Abstract: There is provided a method of producing a polycrystalline transparent ceramic substrate used in a transparent substrate or the like for a liquid crystal projector. The method of producing a polycrystalline transparent ceramic substrate is characterized in comprising a step for sintering a ceramic body molded into a predetermined shape and producing a polycrystalline transparent ceramic sintered body, a step for cutting the polycrystalline transparent ceramic sintered body and producing a plurality of polycrystalline transparent ceramic cut bodies, a step for polishing the cut surfaces of the polycrystalline transparent ceramic cut bodies and producing polycrystalline transparent ceramic polished bodies, and a step for applying an antireflection coating to the polycrystalline transparent ceramic polished bodies and producing coated polycrystalline transparent ceramic bodies.

Abstract: There is provided a transparent polycrystalline spinel substrate characterized in having a transmittance of 0.005% or less in a crossed Nicol system at a thickness of 1 mm and a wavelength of 450 nm, which does not generate image blurring or light-dark change when used in optical products. There is also provided a method for producing the transparent polycrystalline spinel substrate comprising a step for preparing a spinel powder, a step for molding the spinel powder and producing a spinel formed body, a step for sintering the spinel formed body and producing a spinel sintered body, and a step for subjecting the spinel sintered body to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and producing a spinel polycrystalline body. There is further provided a liquid crystal projector and a receiver for rear-projection television having the aforementioned transparent polycrystalline spinel substrate.

Abstract: A borate-based crystal excellent in uniformity and reliability, which is useful as an optical wavelength conversion device, etc., and can be easily produced at low cost in a short period of time, by the steps of dissolving water-soluble starting materials in water to prepare an aqueous solution, evaporating water in the aqueous solution followed by sintering or evaporating the water and not sintering, thereby forming a crystal growth material, and melting the resultant material to grow a crystal. Further, a highly reliable laser oscillation apparatus can be achieved by using this crystal as an optical wavelength conversion device.

Abstract: Highly wear-resistant, low-friction ceramic composites suited for machining-tool, sliding-component, and mold-die materials are made available. The ceramic composites characterized are constituted from a phase having carbon of 3 ?m or less, preferably 30 nm or less, average crystal-grain size as the principal component, and a ceramic phase (with the proviso that carbon is excluded). The ceramic phase is at least one selected from the group made up of nitrides, carbides, oxides, composite nitrides, composite carbides, composite oxides, carbonitrides, oxynitrides, oxycarbonitrides, and oxycarbides of Al, Si, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo and W. The ceramic composites are produced by sintering the source-material powders at a sintering temperature of 800 to 1500° C. and a sintering pressure of 200 MPa or greater.

Abstract: A spinel sintered body has a composition of MgO·nAl2O3 (1.05?n?1.30) containing 20 ppm or less of Si element. A production method thereof includes the steps of: forming a compacted body from a spinel powder containing 50 ppm or less of Si element and having a purity of not less than 99.5 mass %; a first sintering step of forming a sintered body having a density of not less than 95% by sintering the compacted body at 1500° C. to 1700° C. in a vacuum; and a second sintering step of subjecting the sintered body to pressurized sintering at 1600° C. to 1800° C.

Abstract: A method for producing a GaN crystal capable of achieving at least one of the prevention of nucleation and the growth of a high-quality non-polar surface is provided. The production method of the present invention is a method for producing a GaN crystal in a melt containing at least an alkali metal and gallium, including an adjustment step of adjusting the carbon content of the melt, and a reaction step of causing the gallium and nitrogen to react with each other. According to the production method of the present invention, nucleation can be prevented, and as shown in FIG. 4, a non-polar surface can be grown.

Abstract: An optical element being high in productivity and capable of ensuring a large bonding area, and a production method of the optical element. At mold opening when a top part (120) provided with a round portion (121) moves upward, a preform is placed in an inner space the interior of which is formed by a rectangular sleeve (110) and the round portion (131) of a bottom part (130). At mold clamping when the top part (120) moves downward, the preform is pressurized. That is, a convex lens portion is transferred by the concave curved surface (122) and the edge surface (123) of the round portion (121) and the concave curved surface (132) and the edge surface (133) of the round portion (131). The four side surfaces of an optical element (1) are transferred by the inner wall surface (110a) of the sleeve (110).

Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a molded article formed with a thermosetting resin and an injection molding apparatus so that occurrence of blurs and containing of bubbles at the time of molding can be prevented.

Abstract: An optical wavelength conversion element includes a cesium-lithium-borate crystal processed into a 10-mm long optical element cut in an orientation that allows a fourth harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser to be generated. A transmittance (Ta) at 3589 cm?1 in an infrared transmission spectrum of the optical element is used as an index that indicates a content of water impurities in the crystal and is independent of a polarization direction. An actual measurement of the transmittance Ta is at least 1%, without taking into account loss at an optically polished surface of the crystal. A wavelength conversion device, a ultraviolet laser irradiation apparatus, a laser processing system, and a method of manufacturing an optical wavelength conversion element are also described.

Abstract: A method for producing a Group III element nitride single crystal, which comprises reacting at least one Group III element selected from the group consisting of gallium(Ga), aluminum(Al) and indium(In) with nitrogen(N) in a mixed flux of sodium(Na) and at least one of an alkali metal (except Na) and an alkaline earth metal. The method allows the production, with a good yield, of the single crystal of a group III element nitride which is transparent, is reduced in the density of dislocation, has a bulk form, and is large. In particular, a gallium nitride single crystal produced by the method has high quality and takes a large and transparent bulk form, and thus has a high practical value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a Group III nitride compound semiconductor crystal, the semiconductor crystal being grown through the flux method employing a flux. At least a portion of a substrate on which the semiconductor crystal is to be grown is formed of a flux-soluble material. While the semiconductor crystal is grown on a surface of the substrate, the flux-soluble material is dissolved in the flux from a surface of the substrate that is opposite the surface on which the semiconductor crystal is grown. Alternatively, after the semiconductor crystal has been grown on a surface of the substrate, the flux-soluble material is dissolved in the flux from a surface of the substrate that is opposite the surface on which the semiconductor crystal has been grown. The flux-soluble material is formed of silicon.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing group III-nitride semiconductor crystal includes the steps of accommodating an alloy containing at least a group III-metal element and an alkali metal element in a reactor, introducing a nitrogen-containing substance in the reactor, dissolving the nitrogen-containing substance in an alloy melt in which the alloy has been melted, and growing group III-nitride semiconductor crystal is provided. The group III-nitride semiconductor crystal attaining a small absorption coefficient and an efficient method of manufacturing the same, as well as a group III-nitride semiconductor device attaining high light emission intensity can thus be provided.

Abstract: A lens is manufactured by hardening soft material filled inside a molding tool by cooling. The lens includes a convex lens portion having an optical axis, and a marking portion located outside of an effective diameter of the lens portion. The shape or the position of the marking portion is set to prevent deformation of the marking portion by contact with the molding tool due to shrinkage of the material during cooling.

Abstract: A hollow cylindrical pulley body 5 is carried rotatably by a hollow cylindrical shaft member 11. A support rod 8 is inserted in the shaft member 11 to support the shaft member 11 for rocking motion about a pivot axis C2 orthogonal to the shaft member 11. The pivot axis C2 is inclined backward in the direction of belt travel with respect to the direction of load on the shaft member 11. With this configuration, when the drive belt 3 deviates to one side, the pulley body 5 is immediately angularly moved so that it is inclined with a level difference with respect to the direction of load on the shaft member 11 and is positioned obliquely relative to the drive belt 3, thereby producing a force of returning the drive belt 3 to its normal position.

Abstract: A hollow cylindrical pulley body 5 is carried rotatably by a hollow cylindrical shaft member 11. A support rod 8 is inserted in the shaft member 11, and the shaft member 11 is elastically supported to the support rod 8 through an elastic body 10. The elastic body 10 is provided within a quarter of the periphery of the support rod 8 that is located, when viewed along the axis of the shaft member 11, forward of the line of action of a radial shaft load on the shaft member 11 with respect to the direction of rotation of the pulley body 5. With this configuration, when the drive belt 3 deviates to one side, the pulley body 5 is immediately angularly moved so that it is inclined with a level difference with respect to the direction of the radial shaft load and is positioned obliquely relative to the drive belt 3. In this manner, a force of compensating for the deviation of the drive belt 3 is produced to avoid its wobbling.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a gallium nitride single crystal that can suppress the decomposition of gallium nitride and improve production efficiency in a sublimation method. According to the manufacturing method, a material (GaN powder) for the gallium nitride (GaN) single crystal is placed inside a crucible, sublimed or evaporated by heating, and cooled on a substrate surface to return to a solid again, so that the gallium nitride single crystal is grown on the substrate surface. The growth of the single crystal is performed under pressure. The pressure is preferably not less than 5 atm (5×1.013×105 Pa). The single crystal is grown preferably in a mixed gas atmosphere containing NH3 and N2.

Abstract: Ceramic composite material that has excellent mechanical properties within a range from room temperature to high temperature and high die release with respect to glass, resins, ceramics, and similar substances. The ceramic composite material is composed of a ceramic phase and a phase containing 2 to 98 wt. % carbon and/or boron nitride as the main component, and that has a mean particle size of 100 nm or less, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient is within a range of 2.0-9.0×10?6/° C. and the surface roughness after surface polishing is 0.05 ?m or less. The sintered body of the material is obtained by sintering a mixture of powdered starting materials at a sintering temperature of 800-1500° C. and a sintering pressure of 200 MPa or higher.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a group III-nitride crystal substrate including the steps of introducing an alkali-metal-element-containing substance, a group III-element-containing substance and a nitrogen-element-containing substance into a reactor, forming a melt containing at least the alkali metal element, the group III-element and the nitrogen element in the reactor, and growing group III-nitride crystal from the melt, and characterized by handling the alkali-metal-element-containing substance in a drying container in which moisture concentration is controlled to at most 1.0 ppm at least in the step of introducing the alkali-metal-element-containing substance into the reactor is provided. A group III-nitride crystal substrate attaining a small absorption coefficient and the method of manufacturing the same, as well as a group III-nitride semiconductor device can thus be provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a group III-nitride crystal substrate including the steps of introducing an alkali-metal-element-containing substance, a group III-element-containing substance and a nitrogen-element-containing substance into a reactor, forming a melt containing at least the alkali metal element, the group III-element and the nitrogen element in the reactor, and growing group III-nitride crystal from the melt, and characterized by handling the alkali-metal-element-containing substance in a drying container in which moisture concentration is controlled to at most 1.0 ppm at least in the step of introducing the alkali-metal-element-containing substance into the reactor is provided. A group III-nitride crystal substrate attaining a small absorption coefficient and the method of manufacturing the same, as well as a group III-nitride semiconductor device can thus be provided.

Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a group-III nitride crystal in which a nitrogen plasma is brought into contact with a melt containing a group-III element and an alkali metal to grow the group-III nitride crystal. Furthermore, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a group-III nitride crystal in which the group-III nitride crystal is grown on a substrate placed in a melt containing a group-III element and an alkali metal, with a minimal distance between a surface of the melt and a surface of the substrate set to be at most 50 mm.