A substrate having a surface coated with a piezoelectric coating I, the coating including A-xMexN, wherein A is at least one of B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, and Me is at least one metallic element Me from the transition metal groups 3b, 4b, 5b 6b the lanthanides, and Mg the coating I having a thickness d, and further including a transition layer wherein the ratio of atomic percentage of Me to atomic percentage of Al steadily rises along a thickness extent δ3 of said coating for which there is valid:

δ3≤d.

The present disclosure is directed to compositions comprising at least one layer having first and second surfaces, each layer comprising: a substantially two-dimensional array of crystal cells, each crystal cell having an empirical formula of M′.sub.2M″nX.sub.n+1, such that each X is positioned within an octahedral array of M′ and M″; wherein M′ and M″ each comprise different Group 11113, WE, VB, or VIB metals; each X is C, N, or a combination thereof; n=1 or 2; and wherein the M′ atoms are substantially present as two-dimensional outer arrays of atoms within the two-dimensional array of crystal cells; the M″ atoms are substantially present as two-dimensional inner arrays of atoms within the two-dimensional array of crystal cells; and the two dimensional inner arrays of M″ atoms are sandwiched between the two-dimensional outer arrays of M′ atoms within the two-dimensional army of crystal cells.

Provided a method for producing a nitride phosphor. The method includes preparing a mixture that comprises a first nitride and a cerium source, the first nitride comprising, as a host crystal, a crystal having the same crystal structure as CaAlSiN.sub.3; and performing a heat treatment of the mixture at a temperature of 1,300° C. to 1,900° C. to obtain a second nitride. The first nitride comprises aluminum, silicon, nitrogen, and at least one selected from the group consisting of lithium, calcium, and strontium.

A nitride near-infrared fluorescent material has a general molecular formula of the nitride near-infrared fluorescent material is (Ca.sub.1-x-y-zSr.sub.xBa.sub.yEu.sub.z).sub.3[Li.sub.aMg.sub.bAl.sub.cSi.sub.d]N.sub.6. In the general molecular formula, 0≤x<1; 0≤y≤0.3; 0<z≤0.02; 3.4≤a≤4; 0≤b≤0.2; 0≤c≤0.4; 1.8≤d≤2; a+2b+3c+4d=12. The material can be adjusted and controlled to achieve a maximum emission peak wavelength of 830 nm, a maximum half-peak width of 4283 cm.sup.−1, and a quantum yield of 77%.

Pulsed DC reactive sputtering of a target deposits an additive-containing aluminium nitride film onto a metallic layer of a semiconductor substrate. The additive-containing aluminium nitride film contains an additive element selected from scandium, yttrium, titanium, chromium, magnesium and hafnium. Depositing the additive-containing aluminium nitride film includes introducing a gaseous mixture comprising nitrogen gas and an inert gas into the chamber at a flow rate, in which the flow rate of the gaseous mixture comprises a nitrogen gas flow rate, and in which the nitrogen gas flow rate is less than or equal to about 50% of the flow rate of the gaseous mixture and also is sufficient to fully poison the target.

Provided are group-III nitride nanoparticles that prevent the piezoelectric field caused by strains on the nanoparticles, achieving good luminous efficiency. The group-III nitride nanoparticle represented by Al.sub.xGa.sub.yIn.sub.zN (0≤x, y, z≤1) incorporating two crystal structures; a wurtzite structure and a zincblende structure, in a single particle. As another example, the group-III nitride nanoparticle has a core-shell structure with a core and a shell, in which the particle constituting the core contains two crystal structures; the wurtzite structure and the zincblende structure, in the particle. Nanoparticles containing the two crystal structures can be produced by using a phosphorus-containing solvent as a reaction solvent, and the mixture ratio of the two crystal structures, (wurtzite structure)/(zincblende structure), is 20/80 or higher.

A layer of a crystal of a nitride of a group 13 element selected from gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, indium nitride and the mixed crystals thereof includes an upper surface and a bottom surface. The upper surface includes a linear high-luminance light-emitting part and a low-luminance light-emitting region adjacent to the high-luminance light-emitting part, and the high-luminance light-emitting part has a portion extending along an m-plane of the crystal of the nitride of the group 13 element, when the upper surface is observed by cathode luminescence. The upper surface has an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 0.05 nm or more and 1.0 nm or less.

An object is to provide a piezoelectric body having a value indicating a higher performance index (d.sub.33, e.sub.33, C.sub.33, g.sub.33, and/or k.sup.2) than aluminum nitride not doped with any element. The piezoelectric body is represented by a chemical formula Al.sub.1-X-YMg.sub.XM.sub.YN where X+Y is less than 1, X is in a range of more than 0 and less than 1, and Y is in a range of more than 0 and less than 1.

Disclosed are methods and systems for depositing layers comprising vanadium, nitrogen, and element selected from the list consisting of molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, aluminum, and silicon. The layers are deposited onto a surface of a substrate. The deposition process may be a cyclical deposition process. Exemplary structures in which the layers may be incorporated include field effect transistors, VNAND cells, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures, and DRAM capacitors.

A method for manufacturing catalyst material is provided, which includes putting an M′ target and an M″ target into a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, in which M′ is Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, or Zn, and M″ is Nb, Ta, or a combination thereof. Powers are provided to the M′ target and the M″ target, respectively. Providing ions to bombard the M′ target and the M″ target to sputtering deposit M′.sub.aM″.sub.bN.sub.2 on a substrate, wherein 0.7≤a≤1.7, 0.3≤b≤1.3, and a+b=2, wherein M′.sub.aM″.sub.bN.sub.2 is a cubic crystal system.