Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate for a photoelectric conversion element that is low in cost as compared with a conventional ITO/glass substrate, easy to handle, and does not lower the power generation performance of the solar cell. The substrate for a photoelectric conversion element is made of a stainless steel sheet having a passive film on a surface thereof, an atomic ratio Cr/(Fe+Cr) of the passive film on a surface thereof is 0.08 or more.

Abstract: Auxetic structures, low porosity auxetic sheets, systems and devices with auxetic structures, and methods of using and methods of making auxetic structures are disclosed. An auxetic structure is disclosed which includes an elastically rigid body with a plurality of apertures extending through the elastically rigid body and a plurality of protrusions projecting from the elastically rigid body. The apertures and protrusions are arranged in an engineered pattern, such as an array of rows and columns. The apertures are cooperatively configured with the protrusions to provide a predefined porosity while exhibiting stress reduction through negative Poisson's Ratio (NPR) behavior under macroscopic planar loading conditions. In some embodiments, the protrusions, which are elliptical or semispherical dimples, are interposed in square or hexagonal patterns with the apertures, which are S-shaped through slots or circular boreholes.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to effectively suppress the overflow of brazing material from each joint of a sinter-brazed component, such as a planetary carrier, obtained by brazing a plurality of members together. According to the present invention, there is provided a sinter-brazed component obtained by mating and joining a first member having a first bonding surface and a second member having a second bonding surface to each other. Brazing material is provided between the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface. The first bonding surface has a first recess, the first recess having an inner peripheral wall and a bottom surface. The inner peripheral wall extends along and on an inner side of a profile line of the first bonding surface.

Abstract: An electrically conductive material for a connection component that includes a Cu—Sn alloy coating layer in which a Cu content is 55 to 70 atomic % and has an average thickness of 0.1 to 3.0 ?m, and a Sn coating layer having an average thickness of 0.2 to 5.0 ?m, which are formed in this order on a surface of a base material made of a copper or copper alloy sheet strip. When a reflected electron image of a material surface is observed with a scanning electron microscope at a magnification of 100 times, a region A and a region B having a higher brightness than the region A and in which the Cu—Sn alloy coating layer is not exposed coexist on the material surface, and an area ratio of the region A on the material surface is 2 to 65%.

Abstract: A coated substrate is provided that comprises: a substrate; and a barrier coating comprising a compound having the formula: Ln2ABOs, where Ln comprises scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, or mixtures thereof; A comprises Si, Ti, Ge, Sn, Ce, Hf, Zr, or a combination thereof; and B comprises Mo, W, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, B comprises Mo.