A method for manufacturing a sputtering target with which an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects can be formed is provided. Alternatively, an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects is formed. A method for manufacturing a sputtering target is provided, which includes the steps of: forming a polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide (M represents a metal chosen among aluminum, titanium, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, cesium, neodymium, and hafnium) powder by mixing, sintering, and grinding indium oxide, an oxide of the metal, and zinc oxide; forming a mixture by mixing the polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide powder and a zinc oxide powder; forming a compact by compacting the mixture; and sintering the compact.

A method for manufacturing a sputtering target with which an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects can be formed is provided. Alternatively, an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects is formed. A method for manufacturing a sputtering target is provided, which includes the steps of: forming a polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide (M represents a metal chosen among aluminum, titanium, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, cesium, neodymium, and hafnium) powder by mixing, sintering, and grinding indium oxide, an oxide of the metal, and zinc oxide; forming a mixture by mixing the polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide powder and a zinc oxide powder; forming a compact by compacting the mixture; and sintering the compact.

A method for manufacturing a sputtering target with which an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects can be formed is provided. Alternatively, an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects is formed. A method for manufacturing a sputtering target is provided, which includes the steps of: forming a polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide (M represents a metal chosen among aluminum, titanium, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, cesium, neodymium, and hafnium) powder by mixing, sintering, and grinding indium oxide, an oxide of the metal, and zinc oxide; forming a mixture by mixing the polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide powder and a zinc oxide powder; forming a compact by compacting the mixture; and sintering the compact.

The present disclosure discloses a gradient single-crystal positive electrode material, which has a chemical formula of LiNi.sub.xCo.sub.yA.sub.1-x-yO.sub.2@mLi.sub.aZ.sub.bO.sub.c, wherein 0<x<1, 0<y<1, 0<x+y<1, 0<m<0.05, 0.3<a?10, 1?b<4, and 1?c<15, A is at least one of Mn, Zr, Sr, Ba, W, Ti, Al, Mg, Y, and Nb, and Z is at least one of B, Al, Co, W, Ti, Zr, and Si. The atomic ratio of the content of Co on the surface of the single-crystal positive electrode material particle to the content of Ni+Co+A on the surface is greater than 0.4 and less than 0.8, and the atomic ratio of Co at a depth 10% of the radius from the surface of the single crystal positive electrode material particle is not less than 0.3; and the single-crystal positive electrode material particle has a roundness of greater than 0.4, and is free from sharp corners.

Provided is a cathode active material that can simultaneously improve the capacity characteristics, output characteristics, and cycling characteristics of a rechargeable battery when used as cathode material for a non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery. After performing nucleation by controlling an aqueous solution for nucleation that includes a metal compound that includes at least a transition metal and an ammonium ion donor so that the pH value becomes 12.0 to 14.0 (nucleation process), nuclei are caused to grow by controlling aqueous solution for particle growth that includes the nuclei so that the pH value is less than in the nucleation process and is 10.5 to 12.0 (particle growth process). When doing this, the reaction atmosphere in the nucleation process and at the beginning of the particle growth process is a non-oxidizing atmosphere, and in the particle growth process, atmosphere control by which the reaction atmosphere is switched from this non-oxidizing atmosphere to an oxidizing atmosphere, and is then switched again to a non-oxidizing atmosphere is performed at least one time. Cathode active material is obtained with the composite hydroxide particles that are obtained by this kind of crystallization reaction as a precursor.

Provided is a cathode active material that can simultaneously improve the capacity characteristics, output characteristics, and cycling characteristics of a rechargeable battery when used as cathode material for a non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery. After performing nucleation by controlling an aqueous solution for nucleation that includes a metal compound that includes at least a transition metal and an ammonium ion donor so that the pH value becomes 12.0 to 14.0 (nucleation process), nuclei are caused to grow by controlling aqueous solution for particle growth that includes the nuclei so that the pH value is less than in the nucleation process and is 10.5 to 12.0 (particle growth process). When doing this, the reaction atmosphere in the nucleation process and at the beginning of the particle growth process is a non-oxidizing atmosphere, and in the particle growth process, atmosphere control by which the reaction atmosphere is switched from this non-oxidizing atmosphere to an oxidizing atmosphere, and is then switched again to a non-oxidizing atmosphere is performed at least one time. Cathode active material is obtained with the composite hydroxide particles that are obtained by this kind of crystallization reaction as a precursor.

A method of forming at least one lithography feature, the method including: providing at least one lithography recess on a substrate, the or each lithography recess having at least one side-wall and a base, with the at least one side-wall having a width between portions thereof; providing a self-assemblable block copolymer having first and second blocks in the or each lithography recess; causing the self-assemblable block copolymer to self-assemble into an ordered layer within the or each lithography recess, the ordered layer including at least a first domain of first blocks and a second domain of second blocks; causing the self-assemblable block copolymer to cross-link in a directional manner; and selectively removing the first domain to form lithography features of the second domain within the or each lithography recess.

A method of forming at least one lithography feature, the method including: providing at least one lithography recess on a substrate, the or each lithography recess having at least one side-wall and a base, with the at least one side-wall having a width between portions thereof; providing a self-assemblable block copolymer having first and second blocks in the or each lithography recess; causing the self-assemblable block copolymer to self-assemble into an ordered layer within the or each lithography recess, the ordered layer including at least a first domain of first blocks and a second domain of second blocks; causing the self-assemblable block copolymer to cross-link in a directional manner; and selectively removing the first domain to form lithography features of the second domain within the or each lithography recess.

We provide methods and apparatus for preparing crystalline-clad and crystalline core optical fibers with minimal or no breakage by minimizing the influence of thermal stress during a liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) process as well as the fiber with precisely controlled number of modes propagated in the crystalline cladding and crystalline core fiber via precisely controlling the diameter of crystalline fiber core with under-saturated LPE flux. The resulting crystalline cladding and crystalline core optical fibers are also reported.

We provide methods and apparatus for preparing crystalline-clad and crystalline core optical fibers with minimal or no breakage by minimizing the influence of thermal stress during a liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) process as well as the fiber with precisely controlled number of modes propagated in the crystalline cladding and crystalline core fiber via precisely controlling the diameter of crystalline fiber core with under-saturated LPE flux. The resulting crystalline cladding and crystalline core optical fibers are also reported.