A variable-temperature and fast-sintering process for an alumina-doped zinc oxide target material is provided. Integrated degreasing and sintering processes are carried out on an alumina-doped zinc oxide biscuit, The degreasing process is carried out in air atmosphere, and a high-density alumina-doped zinc oxide target material is produced by a variable-temperature treatment during the sintering process under a state of circulating controllable mixed atmosphere. The mixed atmosphere is air and oxygen. As a result, a sintering time is greatly reduced, so that a fast-activated sintering is realized to inhibit grain growth.

An object of the present invention is to provide an IGZO sputtering target capable of improving uniformity for at least one property selected from the number of microcracks in the structure, the number of pores in the sintered body structure, and surface roughness.

The IGZO sputtering target according to the present invention has an oxide sintered body, the oxide sintered body comprising indium (In), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn) and unavoidable impurities, wherein, on a surface of the oxide sintered body, a lightness difference ΔL* satisfies ΔL*<3.0, in which the ΔL* is obtained by subtracting lightness Lc*at a central portion on the surface from lightness Le* at a position of 10 mm from an end portion to the central portion side on the surface, and wherein the oxide sintered body has a relative density of 97.0% or more.

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.

The present disclosure is related to a method of producing a fired ceramic article. The method may include: heating a ceramic green body in a kiln, and controlling oxygen concentration in the kiln such that the oxygen concentration swings during the heating of the ceramic green body.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to using cobalt (Co) to fine tune the magnetic properties, such as permeability and magnetic loss, of nickel-zinc ferrites to improve the material performance in electronic applications. The method comprises replacing nickel (Ni) with sufficient Co.sup.+2 such that the relaxation peak associated with the Co.sup.+2 substitution and the relaxation peak associated with the nickel to zinc (Ni/Zn) ratio are into near coincidence. When the relaxation peaks overlap, the material permeability can be substantially maximized and magnetic loss substantially minimized. The resulting materials are useful and provide superior performance particularly for devices operating at the 13.56 MHz ISM band.

An oxide sintered body has metal elements of In, Ga, Zn, and Sn and contains Ga.sub.2In.sub.6Sn.sub.2O.sub.16, ZnGa.sub.2O.sub.4, and InGaZnO.sub.4. The contents of In, Ga, Zn, and Sn in the oxide sintered body satisfy the relations [Ga]≥37 atomic %, [Sn]≤15 atomic %, and [Ga]/([In]+[Zn])≥0.7, where [In], [Ga], [Zn], and [Sn] represent ratios (atomic %) of In, Ga, Zn, and Sn with respect to all metal elements contained in the oxide sintered body, respectively.

A substrate includes a ceramic sintered body, a first circuit plate and a second circuit plate. The ceramic sintered body contains Al, Zr, Y and Mg. In the ceramic sintered body, the Mg content in terms of MgO is S1 mass % and the Zr content in terms of ZrO.sub.2 is S2 mass %, a following formula (1) is established. When a thickness of the first circuit plate is T1 mm, a thickness of the second circuit plate is T2 mm, and a thickness of the ceramic sintered body is T3 mm, following formulas (2), (3), and (4) are established. Formula (1): −0.004×S2+0.171<S1<−0.032×S2+1.427; Formula (2): 1.7<(T1+T2)/T3<3.5; Formula (3): T1≥T2; and Formula (4): T3≥0.25.

A sintered ferrite magnet having a composition of metal elements of Ca, R, A, Fe and Co, which is represented by the general formula of Ca.sub.1-x-yR.sub.xA.sub.yFe.sub.2n-zCo.sub.z, wherein R is at least one of rare earth elements indispensably including La; A is Sr and/or Ba; x, y, z and n represent the atomic ratios of Ca, R, A, Fe and Co; 2n represents a molar ratio expressed by 2n=(Fe+Co)/(Ca+R+A); and x, y, z and n meet the conditions of 0.15≤x≤0.35, 0.05≤y≤0.40, (1-x-y)>y, 0<z≤0.18, and 7.5≤(2n-z)<11.0.

Methods of forming ceramic matrix composite structures include joining at least two lamina together to form a flexible ceramic matrix composite structure. Ceramic matrix composite structures include at least one region of reduced inter-laminar bonding at a selected location between lamina thereof. Thermal protection systems include at least one seal comprising a ceramic matrix composite material and have at least one region of reduced inter-laminar bonding at a selected location between lamina used to form the seal. Methods of forming thermal protection systems include providing one or more such seals between adjacent panels of a thermal protection system.

A piezoelectric ceramic containing a perovskite-type compound containing at least Pb, Zr, Ti, Mn, and Nb, in which in an X-ray crystal structure analysis chart of the perovskite-type compound, there is no X-ray diffraction peak branching between a (101) plane of a main peak of a PZT tetra phase in a range of 2θ=30.5° to 31.5° and a (110) plane on which an X-ray diffraction peak is in a range of 2θ=30.8° to 31.8°, and a number of X-ray diffraction peaks based on the (101) plane and the (110) plane is one.