Abstract: A method for forming an ultrafine particle brittle material at low temperature which includes the steps of applying a mechanical impact force or a pressure to a ultrafine particle brittle material so as to have a percentage in the ultrafine particles having a primary particle diameter less than 50 nm in all the particles of 10 to 90%, subjecting the resulting brittle material to a heat treatment at a temperature not higher than the sintering temperature thereof so as to have the above percentage of 50% or less, and then applying a mechanical impact force not less than the crushing strength to the resultant material, to crush the material, thereby joining the ultrafine particles in the brittle material with one another, to form a formed article of the ultrafine particle brittle material; and an ultrafine particle brittle material for use in the method.

Abstract: A planarized fine particle layered body which has fine particles sufficiently bonded together, sufficient density, flat surface and uniform density from a deposition of fine particles formed by supplying the fine particles to a substrate by AD method.

Abstract: A novel inorganic film/substrate composite material is formed having an improved transparency. A method for producing the same is also provided. An inorganic film/substrate composite material whose inorganic film has been formed by aerosol deposition (AD method), in which fine particles of an inorganic brittle material 0.2 to 2 ?m or less in size that contain few fine particles 0.15 ?m or less in size are sprayed on a substrate, characterized in that the transmittance of the inorganic film is 85% or higher in the visible light region.

Abstract: A structure body having the constitution in which the crystals of more than one types of brittle materials such as ceramics, metalloids, and the like are dispersed, a portion composed of the brittle materials is polycrystalline, the crystals constituting the polycrystalline portion substantially lacks the crystalline orientation, and boundary layers composed of glassy substances are substantially absent in the boundary face between the crystals. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a structure body composed of more than one types of brittle materials and having novel properties without involving a heating/sintering process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoelectric element in which a thin film of p-type thermoelectric material and a thin film of n-type thermoelectric material, which are formed on an electrically insulating substrate, are electrically connected, in which the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material are selected from specific complex oxides with a positive Seebeck coefficient and specific complex oxides with a negative Seebeck coefficient, respectively. The present invention also provides a thermoelectric module using the thermoelectric element(s) and a thermoelectric conversion method. In the thermoelectric element of the present invention, since a p-type thermoelectric material and an n-type thermoelectric material are formed into a thin film on an electrically insulating substrate, the thermoelectric element of the invention can be formed on substrates having various shapes, thereby providing thermoelectric elements having various shapes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite structure body obtained through processes of forming composite fine particles by way of a process in which a surface of brittle material fine particles is coated with at least one type of ductile material, bombarding the composite fine particles at a high velocity against a surface of a substrate, mutual rejoining of the composite fine particles is made through intermediary of a newly generated active surface formed by distortion or fracture, and thereby forming a structure body, above an anchor portion, in which crystals of the brittle material and crystals and/or microstructures of the ductile material fine particles are dispersed, and imparting internal distortion to the brittle material fine particles.

Abstract: A composite structure body obtained through a plurality of processes including forming composite fine particles by way of a process in which a surface of the fine particles of a brittle material is coated with another brittle material; then by bombarding the composite fine particles against a surface of a substrate at high velocities, an anchor portion biting the substrate surface is formed; the composite fine particles are simultaneously distorted and fractured by impact of the bombardment; mutual rejoining of the composite fine particles is made through intermediary of a newly generated active surface formed by the distortion or fracture; and thereby forming a structure body in which crystals and/or microstructures of the brittle materials are dispersed above the anchor portion; and a pre-processing which includes imparting internal distortion to the brittle material fine particles.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes an aerosol generating section which generates an aerosol; a jetting nozzle having an internal passage formed therein and through which the aerosol flows, the internal passage having one end serving as a supply port of the aerosol and having other end serving as a jetting port of the aerosol; a narrowed channel which is provided in the internal passage and which has a channel area narrower than a channel area on an upstream of the narrowed channel; and a collision portion which is provided in the internal passage on a downstream of the narrowed channel, and against which a flow of the aerosol passed through the narrowed channel collides. Since the aggregated particles are crushed and supplied from the jetting nozzle in the form of fine particles, a thin and uniform film can be formed on the process-objective material.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes a film forming chamber for performing a film formation; an exhaust unit connected to the film forming chamber to discharge a gas out of the film forming chamber; a holder provided in the film forming chamber to hold a process-objective material; a jetting nozzle provided in the film forming chamber on which a jetting port is formed in a slit shape, and jetting an aerosol containing particulate material to form a film made of the particulate material on the process-objective material; and a shielding member provided at a side of the jetting port in a longitudinal direction of the jetting port to cover a side of a jet flow of the aerosol jetted from the jetting port. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress a turbulence of a flow of the aerosol due to an exhaust flow, and to form the film uniformly.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus including a film forming chamber which forms a film, a jetting mechanism which jets aerosol containing material particles onto a substrate in the film forming chamber, a measuring chamber communicating with the film forming chamber, a measuring mechanism which measures a thickness of the film in the measuring chamber, a pressure adjusting mechanism which controls an internal pressure of the film forming chamber and the measuring chamber, a conveyor which transports the substrate between the film forming chamber and the measuring chamber, and a blocking section which blocks a communication between the film forming chamber and the measuring chamber. Accordingly, inside of the measuring chamber is maintained clean without being polluted with the aerosol, and the measurement precision can be maintained. In the film forming process, the film thickness can be easily and precisely measured, and fed back to the film forming condition.

Abstract: A method of producing a piezoelectric actuator includes the steps of: forming a first electrode layer on a substrate by jetting an aerosol containing particles of a conductive material and ceramic particles onto the substrate to make the particles adhere to the substrate; forming a piezoelectric layer on the first electrode layer by jetting an aerosol containing particles of a piezoelectric material onto the first electrode layer to make the particles adhere to the electrode; performing an annealing treatment for the piezoelectric layer; and forming, on the piezoelectric layer, a second electrode layer paring with the first electrode layer. Accordingly, the adherence between the substrate and the first electrode layer and between the first electrode layer and the piezoelectric layer are improved, thereby hardly causing exfoliation of the layers due to differences in coefficients of thermal expansion between the layers.

Abstract: A method of producing a film includes: a heating treatment step of performing a heating treatment for ceramic particles; a film-forming step for forming the film by jetting, onto a substrate, an aerosol containing the ceramic particles which have been subjected to the heating treatment so as to make the ceramic particles adhere to the substrate; and an annealing-treatment step for performing an annealing treatment for the film. Accordingly, it is possible to previously vaporize and remove water and an additive which would otherwise cause gasification in the annealing treatment step, thereby preventing the defect and destruction of the film in the annealing treatment step. Thus, it is possible to provide a piezoelectric actuator plate, for ink-jet head, having satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics.

Abstract: A structure body having the constitution in which the crystals of a brittle material such as a ceramic, a metalloid and the like and the crystals or the microstructures (the microstructure bodies composed of amorphous metal layers and an organic substance) of a ductile material such as a metal and the like are dispersed, the structure bodies (the portion composed of the brittle material) are polycrystalline, the crystals constituting the structure bodies substantially lack the crystalline orientation, and boundary layers composed of glassy substances are substantially absent in the boundary face between the crystals. It is thereby possible to obtain a structure body having novel characteristics, composed of a brittle material and a ductile material, without involving a heating/sintering process.

Abstract: A composite structure forming method comprises the steps of first pre-treating brittle material fine particles to impart an internal strain to the brittle material fine particles, secondly causing the brittle material fine particles in which the internal strain has been created to collide with a substrate surface at high speed or applying a mechanical impact force to the brittle material fine particles containing the internal strain therein provided on the substrate surface, to deform or fracture the brittle material fine particles, re-joining the fine particles through active new surfaces generated by the deformation or fracture, forming an anchor section made of polycrystalline brittle material of which part bites into the substrate surface at a boundary section between the new surfaces and the substrate, and further forming a structure made of polycrystalline brittle material on the anchor section.

Abstract: A light-beam scanning device includes a base plate having a torsion beam portion formed therein, and a mirror portion supported by the torsion beam portion and adapted to be oscillated. The light-beam scanning device includes one of a piezoelectric member, a magnetostrictive member and a permanent magnet member, which is fixed to or formed as a portion of the base plate. The mirror portion supported by the torsion beam portion is oscillated by a plate wave that is induced in the base plate by applying a voltage or electric field to the piezoelectric, magnetostrictive or permanent magnet member. The light-beam scanning device can efficiently generate a torsional oscillation in the mirror portion in a simplified structure.

Abstract: An optical element is formed from a molded body which is formed using an impact consolidation phenomenon in which mechanical impact is applied to ultra fine fragile particles which are supplied onto a substrate so that the ultra fine fragile particles are pulverized and bonded to each other. In the optical element, d6/?4<4×10?5 nm2 holds, in which d (nm) represents the average radius of a part of the molded body, such as a pore (void) or a different phase, having a refractive index different from that of a primary component of the molded body, and in which ? (nm) represents the wavelength of light transmitting through the molded body.

Abstract: A material composed of brittle material fine particles, such as ceramic or metalloid fine particles, for forming a composite structure on a substrate surface. The brittle material is pretreated to achieve a specific size range of fine particles and to develop a desired range of internal strain therein. The brittle material fine particles are adapted to form an aerosol with a gas stream, and when the aerosol is ejected to collide with a substrate surface, this causes collision of brittle material fine particles with a substrate surface thus imparting a mechanical impact to the fine particles. Such mechanical impact fractures or deforms the particles, and thereby generates an active new surface for brittle material fine particles after being fractured or deformed.

Abstract: A composite structure forming apparatus adapted to ejecting and causing an aerosol generated by scattering brittle material fine particles in a gas to collide with a substrate at high speed to form a structure made of the brittle material. The apparatus includes an aerosol generator for generating the aerosol, a nozzle for ejecting the aerosol, a shredder for shredding the brittle particles cohering in the aerosol and preventing cohesion of the brittle material fine particles, and a classifier for classifying the brittle material fine particles in the aerosol. The apparatus also includes a pretreatment device for creating internal strain in the brittle material fine particles, and a position control device for controlling the position of the nozzle relative to the substrate. The apparatus further includes a container having a sieve and a vibration device, and one or more of these components may be associated with the aerosol generator.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a composite structure body, comprising the steps of bombarding brittle material fine particles and ductile material fine particles separately or simultaneously against a surface of a substrate with high velocities such that an anchor portion biting said substrate surface is formed; the brittle material fine particles are simultaneously distorted or fractured by impact of the bombardment; mutual rejoining of the fine particles is made through intermediary of a newly generated active surface formed by the distortion or fracture; and thereby forming a structure body, above the anchor portion, in which crystals of the brittle material and crystals and/or microstructures of the ductile material fine particles are dispersed.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a composite structure body is provided which forms structure body having the constitution in which the crystals of more than one type of brittle material are dispersed and having novel properties without involving a heating/sintering process. The apparatus includes an aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol. The aerosol is generated through dispersing fine particles of more than one type of brittle material, or dispersing composite fine particles, in a gas. The apparatus also includes a nozzle configured to spray the aerosol, a classifier configured to classify the brittle material fine particles in the aerosol, and a disintegrating machine for disintegrating agglomerations of the brittle material fine particles in the aerosol. The composite structure body is manufactured in reduced pressure conditions by bombarding a substrate with the aerosol at a high velocity, whereby at least one of crystals and microstructures of said brittle materials are dispersed.