In an X-ray diffraction diagram of a cordierite sintered body of the present invention, the ratio of the total of the maximum peak intensities of components other than cordierite components to the peak top intensity of the (110) plane of cordierite is 0.0025 or less. Since having a significantly small amount of different phases other than the cordierite components, this cordierite sintered body has a high surface flatness when the surface thereof is mirror-polished.

The present disclosure is directed to a low cost sintering process for the preparation of gadolinium oxysulfide having a general formula of Gd.sub.2O.sub.2S, referred to as GOS, scintillation ceramics, comprising uniaxial hot pressing primary sintering and hot isostatic pressing secondary sintering.

The present disclosure is directed to a rapid process for the preparation of gadolinium oxysulfide having a general formula of Gd.sub.2O.sub.2S, referred to as GOS, scintillation ceramics by using the combination of spark plasma primary sintering (SPS) and hot isostatic pressing secondary sintering.

Radiofrequency and other electronic devices can be formed from textured hexaferrite materials, such as Z-phase barium cobalt ferrite Ba.sub.3Co.sub.2Fe.sub.24O.sub.41 (Co.sub.2Z) having enhanced resonant frequency. The textured hexaferrite material can be formed by sintering fine grain hexaferrite powder at a lower temperature than conventional firing temperatures to inhibit reduction of iron. The textured hexaferrite material can be used in radiofrequency devices such as circulators or telecommunications systems.

A manganese oxide contains M1, optionally M2, Mn and O. M1 is selected from the group consisting of In, Sc, Y, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. M2 is different from M1, and M2 is selected from the group consisting of Bi, In, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. These ceramic materials are hexagonal in structure, and provide superior materials for gas separation and oxygen storage.

A sputtering target including a sintered body: the sintered body including: indium oxide doped with Ga or indium oxide doped with Al, and a positive tetravalent metal in an amount of exceeding 100 at. ppm and 1100 at. ppm or less relative to the total of Ga and indium, or Al and indium, the crystal structure of the sintered body substantially including a bixbyite structure of indium oxide.

An electrically conductive thin film including a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 and having a layered crystal structure:
A.sub.xM.sub.yCh.sub.z  Chemical Formula 1 wherein A is V, Nb, or Ta, M is Ni, Co, Fe, Pd, Pt, Ir, Rh, Si, or Ge, Ch is S, Se, or Te, x is a number from 1 to 3, y is a number from 1 to 3, and z is a number from 2 to 14.

A method of making a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), material is provided. The matrix precursor powder comprises an aluminium compound. The method comprises mixing matrix precursor powder comprising particles having an average particle size no greater than 250 nm, with between 30 and 40 volume percent of cubic boron nitride (cBN) particles having an average particle size of at least 4 μm, and then spark plasma sintering the mixed particles. The spark plasma sintering occurs at a pressure of at least 500 MPa, a temperature of no less than 1050° C. and no more than 1500° C. and a time of no less than 1 minute and no more than 3 minutes.

A sintered MnZn ferrite body containing main components comprising 53.30-53.80% by mol of Fe calculated as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, 6.90-9.50% by mol Zn calculated as ZnO, and the balance of Mn calculated as MnO, and sub-components comprising 0.003-0.020 parts by mass of Si calculated as SiO.sub.2, more than 0 parts and 0.35 parts or less by mass of Ca calculated as CaCO.sub.3, 0.30-0.50 parts by mass of Co calculated as Co.sub.3O.sub.4, 0.03-0.10 parts by mass of Zr calculated as ZrO.sub.2, and 0-0.05 parts by mass of Ta calculated as Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, pre 100 parts by mass in total of the main components (calculated as the oxides), and having an average crystal grain size of 3 μm or more and less than 8 μm and a density of 4.65 g/cm.sup.3 or more.

A copper/ceramic bonded body includes: a copper member made of copper or a copper alloy; and a ceramic member made of a silicon nitride, wherein the copper member and the ceramic member are bonded to each other, a magnesium oxide layer is provided on a ceramic member side of a bonded interface between the copper member and the ceramic member, a Mg solid solution layer is provided between the magnesium oxide layer and the copper member and contains Mg in a state of a solid solution in a Cu primary phase, and a magnesium nitride phase is present on a magnesium oxide layer side of the Mg solid solution layer.