A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond compact comprises providing metallized diamond particles including diamond particles including nanograins of a sweep catalyst secured thereto, the sweep catalyst comprising at least one of tungsten and tungsten carbide and constituting between about 0.01 weight percent and about 1.0 weight percent of the metallized diamond particles and placing the metallized diamond particles and a metal solvent catalyst in a container. The metallized diamond particles are subjected to a high-temperature, high-pressure process in the presence of the metal solvent catalyst to form a polycrystalline diamond material having inter-bonded diamond grains and nanograins of tungsten carbide, the nanograins of tungsten carbide covering less than about twenty percent of a surface area of the inter-bonded diamond grains. Polycrystalline diamond compacts and earth-boring tools including the polycrystalline diamond compacts are also disclosed.

Provided are an oxide sintered body that can produce a transparent conductive oxide film having low resistance and exhibiting lower light absorption characteristics in a wide wavelength range, and a transparent conductive oxide film.

An oxide sintered body containing indium, hafnium, tantalum, and oxygen as constituent elements, in which when indium, hafnium, and tantalum are designated as In, Hf, and Ta, respectively, the atomic ratio Hf/(In+Hf+Ta) is 0.2 at % to 3.0 at %, and the atomic ratio Ta/(In+Hf+Ta) is 0.02 at % to 1.3 at %, is used.

A method for producing MnZn ferrite comprising Fe, Mn and Zn as main components, and Ca, Si and Co, and at least one selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb and Zr as sub-components, comprising a step of molding a raw material powder for the MnZn ferrite to obtain a green body, and a step of sintering the green body; the sintering step comprising a temperature-elevating step, a high-temperature-keeping step, and a cooling step; the cooling step including a slow cooling step of cooling in a temperature range of 1100 C. to 1250 C. at a cooling speed of 0 C./hour to 20 C./hour for 1 hours to 20 hours, and a cooling speed before and after the slow cooling step being higher than 20 C./hour; the MnZn ferrite having a volume resistivity of 8.5 .Math.m or more at room temperature, an average crystal grain size of 7 m to 15 m, and core loss of 420 kW/m.sup.3 or less between 23 C. and 140 C. at a frequency of 100 kHz and an exciting magnetic flux density of 200 mT.

A fluorescent member includes: a plurality of fluorescent particles; an inorganic binder; and a plurality of pores. An upper surface of the fluorescent member is a light extraction surface of the fluorescent member. The plurality of pores are localized in a vicinity of at least one of the plurality of fluorescent particles in a cross section that is parallel to the upper surface of the fluorescent member and extends through the fluorescent particles and the pores.

A coated cutting tool, comprising: a substrate made of a cubic boron nitride-containing sintered body; and a coating layer formed on the substrate, wherein the cubic boron nitride-containing sintered body includes 65 volume % or more and 85 volume % or less of cubic boron nitride, and 15 volume % or more and 35 volume % or less of a binder phase; the cubic boron nitride is in a form of particles, the particles having an average particle size from 1.5 m or more to 4.0 m or less; the coating layer includes a lower layer, and an upper layer formed on the lower layer; the lower layer contains particles each having a composition represented by (Ti.sub.1-xAl.sub.x)N; the lower layer has an average thickness from 0.1 m or more to 1.0 m or less; the particles forming the lower layer have an average particle size from 0.01 m or more to 0.05 m or less; the upper layer contains particles each having a composition represented by (Ti.sub.1-yAl.sub.y)(C.sup.1-zN.sub.z); and the upper layer has an average thickness from 1.0 m or more to 5.0 m or less.

Provided is a sputtering target with which it is possible to manufacture an amorphous or crystalline oxide semiconductor thin film with an annealing treatment at a lower temperature than previously, said oxide semiconductor thin film comprising indium and gallium and having a high carrier mobility. Also provided is an oxide sintered body comprising indium and gallium, said oxide sintered body being optimal for obtaining said sputtering target. An oxide sintered body comprising oxides of indium and gallium, wherein the oxide sintered body is characterized by having a gallium content according to the atomic ratio Ga/(In+Ga) of 0.10 to 0.49, having a CIE 1976 color space L* value of 50 to 68, and being composed of an In.sub.2O.sub.3 phase with a bixbyite-type structure and, as a formation phase other than the In.sub.2O.sub.3 phase, a GaInO.sub.3 phase with a -Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-type structure, or a GaInO.sub.3 phase with a -Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-type structure and a (Ga, In).sub.2O.sub.3 phase.

The invention relates to a copper-ceramic composite comprising: a ceramic substrate containing alumina; a copper or copper alloy coating on the ceramic substrate; the alumina has a mean grain shape factor R.sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3), defined as the arithmetic mean of the shape factors R of the alumina grains, of at least 0.4.

The invention relates to a copper-ceramic composite, comprising a ceramic substrate, which contains aluminum oxide, a coating on the ceramic substrate made of copper or a copper alloy, wherein the aluminum oxide has an average grain form factor R.sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3), determined as an arithmetic average value from the form factors of the grains of the aluminum oxide, the copper or the copper alloy has an average grain form factor R.sub.a(Cu), determined as an arithmetic average of the form factors of the grains of the copper or copper alloy, and the average grain form factors of the aluminum oxide and copper or copper alloy meet the following condition: 0.5R.sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3)/R.sub.a(Cu)2.0.

A cBN sintered body contains cBN particles whose proportion is 85-97% by volume, and a binding phase whose proportion is 3-15% by volume. The cBN sintered body contains Al whose ratio to the entirety of the cBN sintered body is 0.1-5% by mass, and Co whose mass ratio to the Al is 3 to 40, and includes Al.sub.3B.sub.6Co.sub.20.

A piezoelectric material which is low in load on the environment, and also satisfies both the requirements of a high piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor. The piezoelectric material comprises a plurality of crystal grains containing Ba, Ca, Ti, Zr, Mn, and O. An average equivalent circle diameter of the crystal grains is not smaller than 1.0 m and not larger than 10 m. The crystal grains include crystal grains A each having a first domain with a width of not smaller than 300 nm and not larger than 800 nm, and crystal grains B each having a second domain with a width of not smaller than 20 nm and not larger than 50 nm.