1460756816-14d3a9bd-998d-48b1-9624-fc9a7ebf4a26

1. An ink jet recording head comprising:
an elastic sheet facing pressure generating chambers;
nozzle orifices communicating with the pressure generating chambers;
piezoelectric vibrators formed on the elastic sheet, each of the piezoelectric vibrators having,
a lower electrode formed on the elastic sheet,
a piezoelectric layer formed on the lower electrode, and
an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer such that the upper electrode faces a respective pressure generating chamber, wherein the upper electrodes of the piezoelectric vibrators are positioned independently of each other;

an insulator layer having windows, wherein the insulator layer is formed on a portion of the upper electrodes; and
a conductor pattern connecting with the upper electrodes through the windows of the insulator layer.
8. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 7, wherein the conductor pattern is formed on a lateral side of the upper electrode between the pressure generating chambers and connected to said upper electrode at more than one site through the windows.
9. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 7, wherein the windows extend to a peripheral edge of each of the piezoelectric layers such that the windows do not interfere with the displacement of the vibrating region of the piezoelectric layer.
10. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 7, wherein the insulator layer is made of either one of a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride and an organic material.
11. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 10, wherein the insulator layer is made of a polyimide.
12. An ink-jet recording head according to claim 7, wherein the insulator layer is formed of an etchant resistant film which is used as a protective film at etching.
13. A method of forming an ink jet recording head, comprising an elastic sheet facing pressure generating chambers, nozzle orifices communicating with the pressure generating chambers, and piezoelectric vibrators formed on the elastic sheet by a film deposition technique, said method comprising:
forming a lower electrode on the elastic sheet;
defining a first area in a longitudinal direction of each of the pressure generating chambers;
defining a second area in a width direction of each of the pressure generating chambers;
forming a piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode; and
forming an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer,
wherein an area where said lower electrode, said piezoelectric layer and said upper electrode overlap is located within said first area, and
an area of each of said pressure generating chambers is gradually increased in the longitudinal direction away from said area of overlap.
14. A method of forming the ink jet recording head of claim 13, wherein the piezoelectric layer is formed in each of the pressure generating chambers.
15. A method of forming the ink jet recording head of claim 13, wherein the upper electrode is formed in a substantially same shape as the piezoelectric layer.
16. A method of forming the ink jet recording head according to claim 13, said method further comprising:
forming, on a portion of the upper electrodes, an insulator layer having windows; and
forming a conductor pattern connecting with the upper electrodes through the windows of the insulator layer.
17. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 16, wherein the conductor pattern is formed on a lateral side of the upper electrode between the pressure generating chambers and connected to said upper electrode at more than one site through the windows.
18. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 16, wherein the windows extend to a peripheral edge of each of the piezoelectric layers such that the windows do not interfere with the displacement of the vibrating region of the piezoelectric layer.
19. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 16, wherein the insulator layer is made of either one of a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride and an organic material.
20. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 19, wherein the organic material of the insulator layer is polyimide.
21. A method of forming the ink jet recording head according to claim 13, said method further comprising:
forming, on a portion of the upper electrodes, an insulator layer having windows; and
forming a conductor pattern connecting with the upper electrodes through the windows of the insulator layer,
wherein the piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode are formed entirely inside of areas facing the respective pressure generating chamber.
22. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 21, wherein the conductor pattern is formed on a lateral side of the upper electrode between the pressure generating chambers and connected to said upper electrode at more than one site through the windows.
23. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 21, wherein the windows extend to a peripheral edge of each of the piezoelectric layers such that the windows do not interfere with the displacement of the vibrating region of the piezoelectric layer.
24. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 21, wherein the insulator layer is made of either one of a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride and an organic material.
25. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 24, wherein the organic material of the insulator layer is polyimide.
26. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 21, wherein the insulator layer is formed of an etchant resistant film which is used as a protective film at etching.
27. A method of forming the ink jet recording head of claim 13, further comprising forming said pressure generating chambers in a silicon substrate.
28. A method of forming an ink jet recording head, comprising
an elastic sheet facing pressure generating chambers, nozzle orifices communicating with the pressure generating chambers, and piezoelectric vibrators formed on the elastic sheet, said method comprising:
forming a lower electrode on the elastic sheet;
forming a piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode;
forming an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer such that the upper electrode faces a respective pressure generating chamber, wherein the upper electrodes of the piezoelectric vibrators are positioned independently of each other;

forming on a portion of the upper electrodes, an insulator layer having windows; and
forming a conductor pattern connecting with the upper electrodes through the windows of the insulator layer.
29. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 28, wherein the conductor pattern is formed on a lateral side of the upper electrode between the pressure generating chambers and connected to said upper electrode at more than one site through the windows.
30. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 28, wherein the windows extend to a peripheral edge of each of the piezoelectric layers such that the windows do not interfere with the displacement of the vibrating region of the piezoelectric layer.
31. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 28, wherein the insulator layer is made of either one of a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride and an organic material.
32. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 31, wherein the organic material of the insulator layer is polyimide.
33. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 28, wherein the insulator layer is formed of an etchant resistant film which is used as a protective film at etching.
34. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 16, wherein the insulator layer is formed of an etchant resistant film which is used as a protective film at etching.
35. A method of forming an ink jet recording head, comprising
an elastic sheet facing pressure generating chambers, nozzle orifices communicating with the pressure generating chambers, and piezoelectric vibrators formed on the elastic sheet, said method comprising:
forming a lower electrode on the elastic sheet;
forming a piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode;
forming an upper electrode on the piezoelectric layer such that the upper electrode faces the respective pressure generating chamber, wherein the piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode are formed entirely inside of areas facing the respective pressure generating chamber;
forming, on a portion of the upper electrodes, an insulator layer having windows; and
forming a conductor pattern connecting with the upper electrodes through the windows of the insulator layer.
36. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 35, wherein the conductor pattern is formed on a lateral side of the upper electrode between the pressure generating chambers and connected to said upper electrode at more than one site through the windows.
37. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 35, wherein the windows extend to a peripheral edge of each of the piezoelectric layers such that the windows do not interfere with the displacement of the vibrating region of the piezoelectric layer.
38. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 35, wherein the insulator layer is made of either one of a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride and an organic material.
39. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 38, wherein the organic material of the insulator layer is polyimide.
40. A method of forming the ink-jet recording head according to claim 35, wherein the insulator layer is formed of an etchant resistant film which is used as a protective film at etching.
41. An ink-jet recording head comprising:
an elastic sheet facing pressure generating chambers;
nozzle orifices communicating with the pressure generating chambers;
piezoelectric vibrators formed on the elastic sheet, each of the piezoelectric vibrators comprising:
a lower electrode formed on the elastic sheet,
a piezoelectric layer formed on the lower electrode, and
an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer such that the upper electrode faces a respective pressure generating chamber, wherein the upper electrodes of the piezoelectric vibrators are positioned independently of each other;

an insulator layer having windows, wherein the insulator layer is formed on a portion of the upper electrode; and
a conductor pattern connecting with the upper electrodes through the windows of the insulator layer.
42. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 41, wherein the conductor pattern is formed on a lateral side of the upper electrode between the pressure generating chambers and connected to said upper electrode at more than one site through the windows.
43. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 41, wherein the windows extend to a peripheral edge of each of the piezoelectric layers such that the windows do not interfere with the displacement of the vibrating region of the piezoelectric layer.
44. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 41, wherein the insulator layer is made of either one of a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride and an organic material.
45. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 44, wherein the insulator layer is made of a polyimide.
46. The ink-jet recording head according to claim 41, wherein the insulator layer is formed of an etchant-resistant film which is used as a protective film at etching.
47. An ink-jet recording head comprising:
an elastic sheet facing pressure generating chambers;
nozzle orifices communicating with the pressure generating chambers;
piezoelectric vibrators formed on the elastic sheet, each of the piezoelectric vibrators comprising:
a lower electrode formed on the elastic sheet,
a piezoelectric layer formed on the lower electrode, and
an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer such that the upper electrode faces the respective pressure generating chamber, wherein the piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode are formed entirely inside of areas facing the respective pressure generating chamber;

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of detecting defects in a plurality of features on a semiconductor device, each of the features being designed to have a particular potential when scanned with an electron beam, the method comprising:
providing a first and second image of a first and second set of feature portions, respectively, generated as a result of scanning an electron beam over the first and second set of feature portions, wherein the first set of feature portions are designed to be substantially identical to the second set of feature portions when there is no defect present;
subtracting the first image from a second image to generate a difference image; and
when the difference image has a significantly sized defect that represents a difference between the first set of feature portions and the second set of feature portions, determining whether the defect is an electrical defect or a physical defect.
2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining whether the defect is an electrical or physical defect is accomplished by:
determining that the defect indicates an electrical defect when the defect has about a same aspect ratio as a one of the scanned feature portions, and
determining that the difference feature indicates a physical defect when the defect has a different aspect ratio than a one of the scanned feature portions.
3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the features include a plurality of conductive lines and the conductive lines are designed to include a plurality of lines at a grounded potential interleaved and are arranged parallel with a plurality of lines at a floating potential.
4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein an electrical defect is found when two adjacent conductive lines have a same potential when scanned with the electron beam.
5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the scanned feature portions are a plurality of end stub portions of the conductive lines.
6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein each end stub portion has a substantially same aspect ratio.
7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
determining that the electrical defect is a short when the defect has a first brightness value; and
determining that the electrical defect is an open when the defect has a second brightness value.
8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first brightness value is higher than the second brightness value.
9. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:
when an electrical defect is found, scanning the electron beam along the defective feature perpendicular to the first scan to form a plurality of images of portions of the defective feature not scanned in the first scan and one or more features adjacent to the defective feature;
subtracting a first image of the defective feature from a second image of the defective feature to obtain a difference image, wherein the defective feature is designed to have a first portion having a bright appearance and a second portion having a dark appearance when there is an open defect present within the defective feature;
when the difference image of the defective feature has a significantly sized second defect that represents a difference between the first and second image of the defective feature, determining whether the second defect represents a location of the electrical defect or a physical defect.
10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein determining whether the second defect represents a location of the electrical defect or a physical defect is accomplished by:
determining that the second defect represents a location of the electrical defect and that the electrical defect is an open when the second defect would be adjacent to a dark and bright portion of the defective feature if the difference image were overlaid with the first or second image;
determining that the second defect represents a location of the electrical defect and that the electrical defect is a short defect when the second defect would not be adjacent to a dark and bright portion of the defective feature and the second defect touches two adjacent features if the difference image were overlaid with the first or second image; and
determining that the second defect represents a location of a physical defect when the second defect would not be adjacent to a dark and bright portion of the defective feature and the second defect does not touch two adjacent features if the difference image were overlaid with the first or second image.
11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the physical defect is selected from a group consisting of a bump in a feature edge, an uneven feature edge, an indentation in a feature edge, and a hole within an interior of the feature.
12. An inspection system for detecting defects in a plurality of features on a semiconductor device, each of the features being designed to have a particular potential when scanned with an electron beam, the system comprising:
beam generator for generating an electron beam;
a detector for detecting electrons; and
a controller arranged to:
cause the beam generator to scan an electron beam over a first and a second set of feature portions, wherein the first set is designed be substantially identical to the second set of feature portions when there is no defect present;
generate a first image of the first set of feature portions and a second image of the second set of feature portions from electrons detected by the detector emitted from the scanned feature portions in response to the scanned electron beam;
subtract the first image from the second image to generate a difference image;
when the difference image has a significantly sized defect feature that represents a difference between the first set of feature portions and the second set of feature portions and the defect feature has about a same aspect ratio as a one of the scanned feature portions, determine that the defect feature indicates an electrical defect within the scanned features; and
when the difference image has a significantly sized defect feature that represents a difference between the first set of feature portions and the second set of feature portions and the defect feature has a different aspect ratio than a one of the scanned feature portions, determine that the difference feature indicates a physical defect.
13. An inspection system as recited in claim 12, wherein the features include a plurality of conductive lines, wherein the conductive lines are designed to include a plurality of lines at a grounded potential interleaved and arranged parallel with a plurality of lines at a floating potential.
14. An inspection system as recited in claim 13, wherein an electrical defect is found when two adjacent conductive lines have a same potential when scanned with the electron beam.
15. An inspection system as recited in claim 14, wherein the scanned feature portions are a plurality of end stub portions of the conductive lines.
16. An inspection system as recited in claim 15, wherein each end stub portion has a substantially same aspect ratio.
17. An inspection system as recited in claim 12, the controller further arranged to:
determine that the electrical defect is a short when the difference potential is a first value; and
determine that the electrical defect is a short when the difference potential is a second value.
18. An inspection system as recited in claim 17, the controller further arranged to:
when an electrical defect is found, cause the electron beam to scan along the defective feature perpendicular to the first scan to form a plurality of images of portions of the defective feature not scanned in the first scan and one or more features adjacent to the defective feature;
subtract a first image of the defective feature from a second image of the defective feature to obtain a difference image, wherein the defective feature is designed to have a first portion having a bright appearance and a second portion having a dark appearance when there is an open defect present within the defective feature;
when the difference image has a significantly sized defect feature that represents a difference between the first and second image of the defective feature and the defect feature would be adjacent to a dark and bright portion of the defective feature if the difference image were overlaid with the first or second image, determine that the defect feature is an open;
when the difference image has a significantly sized defect feature that represents a difference between the first and second image of the defective feature and the defect feature would not be adjacent to a dark and bright portion of the defective feature and the defect feature touches two adjacent features if the difference image were overlaid with the first or second image, determine that the defect feature is a short defect; and
when the difference image has a significantly sized defect feature that represents a difference between the first and second image of the defective feature and the defect feature would not be adjacent to a dark and bright portion of the defective feature and the defect feature does not touch two adjacent features if the difference image were overlaid with the first or second image, determine that the defect feature is a physical defect
19. An inspection system as recited in claim 12, wherein the physical defect is selected from a group consisting of a bump in a feature edge, an uneven feature edge, an indentation in a feature edge, and a hole within an interior of the feature.
20. A computer program product for detecting defects in a plurality of features on a semiconductor device, each of the features being designed to have a particular potential when scanned with an electron beam, the computer program product comprising:
at least one computer readable medium;
computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product configured to cause the inspection system to:
provide a first and second image of a first and second set of feature portions, respectively, generated as a result of scanning an electron beam over the first and second set of feature portions, wherein the first set of feature portions are designed be substantially identical to the second set of feature portions when there is no defect present;
subtract the first image from a second image to generate a difference image;
when the difference image has a significantly sized defect that represents a difference between the first set of feature portions and the second set of feature portions and the defect has about a same aspect ratio as a one of the scanned feature portions, determine that the defect indicates an electrical defect within the scanned features; and
when the difference image has a significantly sized defect that represents a difference between the first set of feature portions and the second set of feature portions and the defect has a different aspect ratio than a one of the scanned feature portions, determine that the defect indicates a physical defect.