is at least 0.1 wt.% and not more than 1 wt.%. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT