An oxide sintered body is obtained by mixing and sintering a zinc oxide, an indium oxide, a gallium oxide and a tin oxide. The oxide sintered body has a relative density of 85% or more, and has volume ratios satisfying the following expressions (1) to (3), respectively, as determined by Xray diffractometry: (1) (Zn.sub.2SnO.sub.4 phase+InGaZnO.sub.4 phase)/(Zn.sub.2SnO.sub.4 phase+InGaZnO.sub.4 phase+In.sub.2O.sub.3 phase+SnO.sub.2 phase+(ZnO).sub.mIn.sub.2O.sub.3, phase)75% by volume; (2) Zn.sub.2SnO.sub.4 phase/(Zn.sub.2SnO.sub.4 phase+InGaZnO.sub.4 phase+In.sub.2O.sub.3 phase+SnO.sub.2 phase+(ZnO).sub.mIn.sub.2O.sub.3 phase)30% by volume; and (3) InGaZnO.sub.4 phase/(Zn.sub.2SnO.sub.4 phase+InGaZnO.sub.4 phase+In.sub.2O.sub.3 phase+SnO.sub.2 phase+(ZnO).sub.mIn.sub.2O.sub.3 phase)10% by volume, and m represents an integer of 2 to 5.

Setter plates are fabricated from Li-stuffed garnet materials having the same, or substantially similar, compositions as a garnet Li-stuffed solid electrolyte. The Li-stuffed garnet setter plates, set forth herein, reduce the evaporation of Li during a sintering treatment step and/or reduce the loss of Li caused by diffusion out of the sintering electrolyte. Li-stuffed garnet setter plates, set forth herein, maintain compositional control over the solid electrolyte during sintering when, upon heating, lithium is prone to diffuse out of the solid electrolyte.

An alumina sintered body according to the present invention includes a surface having a degree of c-plane orientation of 5% or more, the degree of c-plane orientation being determined by a Lotgering method using an X-ray diffraction profile obtained through X-ray irradiation at 2=20 to 70. The alumina sintered body contains Mg and F, a Mg/F mass ratio is 0.05 to 3500, and a Mg content is 30 to 3500 ppm by mass. The alumina sintered body has a crystal grain size of 15 to 200 m. When a field of view of 370.0 m long372.0 m wide is photographed with a 1000-fold magnification and the photograph is visually observed, a number of pores having a diameter of 0.2 to 0.6 m is 250 or less.

Provided is a Li-containing phosphoric-acid compound sintered body of both high relative density and very small crystal grain diameter with reduced incidence of defects (voids) such as air holes, the Li-containing phosphoric-acid compound sintered body causing a Li-containing phosphoric-acid compound thin film useful as a solid electrolyte for a secondary cell or the like to be stabilized without any incidence of target cracking or irregular electrical discharge, and offering high-speed film-forming capability. This Li-containing phosphoric-acid compound sintered body contains no defects measuring 50 m or larger within a 1 mm.sup.2 cross-sectional region in the interior thereof, while having an average crystal grain diameter of no more than 15 m and a relative density of at least 85%.

It is provided an insulating substrate including through holes 2 for conductors arranged in the insulating substrate. A thickness of the insulating substrate is 25 to 300 m , and a diameter of the through hole is 20 to 100 m . The insulating substrate is composed of an alumina sintered body. A relative density and an average grain size of the alumina sintered body is 99.5 percent or higher and 2 to 50 m , respectively.

Disclosed is a method for fabricating a solid article from a boron carbide powder comprising boron carbide particles that are coated with a titanium compound. Further disclosed herein are the unique advantages of the combined use of titanium and graphite additives in the form of water soluble species to improve intimacy of mixing in the green state. The carbon facilitates sintering, whose concentration is then attenuated in the process of forming very hard, finely dispersed Ti B2 phases. The further recognition of the merits of a narrow particle size distribution B4C powder and the use of sintering soak temperatures at the threshold of close porosity which achieve post-HIPed microstructures with average grain sizes approaching the original median particle size. The combination of interdependent factors has led to B4C-based articles of higher hardness than previously reported.

A piezoelectric material that has good insulating properties and piezoelectricity and is free of lead and potassium and a piezoelectric element that uses the piezoelectric material are provided. The piezoelectric material contains copper and a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by general formula (1): (1?x){(Na.sub.yBa.sub.1?z)(Nb.sub.zTi.sub.1?z) O.sub.3}-xBiFeO.sub.3 (where 0<x?0.015, 0.80?y?0.95, and 0.85 ?z?0.95). In the piezoelectric material, 0.04 mol % or more and 2.00 mol % or less of Cu is contained relative to 1 mol of the perovskite-type metal oxide. Also provided is a piezoelectric element that includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric material, and a second electrode, in which the piezoelectric material described above is used as the piezoelectric material.

The embodiments of the invention cover a ceramic sputtering target comprising at least 85 wt. % of an (In.sub.4Sn.sub.3O.sub.12 phase, wherein the ceramic sputtering target has a density of greater than 7.0 g/cm.sup.3. A method of forming an ITO ceramic sputtering target is also described by combining 53 to 65 wt. % of In.sub.2O.sub.3 and 35 to 47 wt. % of SnO.sub.2 to form a first In.sub.2O.sub.3/SnO.sub.2 mixture; mixing and milling the In.sub.2O.sub.3/SnO.sub.2 mixture in the presence of water and a dispersing agent until a first slurry is formed, wherein the average particle size of the first slurry is between 0.3-0.7 m and wherein the specific surface area is between 4-8.5 m.sup.2/g; drying the first slurry to form a powder; heat treating the powder at 1300 to 1500 C. to form a compound having an In.sub.4Sn.sub.3O.sub.12 phase; adding additional In.sub.2O.sub.3 and SnO.sub.2 to the compound having the In.sub.4Sn.sub.3O.sub.12 phase thereby forming an InSnO-based mixture having an atomic In/Sn ratio of 1.33; forming the ITO ceramic sputtering target.

A silicon nitride substrate including silicon nitride crystal grains and a grain boundary phase and having a thermal conductivity of 50 W/m.Math.K or more, wherein, in a sectional structure of the silicon nitride substrate, a ratio (T2/T1) of a total length T2 of the grain boundary phase in a thickness direction with respect to a thickness T1 of the silicon nitride substrate is 0.01 to 0.30, and a variation from a dielectric strength mean value when measured by a four-terminal method in which electrodes are brought into contact with a front and a rear surfaces of the substrate is 20% or less. The dielectric strength mean value of the silicon nitride substrate can be 15 kV/rum or more. According to above structure, there can be obtained a silicon nitride substrate and a silicon nitride circuit board using the substrate in which variation in the dielectric strength is decreased.

To provide a dental temporary calcined body including an inside colored by a coloring material wherein, the inside of the dental temporary calcined body is colored by a coloring liquid containing the coloring material and a penetrant containing a permeating liquid.