Provided are an oxide sintered compact whereby low carrier density and high carrier mobility are obtained when the oxide sintered compact is used to obtain an oxide semiconductor thin film by a sputtering method, and a sputtering target which uses the oxide sintered compact. This oxide sintered compact contains oxides of indium, gallium, and aluminum. The gallium content is from 0.15 to 0.49 by Ga/(In+Ga) atomic ratio, and the aluminum content is from 0.0001 to less than 0.25 by Al/(In+Ga+Al) atomic ratio. A crystalline oxide semiconductor thin film formed using this oxide sintered compact as a sputtering target is obtained at a carrier density of 4.0×10.sup.18 cm.sup.−3 or less and a carrier mobility of 10 cm.sup.−2V.sup.−1sec.sup.−1 or greater.

A method of the invention which manufactures a substrate with a transparent conductive film, includes: preparing a base body that has a top surface and a back surface and has an a-Si film coating at least one of the top surface and the back surface; and setting temperatures of the base body and the a-Si film to be in the range of 70 to 220° C. in a film formation space having a processing gas containing hydrogen, applying a sputtering voltage to a target, carrying out DC sputtering, and thereby forming the a-Si film on a transparent conductive film.

A method of modifying surfaces of diamond particles comprises forming spinodal alloy coatings over discrete diamond particles, thermally treating the spinodal alloy coatings to form modified coatings each independently exhibiting a reactive metal phase and a substantially non-reactive metal phase, and etching surfaces of the discrete diamond particles with at least one reactive metal of the reactive metal phase of the modified coatings. Diamond particles and earth-boring tools are also described.

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.

Systems and methods for strengthening a sapphire part are described herein. One embodiment may take the form of a method including orienting a first surface of a sapphire member relative to an ion implantation device and performing a first implantation step. The implanting step may include directing ions at the first surface of the sapphire member to embed them under the first surface. The systems and methods may also include one or more of heating the sapphire member to diffuse the implanted ions into deeper layers of sapphire member, cooling the sapphire member, and performing at least a second implantation step directing ions at the first surface of the sapphire member to embed the ions under the first surface.

Microwave radiation may be applied to electrochemical devices for rapid thermal processing (RTP) (including annealing, crystallizing, densifying, forming, etc.) of individual layers of the electrochemical devices, as well as device stacks, including bulk and thin film batteries and thin film electrochromic devices. A method of manufacturing an electrochemical device may comprise: depositing a layer of the electrochemical device over a substrate; and microwave annealing the layer, wherein the microwave annealing includes selecting annealing conditions with preferential microwave energy absorption in the layer. An apparatus for forming an electrochemical device may comprise: a first system to deposit an electrochemical device layer over a substrate; and a second system to microwave anneal the layer, wherein the second system is configured to provide preferential microwave energy absorption in the device layer.

A method for making a SnO thin film includes steps of: providing a substrate and a tin oxide sputtering target; spacing the substrate and the tin oxide sputtering target from each other; and sputtering the SnO thin film on the substrate by using a magnetron sputtering method. The tin oxide sputtering target comprises uniformly mixed elemental Sn and SnO.sub.2. An atomic ratio of Sn atoms and O atoms in the tin oxide sputtering target satisfies 1:2<Sn:O≦2:1.

A device used for making a carbon fiber film includes a chamber, a support base, and a power supply. The support base is used for suspending a carbon nanotube film in the chamber and transporting a negative voltage to the carbon nanotube film. The power supply is located outside of the chamber and used for applying the negative voltage.

An Ag alloy film used for a reflecting electrode or an interconnection electrode, the Ag alloy film exhibiting low electrical resistivity and high reflectivity and having exceptional oxidation resistance under cleaning treatments such as an O.sub.2 plasma treatment or UV irradiation, wherein the Ag alloy film contains either In in an amount of larger than 2.0 atomic % to 2.7 atomic % or smaller; or Zn in an amount of larger than 2.0 atomic % to 3.5 atomic % or smaller; or both. The Ag alloy film may further contain Bi in an amount of 0.01 to 1.0 atomic %.

A method includes performing ion beam sputtering with ion assisted deposition to deposit a protective layer on a surface of a body. The protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth-containing film of a thickness less than 1000 .Math.m. The porosity of the protective layer is below 1%. The plasma resistant rare earth-containing film consists of 40 mol% to less than 100 mol% of Y.sub.2O.sub.3, over 0 mol% to 60 mol% of ZrO.sub.2, and 0 mol% to 9 mol% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3.