A dielectric film containing an alkaline earth metal oxide having a NaCl type crystal structure as a main component, wherein the dielectric film has a (111)-oriented columnar structure in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the dielectric film, and in a Cu—Kα X-ray diffraction chart of the dielectric film, a half width of the diffraction peak of (111) is in a range of from 0.3° to 2.0°.

A composition for forming a PZT-based piezoelectric film formed of Mn-doped composite metal oxides is provided, the composition including: PZT-based precursors containing metal atoms configuring the composite metal oxides; a diol; and polyvinylpyrrolidone, in which when a metal atom ratio in the composition is shown as Pb:Mn:Zr:Ti, the PZT-based precursors are contained so that a metal atom ratio of Pb is satisfied to be from 1.00 to 1.20, a metal atom ratio of Mn is satisfied to be equal to or greater than 0.002 and less than 0.05, a metal atom ratio of Zr is satisfied to be from 0.40 to 0.55, a metal atom ratio of Ti is satisfied to be from 0.45 to 0.60, and the total of Zr and Ti in a metal atom ratio is 1.

Textured ceramic compositions having improved piezoelectric characteristics as compared with their random counterparts are provided. Methods of making the compositions and devices using them are also included. More particularly, compositions comprising textured ceramic Na.sub.0.5Bi.sub.0.5TiO.sub.3—BaTiO.sub.3(NBT-BT) materials synthesized from high aspect ratio NBT seeds exhibit improved characteristics, including an increased longitudinal piezoelectric constant (d.sub.33) and magnetoelectric coupling coefficient over randomly oriented NBT-BT. Additionally provided are compositions comprising of nanostructured Na.sub.0.5B.sub.0.5TiO.sub.3—BaTiO.sub.3 ferroelectric whiskers having a high aspect ratio. Nanostructured whiskers can be used to improve the piezoelectric properties of the bulk ceramics. The inventive materials are useful in microelectronic devices, with some finding particular application as multilayer actuators and transducers.

To obtain a piezoelectric film having excellent piezoelectric properties. An aspect of the present invention is a piezoelectric film having a crystal oriented in the c-axis direction and a crystal oriented in the a-axis direction, in which, when denoting the amount of a (004) component of the crystal oriented in the c-axis direction by C and denoting the amount of a (400) component of the crystal oriented in the a-axis direction by A, the piezoelectric film satisfies a formula 1 below.
C/(A+C)≧0.1  formula 1

Provided is a lithium complex oxide sintered plate for use in a positive electrode of a lithium secondary battery. The lithium complex oxide sintered plate has a structure in which a plurality of primary grains having a layered rock-salt structure are bonded, and has a porosity of 3 to 40%, a mean pore diameter of 15 μm or less, an open porosity of 70% or more, and a thickness of 15 to 200 μm. The plurality of primary grains has a primary grain diameter, i.e., a mean diameter of the primary grains, of 20 μm or less and a mean tilt angle of more than 0° to 30° or less. The mean tilt angle is a mean value of the angles defined by the (003) planes of the primary grains and the plate face of the lithium complex oxide sintered plate.

A ceramic lithium indium diselenide or like radiation detector device formed as a pressed material that exhibits scintillation properties substantially identical to a corresponding single crystal growth radiation detector device, exhibiting the intrinsic property of the chemical compound, with an acceptable decrease in light output, but at a markedly lower cost due to the time savings associated with pressing versus single crystal growth.

The present invention is directed to battery technologies and processing techniques thereof. In various embodiments, ceramic electrolyte powder material (or component thereof) is mixed with two or more flux to form a fluxed powder material. The fluxed powder material is shaped and heated again at a temperature less than 1100° C. to form a dense lithium conducting material. There are other variations and embodiments as well.

An oriented apatite-type oxide ion conductor includes a composite oxide expressed as A.sub.9.33+x[T.sub.6.00−yM.sub.y]O.sub.26.0+z, where A represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, T represents an element including Si or Ge or both, and M represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of B, Ge, Zn, Sn, W, and Mo, and where x is from −1.00 to 1.00, y is from 0.40 to less than 1.00, and z is from −3.00 to 2.00.

Disclosed is a lithium complex oxide sintered plate including a plurality of primary grains having a layered rock-salt structure, the primary grains being bonded. The lithium complex oxide has a composition represented by the formula: Li.sub.x(Co.sub.1-yM.sub.y)O.sub.2±δ (wherein, 1.0≤x≤1.1, 0<y≤0.1, 0≤δ<1, and M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ni, Al, and Mn), and the primary grains have a mean tilt angle of more than 0° to 30° or less, the mean tilt angle being a mean value of the angles defined by the (003) planes of the primary grains and the plate face of the lithium complex oxide sintered plate.

A method for forming a ceramic according to one embodiment includes electrophoretically depositing a plurality of layers of particles of a non-cubic material. The particles of the deposited non-cubic material are oriented in a common direction.