An electrochromic device according to an embodiment includes a first transparent conductive layer, an ion storage layer, an electrolyte layer, an electrochromic layer, and a second transparent conductive layer. The electrolyte layer includes a tantalum atom. The electrochromic layer includes a tungsten atom. The ion storage layer includes an iridium atom and a tantalum atom. The ion storage layer is hydrogenated in bleached state and the electrochromic device has a transmittance of 64.1% or more in bleached state. A difference between the transmittance of the electrochromic device in bleached state and the transmittance of the electrochromic device in colored state is 8.4% or more.

A method for forming a film of an oxide of In, Ga, and Zn, having a spinel crystalline phase comprises providing a substrate in a chamber; providing a sputtering target in said chamber, the target comprising an oxide of In, Ga, and Zn, wherein: In, Ga, and Zn represent together at least 95 at % of the elements other than oxygen, In represents from 0.6 to 44 at % of In, Ga, and Zn, Ga represents from 22 to 66 at % of In, Ga, and Zn, and Zn represents from 20 to 46 at % of In, Ga, and Zn; and forming a film on the substrate, the substrate being at a temperature of from 125° C. to 250° C., by sputtering the target with a sputtering gas comprising O.sub.2, the sputtering being performed at a sputtering power of at least 200 W.

A method of manufacturing an electronic component including a substrate is provided. The method includes generating a plasma remote from a sputter target, generating sputtered material from the sputter target using the plasma, and depositing the sputtered material on a substrate as a crystalline layer.

A part includes a base material, a colored layer, an intermediate layer, and a water-repellent-surface layer. The colored layer contains 35 at % to 99 at % of C, 0 at % to less than 40 at % of Cr, 0 at % to less than 15 at % of N, and more than 0 at % to less than 15 at % of O. The intermediate layer contains at least one metal atom selected from Cr, Zr, and Si; and an oxygen atom. The intermediate layer exhibits a sputtering time of 0.5 minutes or more to 9 minutes or less

A material includes a transparent substrate coated with a stack including at least one functional metal layer based on silver and at least two dielectric coatings, each dielectric coating including at least one dielectric layer, in such a way that each functional metal layer is positioned between two dielectric coatings, wherein the stack includes a layer based on silicon oxide having a thickness of greater than or equal to 12 nm located directly in contact with the substrate.

Provided is a hard coating film in which a hard coating layer having a water contact angle of 90° or less, a high refractive index layer, and a low refractive index layer are laminated on a substrate, the film having suppressed curling, and excellent hardness and antireflection performance.

A simplified switchable object and methods of making same are provided. The methods may include steps of applying a switchable material on a first surface of a first substrate, the switchable material having a thickness and a shape; applying a barrier material on the first substrate, circumferential to the switchable material; and applying a second substrate over top of, and in contact with, the switchable material and the barrier material, the first substrate, second substrate and barrier material defining a closed chamber encapsulating the switchable material. The methods may further include a step of applying a seal material.

Provided is a Low-E glass plate protection method capable of preventing or inhibiting Low-E layer alteration. In the protection method, a protective sheet having a substrate and a PSA layer provided to at least one face of the substrate is applied for protection via the PSA layer to a Low-E glass plate having a Low-E layer that comprises a zinc component. The method is characterized by using the protective sheet wherein the PSA layer is formed from a water-dispersed PSA composition and includes less than 850 μg ammonia per gram of PSA layer weight.

A transparent conductor includes a transparent substrate, a first metal oxide layer, a metal layer containing a silver alloy, a third metal oxide layer, and a second metal oxide layer in the order presented. The first metal oxide layer is composed of a metal oxide which is different from ITO, the second metal oxide layer contains ITO, and the work function of the surface of the second metal oxide layer opposite to the metal layer side is 4.5 eV or higher.

The present invention provides a novel method for producing a laminate to be used as a light-transmissive electrode layer and an N-type semiconductor layer of a wet or solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell comprising a light-transmissive electrode layer, an N-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer, and a facing electrode in this order. In said method, a member to be used as the light-transmissive electrode layer is cathode-polarized in a treatment solution containing a Ti component so as to form a titanium oxide layer to be used as the N-type semiconductor layer on said member.