Methods for purifying reaction precursors used in the synthesis of inorganic compounds and methods for synthesizing inorganic compounds from the purified precursors are provided. Also provided are methods for purifying the inorganic compounds and methods for crystallizing the inorganic compounds from a melt. γ and X-ray detectors incorporating the crystals of the inorganic compounds are also provided.

The invention relates to sulfonated aminomethylated chelate resins, to a method for producing same, to the use thereof for obtaining and purifying metals, in particular rare earth metals, from aqueous solutions and organic liquids, and for producing highly pure silicon.

This application discloses the method for separating element or isotopes such as protactinium and gallium and isotopes thereof from a corresponding mixture which method comprises contacting the mixture with a carbon-based separation material, wherein the carbon-based separation material selectively associates with the element or isotope thereof.

A fluorescent material has a composition represented by (Gd.sub.1−α−β−γR.sub.αCe.sub.βTb.sub.γ).sub.3+a(Al.sub.1−u−vGa.sub.uSc.sub.v).sub.5−bO.sub.12, wherein: R is at least one of Y and Lu; a, b, α, β, γ, u and v satisfy ranges below: 0≦a≦0.1, 0≦b≦0.1, 0≦α≦0.8, 0.0003≦β≦0.005, 0.02≦γ≦0.2, 0.27≦u≦0.75, and 0≦v≦0.02; a relative density is 99% or more; and an effective atomic number is 35 or more and 60 or less.

To provide an oxide semiconductor with a novel structure. Such an oxide semiconductor is composed of an aggregation of a plurality of InGaZnO.sub.4 crystals each of which is larger than or equal to 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 3 nm, and in the oxide semiconductor, the plurality of InGaZnO.sub.4 crystals have no orientation. Alternatively, such an oxide semiconductor is such that a diffraction pattern like a halo pattern is observed by electron diffraction measurement performed by using an electron beam with a probe diameter larger than or equal to 300 nm, and that a diffraction pattern having a plurality of spots arranged circularly is observed by electron diffraction measurement performed by using an electron beam with a probe diameter larger than or equal to 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 30 nm.

To provide an oxide semiconductor with a novel structure. Such an oxide semiconductor is composed of an aggregation of a plurality of InGaZnO.sub.4 crystals each of which is larger than or equal to 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 3 nm, and in the oxide semiconductor, the plurality of InGaZnO.sub.4 crystals have no orientation. Alternatively, such an oxide semiconductor is such that a diffraction pattern like a halo pattern is observed by electron diffraction measurement performed by using an electron beam with a probe diameter larger than or equal to 300 nm, and that a diffraction pattern having a plurality of spots arranged circularly is observed by electron diffraction measurement performed by using an electron beam with a probe diameter larger than or equal to 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 30 nm.

An object is to provide a semiconductor device including a semiconductor element which has favorable characteristics. A manufacturing method of the present invention includes the steps of: forming a first conductive layer which functions as a gate electrode over a substrate; forming a first insulating layer to cover the first conductive layer; forming a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer so that part of the semiconductor layer overlaps with the first conductive layer; forming a second conductive layer to be electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; forming a second insulating layer to cover the semiconductor layer and the second conductive layer; forming a third conductive layer to be electrically connected to the second conductive layer; performing first heat treatment after forming the semiconductor layer and before forming the second insulating layer; and performing second heat treatment after forming the second insulating layer.

Methods of synthesizing colloidal ternary Group III-V nanocrystals are provided. Also provided are the colloidal ternary Group III-V nanocrystals made using the methods. In the methods, molten inorganic salts are used as high temperature solvents to carry out cation exchange reactions that convert binary nanocrystals into ternary nanocrystals.

The invention is directed to a method for producing non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, the method comprising: (a) subjecting a combination of reaction components to conditions conducive to microbially-mediated formation of non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, wherein said combination of reaction components comprises i) anaerobic microbes, ii) a culture medium suitable for sustaining said anaerobic microbes, iii) a metal component comprising at least one type of metal ion, iv) a non-metal component comprising at least one non-metal selected from the group consisting of S, Se, Te, and As, and v) one or more electron donors that provide donatable electrons to said anaerobic microbes during consumption of the electron donor by said anaerobic microbes; and (b) isolating said non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, which contain at least one of said metal ions and at least one of said non-metals. The invention is also directed to non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticle compositions produced as above and having distinctive properties.

This disclosure provides an optical parametric oscillator, comprising, in a light path, a first lens, a laser crystal, a second lens, a nonlinear optical crystal, and a third lens in this order, wherein an optical parametric oscillation chamber is formed between the second lens and the third lens, and the nonlinear optical crystal is a monoclinic Ga.sub.2S.sub.3 crystal, the space group of the monoclinic Ga.sub.2S.sub.3 crystal is Cc, and the unit cell parameters are a=11.1 Å, b=6.4 Å, c=7.0 Å, α=90°, β=121°, γ=90°, and Z=4.