According to the present invention, a method for manufacturing a rare earth magnet that is capable of manufacturing a high-performance rare earth magnet with stable quality in large amount by the grain boundary diffusion method utilizing a film formed by the physical vapor phase deposition method is provided.

A glazing includes a glass substrate on which is deposited a coating including at least one layer, the layer being formed from a material including metal nanoparticles dispersed in an inorganic matrix of an oxide, in which the metal nanoparticles are made of a metal chosen from the group formed by silver, gold, platinum, copper and nickel or of an alloy formed from at least two of these metals, in which the matrix including an oxide of at least one element chosen from the group of titanium, silicon and zirconium and in which the atomic ratio M/Me in the material is less than 1.5, M representing all atoms of the elements of the group of titanium, silicon and zirconium present in the layer and Me representing all of the atoms of the metals of the group formed by silver, gold, platinum, copper and nickel present in the layer.

A novel oxide semiconductor, a novel oxynitride semiconductor, a transistor including them, or a novel sputtering target is provided. A composite target includes a first region and a second region. The first region includes an insulating material and the second region includes a conductive material. The first region and the second region each include a microcrystal whose diameter is greater than or equal to 0.5 nm and less than or equal to 3 nm or a value in the neighborhood thereof. A semiconductor film is formed using the composite target.

The color of an electrochromic stack in a tinted state may be modified to achieve a desired color target by utilizing various techniques alone or in combination. A first approach generally involves changing a coloration efficiency of a WO.sub.x electrochromic (EC) layer by lowering a sputter temperature to achieve a WO.sub.x microstructural change in the EC layer. A second approach generally involves utilizing a dopant (e.g., Mo, Nb, or V) to improve the neutrality of the tinted state of WO.sub.x (coloration efficiency changes). A third approach generally involves tailoring a thickness of the WO.sub.x layer to tune the color of the tinted stack.

Provided is a MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 sintered body, which includes a relative density of the MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 sintered body being 90% or higher, and an L* value in a L*a*b* color system being 90 or more. A method of producing a MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 sintered body is characterized by that a MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 powder is hot pressed at 1150 to 1300° C., and is thereafter subjected to atmospheric sintering at 1350° C. or higher. Embodiments of the present invention address the issue of providing a high density and white MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 sintered body and a sputtering target using the sintered body, and a method of producing a MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 sintered body.

A copper-based alloy sputtering target includes copper and a metal element selected from manganese, chromium, cobalt, aluminum, tin, titanium, and combinations thereof. Based on a total weight of the copper-based alloy sputtering target, copper is present in an amount of not less than 98 wt %, and the metal element is present in an amount ranging from 0.3 wt % to 2.0 wt %. The copper-based alloy sputtering target has an average value of Kernel Average Misorientation of not greater than 2° as determined by Electron Backscatter Diffraction, and an average value of Vickers hardness on a sputtering surface that ranges from 90 Hv to 120 Hv. A method for making the copper-based alloy sputtering target is also disclosed.

Methods for manufacturing rotary target materials that allows a material to be cast in a melting zone of a casting vessel while the vessel is rotated such that a melting zone is below a casting zone. The vessel is sealed and the pressure inside the vessel is reduced and the exterior of the vessel is heated. The melting zone of the vessel is heated to a temperature that melts the material and releases any trapped gasses which can be pumped out using the vacuum pump. Once the melting zone and molten material have reached a specified temperature, outgassed, and the casting zone has reached a temperature to maximize adhesion and reduce voids and defects, the vessel is rotated until the melting zone is directly above the casting zone to transfer the material from the melting zone to the casting zone.

Provided is a sputtering target material having excellent crack resistance and a method of producing the same. Also provided is a sputtering target material and a method of producing the same. The sputtering target material is composed of an alloy consisting of B; one or more rare earth elements; and the balance consisting of Co and/or Fe and unavoidable impurities. The amount of B in the alloy is 15 at. % or more and 30 at. % or less. The one or more rare earth elements are selected from the group consisting of Pr, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho. The total amount of the one or more rare earth elements in the alloy is 0.1 at. % or more and 10 at. % or less.

A gold sputtering target is made of gold and inevitable impurities, and has a surface to be sputtered. In the gold sputtering target, an average value of Vickers hardness is 40 or more and 60 or less, and an average crystal grain size is 15 μm or more and 200 μm or less. A {110} plane of gold is preferentially oriented at the surface to be sputtered.

Provided is a sputtering target which can lower a heat treatment temperature for ordering a Fe—Pt magnetic phase and can suppress generation of particles during sputtering. The sputtering target is a nonmagnetic material-dispersed sputtering target containing Fe, Pt and Ge. The sputtering target includes at least one magnetic phase satisfying a composition represented by (Fe.sub.1-αPt.sub.α).sub.1-βGe.sub.β, as expressed in an atomic ratio for Fe, Pt and Ge, in which α and β represent numbers meeting 0.35≤α≤0.55 and 0.05≤β≤0.2, respectively. The magnetic phase has a ratio (S.sub.Ge30mass %/S.sub.Ge) of 0.5 or less. The ratio (S.sub.Ge30mass %/S.sub.Ge) is an average area ratio of Ge-based alloy phases containing a Ge concentration of 30% by mass or more (S.sub.Ge30mass %) to an area ratio of Ge (S.sub.Ge) calculated from the entire composition of the sputtering target, in element mapping by EPMA of a polished surface obtained by polishing a cross section perpendicular to a sputtering surface of the sputtering target.