A multilayer ceramic capacitor (10) has a laminate body (20) constituted by dielectric layers (17) and internal electrode layers (18) stacked alternately. The dielectric layers (17) contain (Ba.sub.(1-x-y)Ca.sub.xSr.sub.y).sub.m(Ti.sub.(1-z)Zr.sub.z)O.sub.3, where 0.03≤x≤0.16, 0≤y≤0.02, 0<z≤0.02, 0.99≤m≤1.02, as a primary component, and an R oxide (R is a rare earth element) by 1.0 to 4.0 mol in equivalent element, an Mg compound by 0.2 to 2.5 mol in equivalent element, an Mn compound by 0.1 to 1.0 mol in equivalent element, a Zr compound by 0.1 to 2.0 mol in equivalent element, a V compound by 0.05 to 0.3 mol in equivalent element, and an Si compound by 0.2 to 5.0 mol in equivalent element, per 100 mol of the primary component. The multilayer ceramic capacitor can offer excellent DC bias properties and ensure high reliability.

The present invention provides a high thermal conductive silicon nitride sintered body having a thermal conductivity of 50 W/m.Math.K or more and a three-point bending strength of 600 MPa or more, wherein when an arbitrary cross section of the silicon nitride sintered body is subjected to XRD analysis and highest peak intensities detected at diffraction angles of 29.3±0.2°, 29.7±0.2°, 27.0±0.2°, and 36.1±0.2° are expressed as I.sub.29.3°, I.sub.29.7°, I.sub.27.0°, and I.sub.36.1°, a peak ratio (I.sub.29.3°)/(I.sub.27.0°+I.sub.36.1°) satisfies a range of 0.01 to 0.08, and a peak ratio (I.sub.29.7°)/(I.sub.27.0°+I.sub.36.1°) satisfies a range of 0.02 to 0.16. Due to above configuration, there can be provided a silicon nitride sintered body having a high thermal conductivity of 50 W/m.Math.K or more, and excellence in insulating properties and strength.

A scintillation crystal can include Ln.sub.(1-y)RE.sub.yX.sub.3, wherein Ln represents a rare earth element, RE represents a different rare earth element, y has a value in a range of 0 to 1, and X represents a halogen. In an embodiment, RE is Ce, and the scintillation crystal is doped with Sr, Ba, or a mixture thereof at a concentration of at least approximately 0.0002 wt. %. In another embodiment, the scintillation crystal can have unexpectedly improved linearity and unexpectedly improved energy resolution properties. In a further embodiment, a radiation detection system can include the scintillation crystal, a photosensor, and an electronics device. Such a radiation detection system can be useful in a variety of radiation imaging applications.

An object of the present invention is to provide ferrite particles for a filtering medium excellent in filtration ability having a small apparent density, capable of various properties maintained in the controllable state and filling a specified volume with a small amount, and a filtering medium made from the ferrite particles. In order to achieve the object, ferrite particles provided an outer shell structure containing Ti oxide for a filtering medium, and a filtering medium made from the ferrite particles are employed.

A multilayer electronic component that includes a stacked body having therein a plurality of dielectric layers including a CZ-based perovskite phase and an element M1, a plurality of internal electrode layers including Cu, and an interface layer including the element M1 in at least a portion of an interface with the plurality of internal electrode layers. Element M1 is an element that has a binding energy between CZ and Cu via the element M1 of less than or equal to −9.8 eV by first-principles calculation using a pseudopotential method. When amounts of elements included in the dielectric layers are expressed as parts by mol, a ratio m1 of an amount of the element M1 to an amount of the Zr in the interface layer is 0.03≤m1≤0.25.

A novel metal oxide or a novel sputtering target is provided. A sputtering target includes a conductive material and an insulating material. The insulating material includes an oxide, a nitride, or an oxynitride including an element M1. The element M1 is one or more kinds of elements selected from Al, Ga, Si, Mg, Zr, Be, and B. The conductive material includes an oxide, a nitride, or an oxynitride including indium and zinc. A metal oxide film is deposited using the sputtering target in which the conductive material and the insulating material are separated from each other.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a metal nitride, which is a method for synthesizing a metal nitride by igniting a raw material powder containing a metal powder housed in a reaction vessel (2) under a nitrogen atmosphere and propagating nitriding combustion heat of the metal powder to the whole of the housed raw material powder, characterized in that the raw material powder is housed in the reaction vessel (2) as a molded body (1B) having a void ratio of 40 to 70%. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing a metal nitride capable of suppressing the occurrence of powder scattering and improving the recovery rate of the metal nitride.

Functionalized textile materials are provided. At least a portion of a textile surface in includes a ceramic material, such as a binderless porous structured ceramic, and optionally, one or more functional layer is applied, resulting in a textile material with one or more desirable functional properties, such as hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, flame retardancy, photocatalysis, anti-fouling, and/or deodorant properties.

A wavelength converter 100 includes: a first phosphor 1 composed of an inorganic phosphor activated by Ce.sup.3+; and a second phosphor 2 composed of an inorganic phosphor activated by Ce.sup.3+ and different from the first phosphor. At least one of the first phosphor and the second phosphor is particulate. The first phosphor and the second phosphor are bonded to each other by at least one of a chemical reaction in a contact portion between the compound that constitutes the first phosphor and a compound that constitutes the second phosphor and of adhesion between the compound that constitutes the first phosphor and the compound that constitutes the second phosphor.

A ceramic electronic component includes a body including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode, and an external electrode disposed on the body and connected to the internal electrode. The dielectric layer includes a plurality of dielectric grains, and at least one of the plurality of dielectric grains has a core-dual shell structure having a core and a dual shell. The dual shell includes a first shell surrounding at least a portion of the core, and a second shell surrounding at least a portion of the first shell, and a concentration of a rare earth element included in the second shell is more than 1.3 times to less than 3.8 times a concentration of a rare earth element included in the first shell.