Abstract: A dielectric thin film element including a first electrode layer, a dielectric layer, and a second electrode layer located in this order from a substrate side. A relationship of 0.75?Rsk1?5.0 is satisfied, in which skewness of a roughness curve of the first electrode layer on the dielectric layer side is set as Rsk1.

Abstract: A dielectric film, contains: (1) Bi and Ti; (2) at least one element E1 selected from the group consisting of Na and K; and (3) at least one element E2 selected from the group consisting of Ba, Sr, and Ca. The dielectric film has a main phase containing an oxide that contains Bi, Ti, the element E1, and the element E2 and has a perovskite structure, and a subphase that contains Bi and has an oxygen concentration lower than that of the main phase. In a sectional surface of the dielectric film, a ratio RS of an area of the subphase to a sum of an area of the main phase and the area of the subphase is greater than or equal to 0.03 and less than or equal to 0.3.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dielectric element such as a thin-film capacitor including a dielectric film. The dielectric film contains a main component represented by the general formula (Ba1-xCax)z(Ti1-yZry)O3 wherein 0<x?0.500, 0<y?0.350, and 0.900?z?0.995. The dielectric film includes a layer containing columnar crystal grains and a layer containing spherical crystal grains, and contains as a sub-component at least one of divalent metal elements and trivalent metal elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dielectric element such as a thin-film capacitor including a dielectric film. The dielectric film contains a main component represented by the general formula (Ba1-xCax)z(Ti1-yZry)O3 wherein 0<x?0.500, 0<y?0.350, and 0.900?z?0.995. The dielectric film includes a layer containing columnar crystal grains and a layer containing spherical crystal grains, and contains as a sub-component at least one of divalent metal elements and trivalent metal elements.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal comprising pouring a molten aluminum or magnesium alloy which contains a crystal grain refiner and which is superheated to less than 50° C. above a liquidus temperature of aluminum or magnesium, directly into a vessel without using a cooling jig, maintaining the alloy in the vessel for 30 seconds to 30 minutes as a resultant melt is cooled to a temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established such that a temperature of the poured alloy which is liquid and superheated to less than 10° C. above the liquidus temperature or which is partially solid, partially liquid and at a temperature of less than 5° C. below the liquidus temperature decreases from an initial level and passes through a temperature zone 5° C. below the liquidus temperature within at least 10 minutes, whereby fine primary crystals are generated in the alloy, recovering the alloy from the vessel, supplying the alloy into a mold, and shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal comprising pouring a molten aluminum or magnesium alloy which contains a crystal grain refiner and which is superheated to less than 50° C. above a liquidus temperature of aluminum or magnesium, directly into a vessel without using a cooling jig, maintaining the alloy in the vessel for 30 seconds to 30 minutes as a resultant melt is cooled to a temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established such that a temperature of the poured alloy which is liquid and superheated to less than 10° C. above the liquidus temperature or which is partially solid, partially liquid and at a temperature of less than 5° C. below the liquidus temperature decreases from an initial level and passes through a temperature zone 5° C. below the liquidus temperature within at least 10 minutes, whereby fine primary crystals are generated in the alloy, recovering the alloy from the vessel, supplying the alloy into a mold, and shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal to provide shaped parts which are produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner, without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. The method includes feeding, without using a cooling jig, into an insulating vessel, a molten alloy containing an element for promoting generation of crystal nuclei and being held to be superheated to less than 100° C. above a liquidus temperature of the alloy; maintaining the molten alloy in the insulating vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as the alloy is cooled at a cooling rate of 0.01° C./s to 3.0° C./s thereby crystallizing fine primary spherical crystals in an alloy solution containing a specified liquid fraction; and feeding the alloy solution into a forming mold for shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal to provide shaped parts which are produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner, without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. The method includes feeding, without using a cooling jig, into an insulating vessel, a molten alloy containing an element for promoting generation of crystal nuclei and being held to be superheated to less than 100° C. above a liquidus temperature of the alloy; maintaining the molten alloy in the insulating vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as the alloy is cooled at a cooling rate of 0.01° C./s to 3.0° C./s thereby crystallizing fine primary spherical crystals in an alloy solution containing a specified liquid fraction; and feeding the alloy solution into a forming mold for shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the semisolid forming of alloys to enable shaped parts having a fine-grained, spherical thixotropic structure to be produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. In the method, a molten alloy having crystal nuclei at a temperature not lower than the liquidus temperature or a partially solid, partially molten alloy having crystal nuclei at a temperature not lower than a molding temperature is fed into an insulated vessel and is maintained in the insulated vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as it is cooled to the molding temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established, thereby crystallizing fine primary crystals in the alloy solution, and the alloy is fed into a forming mold, where it is shaped under pressure.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for producing a semisolid shaping metal that has fine primary crystals dispersed in the liquid phase and which also has a uniform temperature distribution comprises a melt pouring section comprising a melting furnace which melts and holds a metal and a pouring device which lifts out the molten metal from said melting furnace, adjusts it to a specified temperature and pours it into a holding vessel, a nucleating section which generates crystal nuclei in the melt as it is supplied from said pouring device into said holding vessel, a crystal generating section which performs temperature adjustment such that the metal obtained from said nucleating section falls within a desired molding temperature range as it is cooled to a molding temperature at which it is partially solid, partially liquid, a holding vessel heating section which adjusts the temperature of the holding vessel when it is empty, a holding vessel conditioning section which inverts the holding vessel so that a partially molten m