It is an object to provide a ferroelectric thin film having much higher ferroelectric properties than conventional Sc-doped ferroelectric thin film constituted by aluminum nitride and also having stability when applied to practical use, and also to provide an electronic device using the same.

There are provided a ferroelectric thin film represented by a chemical formula M1.sub.1-XM2.sub.XN, wherein M1 is at least one element selected from Al and Ga, M2 is at least one element selected from Mg, Sc, Yb, and Nb, and X is within a range of 0 or more and 1 or less, and also an electronic device using the same.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for forming block crystals of a metal compound. In some embodiments, a method for forming block crystals of a metal compound may comprise (a) introducing a source metal into a furnace; (b) forming a complete or partial vacuum in the furnace and increasing a temperature of the furnace above a melting point of the source metal to form a liquid flow of the source metal; (c) breaking the liquid flow to generate particles of the source metal; (d) ionizing the particles in an ionization chamber to form ionized particles, wherein the ionization chamber has a temperature above a decomposition temperature of the metal compound; and (e) introducing the ionized particles into a growth chamber comprising a reactive gas that is reactive with the ionized particles, to thereby form the block crystals of the metal compound.

A nitride semiconductor substrate (11, 21) includes: a substrate (2); and an AlN-containing film (100, 200) provided above the substrate (2). A thickness of the AlN-containing film (100, 200) is at most 10000 nm, and a threading dislocation density of the AlN-containing film (100, 200) is at most 2×10.sup.8 cm.sup.−2.

A method for manufacturing a sputtering target with which an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects can be formed is provided. Alternatively, an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects is formed. A method for manufacturing a sputtering target is provided, which includes the steps of: forming a polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide (M represents a metal chosen among aluminum, titanium, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, cesium, neodymium, and hafnium) powder by mixing, sintering, and grinding indium oxide, an oxide of the metal, and zinc oxide; forming a mixture by mixing the polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide powder and a zinc oxide powder; forming a compact by compacting the mixture; and sintering the compact.

A method for manufacturing a sputtering target with which an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects can be formed is provided. Alternatively, an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects is formed. A method for manufacturing a sputtering target is provided, which includes the steps of: forming a polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide (M represents a metal chosen among aluminum, titanium, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, cesium, neodymium, and hafnium) powder by mixing, sintering, and grinding indium oxide, an oxide of the metal, and zinc oxide; forming a mixture by mixing the polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide powder and a zinc oxide powder; forming a compact by compacting the mixture; and sintering the compact.

A nitride laminate, in which contamination in the nitride layer is suppressed and crystallinity is improved, is provided. A nitride laminate includes a polymer substrate, and a nitride layer provided on at least one of the surfaces of the polymer substrate. The nitride layer has a wurtzite crystal structure. The atomic proportion of oxygen in the nitride layer is 2.5 atm. % or less, and the atomic proportion of hydrogen in the nitride layer is 2.0 atm. % or less. The FWHM of the X-ray rocking curve of the nitride layer is 8 degree or less.

A solid ion conductive material can include a complex metal halide. The complex metal halide can include at least one alkali metal element. In an embodiment, the solid ion conductive material including the complex metal halide can be a single crystal. In another embodiment, the ion conductive material including the complex metal halide can be a crystalline material having a particular crystallographic orientation. A solid electrolyte can include the ion conductive material including the complex metal halide.

A solid ion conductive material can include a complex metal halide. The complex metal halide can include at least one alkali metal element. In an embodiment, the solid ion conductive material including the complex metal halide can be a single crystal. In another embodiment, the ion conductive material including the complex metal halide can be a crystalline material having a particular crystallographic orientation. A solid electrolyte can include the ion conductive material including the complex metal halide.

A novel metal oxide is provided. The metal oxide includes a c-axis aligned crystal and contains indium, an element M (M is gallium, aluminum, yttrium, or tin), and zinc. In the metal oxide, the diffusion length of hydrogen is 200 nm or less and absorption due to localized states measured by a CPM is 0.01/cm or less. The diffusion length of hydrogen is calculated with the temperature being 400° C. and 1 hour.

A method of manufacturing a copper thin film using a single-crystal copper target, and more particularly, a method of manufacturing a copper thin film using a single-crystal copper target, wherein a copper thin film is deposited on a sapphire disk substrate through high-frequency sputtering using a single-crystal copper target grown through a Czochralski process, and may thus exhibit high quality in terms of crystallinity. The method includes depositing a copper thin film on a sapphire disk substrate through a high-frequency sputtering process using a disk-shaped single-crystal copper target obtained by cutting cylindrical single-crystal copper grown through a Czochralski process.