The main object of the present invention is to provide a sulfide solid electrolyte material having favorable ion conductivity and high stability against moisture. The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by providing a sulfide solid electrolyte material comprising an M1 element (such as Li element), an M2 element (such as Ge element, Sn element and P element) and a S element, and having a peak at a position of 2=29.580.50 in X-ray diffraction measurement using a CuK ray, characterized in that when a diffraction intensity at the above-mentioned peak of 2=29.580.50 is regarded as IA and a diffraction intensity at a peak of 2=27.330.50 is regarded as IB, a value of IB/IA is less than 0.50, and the M2 contains at least P and Sn.

The invention provides a material with perovskite-type structure having a formula selected from Formula I and Formula II. in which A represents one or more monovalent cations that can be selected from alkali metal ions, (organo)ammonium and (organo)phosphonium ions; A represents one or more divalent cations that can be selected from alkaline earth metal cations; A represents one or more trivalent cations that can be selected from lanthanide ions; a, b and c are each in the range of from 0 to 1, a+b+c=1; x=a+2b+3c; d is in the range of from 1 to 5, each of e, f and g are in the range of from 0 to 1. with the proviso that g is less than 1 in Formula I; e+f+g?1; y=2(e+f)+3g; each X in X and X2 is independently selected from the halogens; and h is in the range of from 0.0001 to 0.2. X2 is a dihalogen moiety, and can be the source of a valence band hole in the photovoltaic semiconducting material. The invention also relates to photovoltaic devices or a surface coating that comprises the material.

Provided is a sulfide solid electrolyte material which has a composition that does not contain Ge, while having a smaller Li content than conventional sulfide solid electrolyte materials, and which has both lithium ion conductivity and chemical stability at the same time. A sulfide solid electrolyte which has a crystal structure represented by composition formula (Li.sub.3.45+4Sn.sub.)(Si.sub.0.36Sn.sub.0.09)(P.sub.0.55Si.sub.)S.sub.4 (wherein 0.67, 0.33 and 0.43<+ (provided that 0.23<0.4 when =0.2 and 0.13<0.4 when =0.3 may be excluded)), or a crystal structure represented by composition formula Li.sub.7+Si.sub.P.sub.1S.sub.6 (wherein 0.1<0.3).

Disclosed are a single-source precursor for synthesizing metal chalcogenide nanoparticles for producing a light absorption layer of solar cells comprising a Group VI element linked as a ligand to any one metal selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and tin (Sn), metal chalcogenide nanoparticles produced by heat-treating at least one type of the single-source precursor, a method of preparing the same, a thin film produced using the same and a method of producing the thin film.

These halogen-containing tin oxide particles have a BET specific surface area of 25-100 m.sup.2/g and a crystallite diameter of 8-30 nm. The particles optimally contain 0.01-0.75 mass % halogen. Fluorine is optimally contained as the halogen. Optimally, the particles additionally contain tantalum, niobium, phosphorus, antimony, tungsten, or molybdenum. The volume resistivity is optimally 0.1-1000 .Math.cm.

A thermoelectric material of the present invention includes copper, tin, and sulfur, wherein a ratio A/B of the number A of copper atoms to the number B of tin atoms is 0.5 to 2.5 and a content of a metal element other than copper and tin is 5 mol % or less with respect to total metal elements. Additionally, the thermoelectric material of the present invention has a thermal conductivity less than 1.0 W/(m.Math.K) at 200 to 400 C.

The present invention provides a particularly advantageous form of alkaline earth metal hydroxystannate and alkaline earth metal stannate exhibiting a BET specific surface area of from 20 to 200 m2/g. A method of producing such particulate material and evidence of its benefits in use such as in at a reduction in a polymer sample at elevated temperature is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a hexafluoromanganate(IV), said method being characterized by comprising: inserting an anode and a cathode into a reaction solution that contains a compound containing manganese having an atomic valence of less than 4 and/or manganese having an atomic valence of more than 4 and hydrogen fluoride; and then applying an electric current having an electric current density of 100 to 1000 A/m.sup.2 between the anode and the cathode. According to the present invention, it becomes possible to produce a hexafluoromanganate(IV) in which the content ratio of manganese having an atomic valence of 4 is high and the contamination with oxygen is reduced and which has high purity. When a complex fluoride red phosphor is produced using the hexafluoromanganate(IV) as a raw material, the phosphor produced has high luminescence properties, particularly high internal quantum efficiency.

A sputtering target including an oxide with a low impurity concentration is provided. Provided is a method for manufacturing a sputtering target, including a first step of preparing a mixture including indium, zinc, an element M (the element M is aluminum, gallium, yttrium, or tin), and oxygen; a second step of raising a temperature of the mixture from a first temperature to a second temperature in a first atmosphere containing nitrogen at a concentration of higher than or equal to 90 vol % and lower than or equal to 100 vol %; and a third step of lowering the temperature of the mixture from the second temperature to a third temperature in a second atmosphere containing oxygen at a concentration of higher than or equal to 10 vol % and lower than or equal to 100 vol %.

A method of producing a kesterite material of CZTS, CZTSe or CZTSSe type, including the steps of: a) preparing an acidic solution by dissolving copper and zinc salts in water in desired molar ratio, b) preparing a basic solution by dissolving an alkali metal stannate together with an alkali metal carbonate or an alkali metal hydrogen carbonate or an alkali metal hydroxide or a combination thereof, and optionally with an alkali metal selenate or an alkali metal selenite or a mixture thereof, c) carrying out a precipitation reaction by mixing the acidic and the basic solution, d) drying the precipitate thereby providing a precursor for the kesterite material, and e) sulfurizing the precursor of step d to provide the kesterite material. Also, a precursor for a kesterite material of CZTS, CZTSe or CZTSSe type.