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

A method for manufacturing a dense layer that includes: supplying a substrate and a suspension of non-agglomerated nanoparticles of a material P; depositing a layer on the substrate using the suspension; drying the layer thus obtained; and densifying the dried layer by mechanical compression and/or heat treatment. The method is characterised in that the suspension of non-agglomerated nanoparticles of material P includes nanoparticles of material P having a size distribution having a value of D50. The distribution includes nanoparticles of material P of a first size D1 between 20 nm and 50 nm, and nanoparticles of material P of a second size D2 characterised by the value D50 being at least five times less than that of D1, or the distribution has a mean size of nanoparticles of material P less than 50 nm, and a standard deviation to mean size ratio greater than 0.6.

A die or piston of a spark plasma sintering apparatus, wherein the die or piston is made from graphite and the outer surfaces of the die or piston are coated with a silicon carbide layer with a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres, the silicon carbide layer being further optionally coated with one or more other layer(s) made from a carbide other than silicon carbide chosen from hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide and titanium carbide, the other layer(s) each having a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres. A spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus comprising the die and two of the pistons, defining a sintering, densification or assembly chamber capable of receiving a powder to be sintered, a part to be densified, or parts to be assembled. A method of sintering a powder, densifying a part, or assembling two parts by means of a method of spark plasma sintering (SPS) in an oxidising atmosphere, using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus.

A die or piston of a spark plasma sintering apparatus, wherein the die or piston is made from graphite and the outer surfaces of the die or piston are coated with a silicon carbide layer with a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres, the silicon carbide layer being further optionally coated with one or more other layer(s) made from a carbide other than silicon carbide chosen from hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide and titanium carbide, the other layer(s) each having a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres. A spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus comprising the die and two of the pistons, defining a sintering, densification or assembly chamber capable of receiving a powder to be sintered, a part to be densified, or parts to be assembled. A method of sintering a powder, densifying a part, or assembling two parts by means of a method of spark plasma sintering (SPS) in an oxidising atmosphere, using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus.

A sputtering target including an oxide with a low impurity concentration is provided. Provided is a method for manufacturing a sputtering target, including a first step of preparing a mixture including indium, zinc, an element M (the element M is aluminum, gallium, yttrium, or tin), and oxygen; a second step of raising a temperature of the mixture from a first temperature to a second temperature in a first atmosphere containing nitrogen at a concentration of higher than or equal to 90 vol % and lower than or equal to 100 vol %; and a third step of lowering the temperature of the mixture from the second temperature to a third temperature in a second atmosphere containing oxygen at a concentration of higher than or equal to 10 vol % and lower than or equal to 100 vol %.

A cylindrical sputtering target includes a plurality of cylindrical sintered compacts adjacent to each other while having a space therebetween. The plurality of cylindrical sintered compacts have a relative density of 99.7% or higher and 99.9% or lower. The plurality of cylindrical sintered compacts adjacent to each other have a difference therebetween in the relative density of 0.1% or smaller.

A cylindrical sputtering target includes a plurality of cylindrical sintered compacts adjacent to each other while having a space therebetween. The plurality of cylindrical sintered compacts have a relative density of 99.7% or higher and 99.9% or lower. The plurality of cylindrical sintered compacts adjacent to each other have a difference therebetween in the relative density of 0.1% or smaller.

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 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 method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object by stacking layers includes forming each layer using a three-dimensional shape composition containing particles, measuring the thickness of the layer, and ejecting onto the layer a liquid binder containing a binding agent capable of binding the particles. For the ejecting, the amount of the liquid binder to be ejected per unit area of the layer when viewed from above is adjusted according to the result of the measuring.