Provided is a sputtering target, the sputtering target containing 0.05 at % or more of Bi and having a total content of metal oxides of from 10 vol % to 60 vol %, the balance containing at least Co and Pt.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a first particle in a reactor; the first particle being a magnetic particle or a particle that can be influenced by a magnetic field, an electric field or a combination of an electrical field and a magnetic field; fluidizing the first particle in the reactor; applying a uniform magnetic field, a uniform electrical field or a combination of a uniform magnetic field and uniform electrical field to the reactor; elevating the temperature of the reactor; and fusing the first particles to form a monolithic solid.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a first particle in a reactor; the first particle being a magnetic particle or a particle that can be influenced by a magnetic field, an electric field or a combination of an electrical field and a magnetic field; fluidizing the first particle in the reactor; applying a uniform magnetic field, a uniform electrical field or a combination of a uniform magnetic field and uniform electrical field to the reactor; elevating the temperature of the reactor; and fusing the first particles to form a monolithic solid.

Provided is a ceramic composite material and a wavelength converter. The ceramic composite material includes: an alumina matrix, a fluorescent powder uniformly distributed in the alumina matrix, and scattering centers uniformly distributed in the alumina matrix, wherein the alumina matrix is an alumina ceramics, the scattering centers are alumina particles, the alumina particles each have a particle diameter of 1 μm to 10 μm, and the fluorescent powder has a particle diameter of 13 μm to 20 μm.

A sputtering target comprising a top coat including a composition of lithium cobalt oxide LiyCozOx. x is smaller than or equal to y+z, and the lithium cobalt oxide has an X-Ray diffraction pattern with a peak P2 at 44°±0.2° 2-theta. The X-Ray diffraction pattern is measured with an X-Ray diffractometer with CuKα1 radiation.

An electronic component includes a multilayer body including a multilayer main body including end surfaces at which internal nickel electrode layers are exposed, side gap portions, external nickel layers on the end surfaces of the multilayer body, and external copper electrode layers covering the end surfaces on which the external nickel layers are provided. A nickel-based oxide and/or a silicon-based oxide are provided between the external nickel layer and the external copper electrode layer. A nickel layer and a tin layer are provided outside the external copper electrode layer. In a cross section passing through a middle of the electronic component in the width direction and extending in the length direction and the lamination direction, a relationship of about 0.2≤Tea/Tem≤about 1.1 is satisfied.

A Faraday rotator and an optical isolator having a high transmittance and a high Verdet constant are provided. The optical isolator includes at least a Faraday rotator that rotates a polarization plane of incident light in a non-reciprocal manner, a polarizer disposed on a light incident side of the Faraday rotator, and an analyzer disposed on a light exit side of the Faraday rotator. The Faraday rotator is made of an oxide containing ytterbium oxide (Yb.sub.2O.sub.3), and is manufactured by a ceramic manufacturing process, wherein the oxide is allowed to contain an oxide of a metal other than ytterbium, and the proportion of ytterbium in all metal atoms in the oxide is 80% or more.

A Faraday rotator and an optical isolator having a high transmittance and a high Verdet constant are provided. The optical isolator includes at least a Faraday rotator that rotates a polarization plane of incident light in a non-reciprocal manner, a polarizer disposed on a light incident side of the Faraday rotator, and an analyzer disposed on a light exit side of the Faraday rotator. The Faraday rotator is made of an oxide containing ytterbium oxide (Yb.sub.2O.sub.3), and is manufactured by a ceramic manufacturing process, wherein the oxide is allowed to contain an oxide of a metal other than ytterbium, and the proportion of ytterbium in all metal atoms in the oxide is 80% or more.

An extrudable ceramic precursor mixture and method of use includes: an inorganic ceramic-forming component, a first siloxane prepolymer, a second siloxane prepolymer with a different composition than the first siloxane prepolymer, a catalyst adapted to catalyze polymerization of the first siloxane prepolymer with the second siloxane prepolymer into a siloxane-based polymer, and a thermally curable siloxane-based cross-linking agent adapted to crosslink the siloxane-based polymer. Comprised is a polydimethylsiloxane having a vinyl functional group and a polydimethylsiloxane having a silicon hydride functional group.

An extrudable ceramic precursor mixture and method of use includes: an inorganic ceramic-forming component, a first siloxane prepolymer, a second siloxane prepolymer with a different composition than the first siloxane prepolymer, a catalyst adapted to catalyze polymerization of the first siloxane prepolymer with the second siloxane prepolymer into a siloxane-based polymer, and a thermally curable siloxane-based cross-linking agent adapted to crosslink the siloxane-based polymer. Comprised is a polydimethylsiloxane having a vinyl functional group and a polydimethylsiloxane having a silicon hydride functional group.