Disclosed are a solid ion conductor compound represented by Formula 1, and having an argyrodite-type crystal structure, a solid electrolyte and an electrochemical cell each comprising the same, and a method of preparing the same:

Li.sub.xP.sub.yM1.sub.vS.sub.zM2.sub.wM3.sub.w′  <Formula 1> where in the above formula, M1 is an element substituted at P sites and having a larger ionic radius than that of P, M2 and M3 are different elements selected from elements of Group 17 in the periodic table, and 4≤x≤8, 0<y<1, 0<v<1, 0<z<6, 0<w<3, 0≤w′<3, and y≥v.

An infrared shielding film is an infrared shielding film including: an organic binder; and a plurality of tin-doped indium oxide particles (ITO particles) dispersed in the organic binder, in which the average center-to-center distance between adjacent particles of the ITO particles is in a range of 9 nm or more and 36 nm or less, the ratio of the average center-to-center distance between the adjacent particles to the average primary particle diameter of the ITO particles is in a range of 1.05 or more and 1.20 or less, and a roughness Ra of a film surface is in a range of 4 nm or more and 50 nm or less.

A thermoelectric material of the present invention includes copper, tin, and sulfur, wherein a ratio A/B of the number A of copper atoms to the number B of tin atoms is 0.5 to 2.5 and a content of a metal element other than copper and tin is 5 mol % or less with respect to total metal elements. Additionally, the thermoelectric material of the present invention has a thermal conductivity less than 1.0 W/(m.Math.K) at 200 to 400° C.

This disclosure relates to the manufacture an alkali metal quaternary crystalline nanomaterial. an alkali metal quaternary crystalline nanomaterial having general Formula A (I.sub.2-II-IV-VI.sub.4); and wherein I is sodium (Na) or lithium (Li), II and IV are Zn or Sn, and VI is a chalcogens selected from the group comprising: sulphur (S), selenium (Se) or tellurium (Te). The crystal phase of the alkali metal quaternary crystalline nanomaterial may be a primitive mixed Cu—Au like structure (PMCA) and may have a space group: P42m. The nanomaterials may be adapted to provide a solar cell. Methods of manufacture are also provided.

A transparent electroconductive layer 3 includes a first main surface 5 and a second main surface 6 facing each other in a thickness direction. The transparent electroconductive layer 3 is a single layer extending in a plane direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. The transparent electroconductive layer 3 has a plurality of crystal grains 4, a plurality of first grain boundaries 7 partitioning the plurality of crystal grains 4 and having each of one end edge 9 and another end edge 10 in the thickness direction open in each of the first main surface 5 and the second main surface 6, and a second grain boundary 8 branching from a first intermediate portion 11 of one first grain boundary 7A and reaching a second intermediate portion 12 of another first grain boundary 7B.

A luminophore may have the general formula A.sub.2EZ.sub.zX.sub.x:RE,

where: A is selected from the group of the monovalent elements; E is selected from the group of the tetravalent, pentavalent, or hexavalent elements; Z is selected from the group of the divalent elements; X is selected from the group of the monovalent elements; RE is selected from activator elements; 2+e=2z+x, with the charge number e of the element E; and x+z=5 and z>0.

A process is also disclosed that is directed to producing the luminophore and a corresponding radiation-emitting component.

A ceramic sputtering target, wherein when a cross-sectional structure of a sputtering surface is observed with an electron microscope, an amount of microcracks defined below is 50 μm/mm or less, and after performing a peel test on the sputtering surface, an area ratio of peeled particles confirmed by observing the cross-sectional structure with an electron microscope is 1.0% or less.

Amount of microcracks=frequency of microcracks×average depth of microcracks

The present invention is directed to methods of preparing metal sulfide, metal selenide, or metal sulfide/selenide nanoparticles and the products derived therefrom. In various embodiments, the nanoparticles are derived from the reaction between precursor metal salts and certain sulfur- and/or selenium-containing precursors each independently having a structure of Formula (I), (II), or (III), or an isomer, salt, or tautomer thereof, where Q.sup.1,Q.sup.2,Q.sup.3,R.sup.1,R.sup.2,R.sup.3,R.sup.5, and X are defined within the specification.

The present invention is directed to methods of preparing metal sulfide, metal selenide, or metal sulfide/selenide nanoparticles and the products derived therefrom. In various embodiments, the nanoparticles are derived from the reaction between precursor metal salts and certain sulfur- and/or selenium-containing precursors each independently having a structure of Formula (I), (II), or (III), or an isomer, salt, or tautomer thereof, where Q.sup.1,Q.sup.2,Q.sup.3,R.sup.1,R.sup.2,R.sup.3,R.sup.5, and X are defined within the specification.

An object is to provide a material suitably used for a semiconductor included in a transistor, a diode, or the like. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device including a transistor in which the condition of an electron state at an interface between an oxide semiconductor film and a gate insulating film in contact with the oxide semiconductor film is favorable. Further, another object is to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device by giving stable electric characteristics to a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a channel. A semiconductor device is formed using an oxide material which includes crystal with c-axis alignment, which has a triangular or hexagonal atomic arrangement when seen from the direction of a surface or an interface and rotates around the c-axis.