A method of growing a FE material thin film using physical vapor deposition by pulsed laser deposition or RF sputtering is disclosed. The method involves creating a target to be used for the pulsed laser deposition in order to create a KBNNO thin film. The resultant KBNNO thin film is able to be used in photovoltaic cells.

An electrocaloric effect element includes a laminate including an electrode layer mainly including Pt and a ceramic layer that are stacked, in which the ceramic layer has a perovskite structure and mainly includes a ceramic including Pb, Sc, and Ta, where a content ratio of Sc is y, a content ratio of Ta is 1−y, and a range of the y is about 0.450≤y≤about 0.495.

Provided is a lithium complex oxide sintered plate for use in a positive electrode of a lithium secondary battery. The lithium complex oxide sintered plate has a structure in which a plurality of primary grains having a layered rock-salt structure are bonded, and has a porosity of 3 to 40%, a mean pore diameter of 15 μm or less, an open porosity of 70% or more, and a thickness of 15 to 200 μm. The plurality of primary grains has a primary grain diameter, i.e., a mean diameter of the primary grains, of 20 μm or less and a mean tilt angle of more than 0° to 30° or less. The mean tilt angle is a mean value of the angles defined by the (003) planes of the primary grains and the plate face of the lithium complex oxide sintered plate.

An oriented apatite-type oxide ion conductor includes a composite oxide expressed as A.sub.9.33+x[T.sub.6.00−yM.sub.y]O.sub.26.0+z, where A represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, T represents an element including Si or Ge or both, and M represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of B, Ge, Zn, Sn, W, and Mo, and where x is from −1.00 to 1.00, y is from 0.40 to less than 1.00, and z is from −3.00 to 2.00.

A sintered body containing polycrystalline grains of a metal oxynitride containing at least two metal elements, wherein Ba and at least one metal element of a crystal phase of the sintered body are contained in a triple point that is not a void between the polycrystalline grains. A method for producing the sintered body includes sintering a mixture of at least a metal oxynitride as a main component and a sintering aid containing cyanamide in an atmosphere containing nitrogen or a rare gas or in a reduced-pressure atmosphere of 10 Pa or less while applying a mechanical pressure with a retention time at a maximum heating temperature during the sintering set to 1 minute to 10 minutes.

A silicon nitride substrate includes silicon nitride and magnesium, in which when a surface of the silicon nitride substrate is analyzed with an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer under the specific Condition I, XB/XA is 0.8 or more and 1.0 or less.

A method for producing an alumina sintered body, comprising: molding an alumina powder to obtain an alumina article, the alumina powder comprising alumina particles having a particle diameter of not less than 0.1 μm and less than 1 μm, and alumina particles having a particle diameter of not less than 1 μm and less than 100 μm; forming a carbon powder-containing layer on a surface of the alumina article to obtain a laminate body; and irradiating a surface of the carbon powder-containing layer of the laminate body with a laser light to form a transparent alumina sintered portion.

Disclosed is a lithium complex oxide sintered plate including a plurality of primary grains having a layered rock-salt structure, the primary grains being bonded. The lithium complex oxide has a composition represented by the formula: Li.sub.x(Co.sub.1-yM.sub.y)O.sub.2±δ (wherein, 1.0≤x≤1.1, 0<y≤0.1, 0≤δ<1, and M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ni, Al, and Mn), and the primary grains have a mean tilt angle of more than 0° to 30° or less, the mean tilt angle being a mean value of the angles defined by the (003) planes of the primary grains and the plate face of the lithium complex oxide sintered plate.

A fused solid-state electrolyte e membrane having a thickness less than 5 mm and intended for a lithium-ion battery. The membrane includes a polycrystalline product including at least 3.0% amorphous phase and including, for more than 95% of its mass, of the elements Li, La, Zr, M and O, M being a dopant chosen from the group formed by Al, P, Sb, Sc, Ti, V, Y, Nb, Hf, Ta, the lanthanides with the exception of La, Se, W, Bi, Si, Ge, Ga, Sn, Cr, Fe, Zn, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and the mixtures thereof. The contents of these elements, measured after a decarbonatation operation without loss of lithium, being defined by the formula Li.sub.aLa.sub.bZr.sub.cM.sub.dO.sub.12, wherein the atomic indices are such that: 2.500<a<8,500, and 1,000<b<3.500, and 0.600<c<2.000, and 0<d<2.000.

Provided is a lithium complex oxide sintered plate for use in a positive electrode of a lithium secondary battery. The lithium complex oxide sintered plate has a structure in which a plurality of primary grains having a layered rock-salt structure are bonded, and has a porosity of 3 to 40%, a mean pore diameter of 15 μm or less, an open porosity of 70% or more, and a thickness of 15 to 200 μm. The plurality of primary grains has a primary grain diameter, i.e., a mean diameter of the primary grains, of 20 μm or less and a mean tilt angle of more than 0° to 30° or less. The mean tilt angle is a mean value of the angles defined by the (003) planes of the primary grains and the plate face of the lithium complex oxide sintered plate.