Abstract: The present invention is a semiconductor nanoparticle composed of a semiconductor crystal of a compound containing Ag, Au and S as essential constitutional elements. A AgAuS-based compound constituting the semiconductor nanoparticle has a total content of Ag, Au and S of 95 mass % or more. In addition, the compound is preferably a AgAuS ternary compound represented by the general formula Ag(nx)Au(ny)S(nz). In the formula, n is any positive integer. x, y and z represent proportions of the number of atoms of the respective atoms of Ag, Au and S in the compound and are real numbers satisfying 0<x, y, z?1, and x/y is 1/7 or more and 7 or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a metal wiring, to be formed on a flexible substrate, including a sintered body of silver particles. The sintered body constituting the metal wiring has a volume resistivity of 20 ??·cm or less, hardness of 0.38 GPa or less, and a Young's modulus of 7.0 GPa or less. A conductive sheet provided with the metal wiring can be produced by applying/calcinating, on a substrate, a metal paste containing, as a solid content, silver particles having prescribed particle size and particle size distribution, and further containing, as a conditioner, an ethyl cellulose having a number average molecular weight of 10,000 or more and 90,000 or less. The metal wiring of the present invention is excellent in bending resistance with change in electrical characteristics suppressed even through repetitive bending deformation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion element material provided with a base material and a light-receiving layer including a semiconductor film formed on the base material. The semiconductor film that forms this light-receiving layer includes Ag2?xBixSx+1 (x is an integer of 0 or 1) and has a crystallite diameter of 10 nm or more and 40 nm or less. The light-receiving layer can be produced by applying an ink containing the semiconductor nanoparticles dispersed in a dispersion medium to a base material and then firing the ink at 200° C. or higher and 350° C. or lower. The photoelectric conversion element material of the present invention has an absorption property with respect to light with wavelengths in the near infrared region and excellent photoresponsivity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a metal pattern on a pattern formation section set on a base material. In the present invention, a substrate provided with a fluorine-containing resin layer on a surface of the base material including the pattern formation section is used. The present inventive method for forming a metal pattern includes steps of: forming a functional group on the pattern formation section; and applying a metal ink including an amine compound and a fatty acid as protective agents to the base material surface to fix the metal particles on the pattern formation section. In the present invention, a fluorine-containing resin having a surface free energy measured by the Owens-Wendt method of 13 mN/m or more and 20 mN/m or less is applied as the fluorine-containing resin layer. Further, a metal ink including ethyl cellulose as an additive is applied as the metal ink.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a metal wiring, to be formed on a flexible substrate, including a sintered body of silver particles. The sintered body constituting the metal wiring has a volume resistivity of 20 ??·cm or less, hardness of 0.38 GPa or less, and a Young's modulus of 7.0 GPa or less. A conductive sheet provided with the metal wiring can be produced by applying/calcinating, on a substrate, a metal paste containing, as a solid content, silver particles having prescribed particle size and particle size distribution, and further containing, as a conditioner, an ethyl cellulose having a number average molecular weight of 10,000 or more and 90,000 or less. The metal wiring of the present invention is excellent in bending resistance with change in electrical characteristics suppressed even through repetitive bending deformation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a metal pattern on a pattern formation section set on a base material. In the present invention, a substrate provided with a fluorine-containing resin layer on a surface of the base material including the pattern formation section is used. The present inventive method for forming a metal pattern includes steps of: forming a functional group on the pattern formation section; and applying a metal ink including an amine compound and a fatty acid as protective agents to the base material surface to fix the metal particles on the pattern formation section. In the present invention, a fluorine-containing resin having a surface free energy measured by the Owens-Wendt method of 13 mN/m or more and 20 mN/m or less is applied as the fluorine-containing resin layer. Further, a metal ink including ethyl cellulose as an additive is applied as the metal ink.

Abstract: An electroconductive substrate including a base material and a metal wiring made of at least either of silver and copper, and the electroconductive substrate has an antireflection region formed on part or all of the metal wiring surface. This antireflection region is composed of roughened particles made of at least either of silver and copper and blackened particles finer than the roughened particles and embedded between the roughened particles. The blackened particles are made of silver or a silver compound, copper or a copper compound, or carbon or an organic substance having a carbon content of 25 wt % or more. The antireflection region has a surface with a center line average roughness of 15 nm or more and 70 nm or less. The electroconductive substrate is formed from metal wiring from a metal ink that forms roughened particles, followed by application of a blackening ink containing blackened particles.

Abstract: A silver ink including silver particles and a protective agent containing at least one amine compound dispersed in a dispersion medium containing, as a main solvent, a solvent having a vapor pressure at 20° C. of 40 mmHg or less and a vapor pressure at 70° C. of 0.09 mmHg or more, in an amount of 80% or more on a mass basis relative to the total dispersion medium. The amine compound has a mass average molecular weight of 115 or less, and the total amount of the amine compound is 1 part by weight or more and 14 parts by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of the silver particles. The silver ink has a moisture content of 500 ppm or more and 50,000 ppm or less and enables a practical metal film to be formed even through calcination at a low temperature of 70° C. or less.

Abstract: A metal ink containing metal particles including silver, a protective agent A including an amine compound, and a protective agent B including a fatty acid. The metal ink is configured such that the protective agent A includes at least one C4-12 amine compound, and the protective agent B includes at least one C22-26 fatty acid. It is preferable that the amine compound content is 0.2 mmol/g or more and 1.5 mmol/g or less on a silver particle mass basis. In addition, it is preferable that the fatty acid content is 0.01 mmol/g or more and 0.06 mmol/g or less on a silver particle mass basis.

Abstract: A metal ink containing metal particles including silver, a protective agent A including an amine compound, and a protective agent B including a fatty acid. The metal ink is configured such that the protective agent A includes at least one C4-12 amine compound, and the protective agent B includes at least one C22-26 fatty acid. It is preferable that the amine compound content is 0.2 mmol/g or more and 1.5 mmol/g or less on a silver particle mass basis. In addition, it is preferable that the fatty acid content is 0.01 mmol/g or more and 0.06 mmol/g or less on a silver particle mass basis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing silver particles, including the steps of: mixing a thermally decomposable silver compound and an amine compound to prepare a silver-amine complex as a precursor; and heating the silver-amine complex at a heating temperature equal to or higher than the decomposition temperature of the silver-amine complex to precipitate silver particles, the silver compound being silver carbonate, the amine compound being terminated with a primary amino group on at least one end and containing a predetermined hydrocarbon group R with a carbon number of 4 to 10. In the method of the present invention, silver particles with the particle size controlled to fall within the range of 20 nm to 200 nm in terms of an average particle size can be produced.

Abstract: The present invention is a metal colloid solution comprising: colloidal particles consisting of metal particles consisting of one or two or more metal(s) and a protective agent bonding to the metal particles; and a solvent as a dispersion medium of the colloidal particles, wherein: a chloride ion concentration per a metal concentration of 1 mass % is 25 ppm or less; and a nitrate ion concentration per a metal concentration of 1 mass % is 7500 ppm or less. In the present invention, adsorption performance can be improved with adjustment of the amount of the protective agent of the colloidal particles. It is preferable to bind the protective agent of 0.2 to 2.5 times the mass of the metal particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing silver particles, the method capable of adjusting the particle diameter to be within the range of several tens of nanometers to several hundreds of nanometers and also producing silver particles with a uniform particle diameter. The present invention relates to a method for producing silver particles by heating of a reaction system containing a thermally-decomposable silver-amine complex precursor, including a process of producing a silver-amine complex, a process of adding an organic compound having an amide (carboxylic amide) as a skeleton to a reaction system, and a process of heating the reaction system, in which a water content in the reaction system before the heating is 20 to 100 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the silver compound. The present invention can produce uniform silver particles while the particle diameter is controlled.

Abstract: The hydrogen combustion catalyst includes a catalyst metal supported on a carrier made of an inorganic oxide, wherein: a functional group having at least one alkyl group with three or less carbon atoms is bonded to a terminal of a hydroxyl group on the carrier surface by substitution; platinum and palladium are supported as the catalyst metal; and a chlorine content is 300 ppm to 2,000 ppm per 1 mass % of the total supported amount of a supported amount of platinum and a supported amount of palladium. The total supported amount of platinum and palladium is preferably 0.1 to 5.0 mass % based on mass of a whole catalyst. In the hydrogen combustion catalyst according to the present invention, when treating a gas that contains iodine and hydrogen, catalyst poisoning by iodine is suppressed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for treating a substrate that supports metal fine particles for forming a plating layer on a circuit pattern or TSVs in various substrates, in which further micronization treatment is enabled compared with the conventional methods, and the formation of a stable plating layer is enabled. The present invention is a method for treating a substrate, the method including bringing a substrate into contact with a colloidal solution containing metal particles in order to support the metal particles that serve as a catalyst for forming a plating layer on the substrate, in which the colloidal solution contains metal particles formed of Pd and having a particle size of 0.6 nm to 4.0 nm and a face-to-face dimension of the (111) plane of 2.254 ? or more. When an organic layer such as SAM is formed on a surface of the substrate before this treatment, the binding force of the Pd particles can be increased.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing silver particles, including the steps of: mixing a thermally decomposable silver compound and an amine compound to prepare a silver-amine complex as a precursor; and heating the silver-amine complex at a heating temperature equal to or higher than the decomposition temperature of the silver-amine complex to precipitate silver particles, the silver compound being silver carbonate, the amine compound being terminated with a primary amino group on at least one end and containing a predetermined hydrocarbon group R with a carbon number of 4 to 10. In the method of the present invention, silver particles with the particle size controlled to fall within the range of 20 nm to 200 nm in terms of an average particle size can be produced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing silver particles, the method capable of adjusting the particle diameter to be within the range of several tens of nanometers to several hundreds of nanometers and also producing silver particles with a uniform particle diameter. The present invention relates to a method for producing silver particles by heating of a reaction system containing a thermally-decomposable silver-amine complex precursor, including a process of producing a silver-amine complex, a process of adding an organic compound having an amide (carboxylic amide) as a skeleton to a reaction system, and a process of heating the reaction system, in which a water content in the reaction system before the heating is 20 to 100 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the silver compound. The present invention can produce uniform silver particles while the particle diameter is controlled.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for treating a substrate that supports metal fine particles for forming a plating layer on a circuit pattern or TSVs in various substrates, in which further micronization treatment is enabled compared with the conventional methods, and the formation of a stable plating layer is enabled. The present invention is a method for treating a substrate, the method including bringing a substrate into contact with a colloidal solution containing metal particles in order to support the metal particles that serve as a catalyst for forming a plating layer on the substrate, in which the colloidal solution contains metal particles formed of Pd and having a particle size of 0.6 nm to 4.0 nm and a face-to-face dimension of the (111) plane of 2.254 ? or more. When an organic layer such as SAM is formed on a surface of the substrate before this treatment, the binding force of the Pd particles can be increased.

Abstract: The present invention is a metal colloid solution comprising: colloidal particles consisting of metal particles consisting of one or two or more metal(s) and a protective agent bonding to the metal particles; and a solvent as a dispersion medium of the colloidal particles, wherein: a chloride ion concentration per a metal concentration of 1 mass % is 25 ppm or less; and a nitrate ion concentration per a metal concentration of 1 mass % is 7500 ppm or less. In the present invention, adsorption performance can be improved with adjustment of the amount of the protective agent of the colloidal particles. It is preferable to bind the protective agent of 0.2 to 2.5 times the mass of the metal particles.

Abstract: A method for supporting a catalytic metal on the surface of a carrier by bringing an aqueous catalytic metal salt solution into contact a porous carrier. The method includes the steps of: impregnating the carrier with a liquid hydrophobic organic compound before bringing the aqueous catalytic metal salt solution into contact with the carrier, and drying the impregnated carrier to volatilize the hydrophobic organic compound on the surface of the carrier, followed by bringing the carrier into contact with the aqueous catalytic metal salt solution; and then bringing a reducing agent into contact with the catalytic metal salt on the surface of the carrier to reduce the catalytic metal salt to undergo insolubilization treatment. The catalytic component is supported in a region from the surface of the carrier to a depth of 50 ?m or more and 500 ?m or less.