The present invention relates to an oxide sintered material that can be used suitably as a sputtering target for forming an oxide semiconductor film using a sputtering method, a method of producing the oxide sintered material, a sputtering target including the oxide sintered material, and a method of producing a semiconductor device 10 including an oxide semiconductor film 14 formed using the oxide sintered material.

The present invention relates to an oxide sintered material that can be used suitably as a sputtering target for forming an oxide semiconductor film using a sputtering method, a method of producing the oxide sintered material, a sputtering target including the oxide sintered material, and a method of producing a semiconductor device 10 including an oxide semiconductor film 14 formed using the oxide sintered material.

The ceramic material element includes a main phase of orthorhombic perovskite-structure and a secondary phase due to a heat treatment within 700° C. to 850° C. for a first period followed by a second period within 1140° C. to 1170° C., from a mixture of materials A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 excluding lead, the materials A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 having molar ratios R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5, respectively, where the material A1 comprises potassium, the material A2 comprises sodium, the material A3 comprises barium, the material A4 comprises niobium, and the material A5 comprises nickel, and the molar ratio R1 is in a range 0.29-0.32, the molar ratio R2 is in a range 0.20-0.23, the molecular ratio R3 is in a range 0.01-0.02, the molar ratio R4 is in a range 0.54-0.55, and the molar ratio R5 is in a range 0.006-0.011, while a relative ratio of R1/R2 is in the range 1.24-1.52, and a relative ratio of R4/R2 is in the range 2.32-2.62. The ceramic material element converts optical radiation energy and mechanical vibration energy into electric energy.

The ceramic material element includes a main phase of orthorhombic perovskite-structure and a secondary phase due to a heat treatment within 700° C. to 850° C. for a first period followed by a second period within 1140° C. to 1170° C., from a mixture of materials A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 excluding lead, the materials A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 having molar ratios R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5, respectively, where the material A1 comprises potassium, the material A2 comprises sodium, the material A3 comprises barium, the material A4 comprises niobium, and the material A5 comprises nickel, and the molar ratio R1 is in a range 0.29-0.32, the molar ratio R2 is in a range 0.20-0.23, the molecular ratio R3 is in a range 0.01-0.02, the molar ratio R4 is in a range 0.54-0.55, and the molar ratio R5 is in a range 0.006-0.011, while a relative ratio of R1/R2 is in the range 1.24-1.52, and a relative ratio of R4/R2 is in the range 2.32-2.62. The ceramic material element converts optical radiation energy and mechanical vibration energy into electric energy.

Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material reduced in dielectric loss tangent, and achieving both a large piezoelectric constant and a large mechanical quality factor. A piezoelectric material according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is a piezoelectric material including a main component formed of a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1): Na.sub.x+s(1−y)(Bi.sub.wBa.sub.1−s−w).sub.1−yNb.sub.yTi.sub.1−yO.sub.3 (where 0.84≤x≤0.92, 0.84≤y≤0.92, 0.002≤(w+s)(1−y)≤0.035, and 0.9≤w/s≤1.1), and a Mn component, wherein the content of the Mn is 0.01 mol % or more and 1.00 mol % or less with respect to the perovskite-type metal oxide.

Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material reduced in dielectric loss tangent, and achieving both a large piezoelectric constant and a large mechanical quality factor. A piezoelectric material according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is a piezoelectric material including a main component formed of a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1): Na.sub.x+s(1−y)(Bi.sub.wBa.sub.1−s−w).sub.1−yNb.sub.yTi.sub.1−yO.sub.3 (where 0.84≤x≤0.92, 0.84≤y≤0.92, 0.002≤(w+s)(1−y)≤0.035, and 0.9≤w/s≤1.1), and a Mn component, wherein the content of the Mn is 0.01 mol % or more and 1.00 mol % or less with respect to the perovskite-type metal oxide.

Provided is a dielectric composition containing: a main component expressed by {Ba.sub.xSr.sub.(1-x)}.sub.mTa.sub.4O.sub.12; and a first subcomponent, m satisfying a relationship of 1.95≤m≤2.40. The first subcomponent includes silicon and manganese. When the amount of the main component contained in the dielectric composition is set to 100 parts by mole, the amount of silicon contained in the dielectric composition is 5.0 to 20.0 parts by mole in terms of SiO.sub.2, and the amount of manganese contained in the dielectric composition is 1.0 to 4.5 parts by mole in terms of MnO.

Provided is a dielectric composition containing: a main component expressed by {Ba.sub.xSr.sub.(1-x)}.sub.mTa.sub.4O.sub.12; and a first subcomponent, m satisfying a relationship of 1.95≤m≤2.40. The first subcomponent includes silicon and manganese. When the amount of the main component contained in the dielectric composition is set to 100 parts by mole, the amount of silicon contained in the dielectric composition is 5.0 to 20.0 parts by mole in terms of SiO.sub.2, and the amount of manganese contained in the dielectric composition is 1.0 to 4.5 parts by mole in terms of MnO.

Thermal barrier coatings consist of a tantala-zirconia mixture that is stabilized with two or more stabilizers. An exemplary thermal barrier coating consists of, by mole percent: about 8% to about 30% YO.sub.1.5; about 8% to about 30% YbO.sub.1.5 or GdO.sub.1.5 or combination thereof; about 8% to about 30% TaO.sub.2.5; about 0% to about 10% HfO.sub.2; and a balance of ZrO.sub.2.

Thermal barrier coatings consist of a tantala-zirconia mixture that is stabilized with two or more stabilizers. An exemplary thermal barrier coating consists of, by mole percent: about 8% to about 30% YO.sub.1.5; about 8% to about 30% YbO.sub.1.5 or GdO.sub.1.5 or combination thereof; about 8% to about 30% TaO.sub.2.5; about 0% to about 10% HfO.sub.2; and a balance of ZrO.sub.2.