A magnesium-based thermoelectric conversion material made of a sintered compact of a magnesium compound, in which, in a cross section of the sintered compact, a Si-rich metallic phase having a higher Si concentration than in magnesium compound grains is unevenly distributed in a crystal grain boundary between the magnesium compound grains, an area ratio of the Si-rich metallic phase is in a range of 2.5% or more and 10% or less, and a number density of the Si-rich metallic phase having an area of 1 m.sup.2 or more is in a range of 1,800/mm.sup.2 or more and 14,000 /mm.sup.2 or less.

An electrolyte according to the present disclosure contains a lithium composite metal oxide represented by the following compositional formula.

Li.sub.7-xLa.sub.3(Zr.sub.2-xA.sub.x)O.sub.12-yF.sub.y

In the formula, 0.1x1.0, 0.0<y1.0, and A represents two or more types of Ta, Nb, and Sb.

Thermoelectric materials based on tetrahedrite structures for thermoelectric devices and methods for producing thermoelectric materials and devices are disclosed.

Set forth herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Also set forth herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Disclosed herein are novel and inventive methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Also disclosed herein are novel electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also set forth herein are methods for preparing novel structures, including dense thin (<50 um) free standing membranes of an ionically conducting material for use as a catholyte, electrolyte, and, or, anolyte, in an electrochemical device, a battery component (positive or negative electrode materials), or a complete solid state electrochemical energy storage device. Also, the methods set forth herein disclose novel sintering techniques, e.g., for heating and/or field assisted (FAST) sintering, for solid state energy storage devices and the components thereof.

A hard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic has an ABO.sub.3 structure with A sites and B sites. The PZT ceramic is doped with Mn and with Nb on the B sites and the ratio Nb/Mn is <2. A piezoelectric multilayer component having such a PZT ceramic and also a method for producing a piezoelectric multilayer component are also disclosed.

A dielectric porcelain composition having a main component a perovskite compound represented by ABO.sub.3, and the perovskite compound at least contains Ti and a volatile element which forms a solid solution at a B site, and may also contain Zr. The dielectric porcelain composition contains the volatile element in an amount larger than 0 part by mol and less than or equal to 0.2 part by mol with respect to 100 parts by mol of a total of the Ti and the Zr, and has a ratio of an A-site element to the total of the Ti and the Zr of 1.00 or more and 1.04 or less as a molar ratio.

A light-emitting ceramic that includes a pyrochlore type compound that contains 0.01 mol % or more of Bi with respect to 100 mol % of the general formula M1.sub.xM2.sub.yM3.sub.zO.sub.w, wherein M1 is at least one of La, Y, Gd, Yb, and Lu, M2 is at least one of Zr, Sn, and Hf, M3 is at least one of Ta, Nb, and Sb, X, Y, Z, and W are positive numbers that maintain electrical neutrality, X+Y+Z=2.0, 0.005Z0.2, and 3X+4Y+5Z is 7.02 or less.

The present invention relates to a ceramic switch tile that has the function of a capacitive switch or pushbutton that can be used in pushbuttons, keyboards or other applications, and is made entirely of ceramic materials forming a single block. Specifically, the tile comprises a non-conductive ceramic support (1); areas with a conductive ceramic layer (2), deposited making contact with one side of the non-conductive ceramic support (1) and separated from each other, each area with a conductive ceramic layer (2) comprising a connection sector (6), intended to be connected to a capacitance variation measurement module (5), configured to control electrical devices to be switched; and a protective glazing layer (3), which covers the areas with the conductive ceramic layer (2) and the rest of the non-conductive ceramic support (1) on the same side, except for the connection sectors (6).

Disclosed are embodiments of isolator/circulator junctions that can be used for radio-frequency (RF) applications, and methods of manufacturing the junctions. The junctions can have excellent impedance matching, even as they are being miniaturized, providing significant advantages over previously used junctions. The junctions can be formed of both high and low dielectric constant material.

A multilayer component and a mathod for producing a multilayer component are disclosed. In an embodiment a multilayer component includes a ceramic main element and at least one metal structure, wherein the metal structure is cosintered and wherein main element is a varistor ceramic having 90 mol % of ZnO, from 0.5 to 5 mol % of Sb.sub.2O.sub.3, from 0.05 to 2 mol % of Co.sub.3O.sub.4, Mn.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2 and/or Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, and <0.1 mol % of B.sub.2O.sub.3, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and/or NiO.