Abstract: Provided is a metal covered polyimide composite comprising a tie-coat layer and a metal seed layer formed on a surface of a polyimide film by electroless plating or a drying method, and a copper layer or a copper alloy layer formed thereon by electroplating, wherein the copper plated layer or copper alloy plated layer includes three layers to one layer of the copper layer or copper alloy layer. The provided metal covered polyimide composite can effectively prevent peeling in a non-adhesive flexible laminate (especially a two-layer flexible laminate), particularly can effectively inhibit peeling from the interface of a copper layer and tin plating. Additionally provided are a method of producing the composite and an apparatus for producing the composite.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a sintered compact including the steps of mixing raw material powders respectively composed of a chalcogenide element and a Vb group element or raw material powders of an alloy of two or more elements including a chalcogenide element and a Vb group element, and hot pressing the mixed powder under conditions that satisfy the following formula: P(pressure)?{Pf/(Tf?T0)}×(T?T0)+P0(Pf: final pressure, Tf: final temperature, P0: atmospheric pressure, T: heating temperature, T0: room temperature, and temperatures in Celsius). This method is able to produce a high-density, high-strength and large-diameter sintered compact containing a chalcogenide element (A) and a Vb group element (B) or containing the element (A) and (B) and additionally a IVb group element (C) and/or an additive element (D) which is free from cracks even when it is assembled and used as a sputtering target-backing plate assembly.

Abstract: In the operation, a flux mainly composed of silica ore and a non-ferrous metal-ore raw-material are charged into a smelting furnace via a conveying system. In order to increase the production amount of the metal, the flux is conveyed and treated through a first system, in which the flux is crushed in a ball mill and dried in the bail mill, and the crushed and dried flux is conveyed directly before the smelting furnace. The non-ferrous metal ore is treated and conveyed through a second system, in which it is dried with a drier and then conveyed directly before the smelting furnace. In the drier of copper concentrate, the flux is not dried at all.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to obtain a low-profile electrolytic copper foil with a small surface roughness on the side of the rough surface (the opposite side from the lustrous surface) in the manufacture of an electrolytic copper foil using a cathode drum, and more particularly to obtain an electrolytic copper foil which allows fine patterning, and which is superior in terms of elongation and tensile strength at ordinary temperatures and high temperatures. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to obtain a copper electrolytic solution for this purpose. This copper electrolytic solution contains as additives an organo-sulfur compound and a quaternary amine compound with a specific skeleton.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for collecting valuable metal from an ITO scrap including the steps of subjecting the ITO scrap to electrolysis and collecting the result as indium-tin alloy. Additionally provided is a method for collecting valuable metal from an ITO scrap including the steps of providing an ITO electrolytic bath and an indium-tin alloy collecting bath, dissolving the ITO in the electrolytic bath, and thereafter collecting indium-tin alloy in the indium-tin alloy collecting bath. These methods enable the efficient collection of indium-tin alloy from an ITO scrap of an indium-tin oxide (ITO) sputtering target or an ITO scrap such as ITO mill ends arisen during the manufacture of such ITO sputtering target.

Abstract: Provided is spherical copper fine powder in which the average grain size of copper fine powder is 0.05 ?m or more and 0.25 ?m or less. Additionally provided is a method of producing spherical copper fine powder including the steps of preparing a slurry by adding cuprous oxide to an aqueous medium containing an additive of natural resin, polysaccharide or a derivative thereof, adding 5 to 50% of an acid aqueous solution to the slurry at a time within 15 minutes, and thereby performing disproportionation. The process enables speedy, efficient and stable production of metallic copper particles controlled in particle shape or particle size, particularly copper fine powder having small particles in size.

Abstract: An AlRu sputtering target that is a sintered body composed of an AlRu intermetallic compound of 95 vol. % or more is provided. It is manufactured by a stable and low-cost method that provides it with an even texture, significantly reduces oxygen, prevents or suppresses the generation of particles, and improves the yield ratio of deposition goods.

Abstract: Provided is a sintered silicon wafer, wherein the ratio [I(220)/I(111) . . . (1)] of intensity of a (220) plane and intensity of a (111) plane measured by X-ray diffraction is 0.5 or more and 0.8 or less, and the ratio [I(311)/I(111) . . . (2)] of intensity of a (311) plane and intensity of a (111) plane is 0.3 or more and 0.5 or less. The provided sintered silicon wafer has a smooth surface in which its surface roughness is equivalent to a single crystal silicon.

Abstract: Provided is an amorphous film comprised substantially of indium, tin, magnesium and oxygen, and containing tin at a ratio of 5 to 15% based on an atomicity ratio of Sn/(In+Sn+Mg) and magnesium at a ratio of 0.1 to 2.0% based on an atomicity ratio of Mg/(In+Sn+Mg) with remnant being indium and oxygen, and having a film resistivity of 0.4 m?cm or less as a result of crystallizing the film by annealing the film at a temperature of 260° C. or lower. An amorphous ITO thin film for use as a display electrode and the like in flat panel displays is obtained by way of sputter deposition without heating the substrate and without the need of adding water during the deposition. This amorphous ITO film has the property of being crystallized by annealing at 260° C. or lower, which is not such a high temperature, and having low resistivity after crystallization. Also provided are a method of producing the film and a sintered compact for producing the film.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for analyzing minute amounts of Pd, Rh and Ru with high accuracy by a high-frequency plasma mass spectroscope. The method comprises (1) a step of pretreating a sample by an alkali fusion method using a sodium compound; and (2) a step of analyzing the pretreated sample using a high-frequency plasma mass spectroscope; wherein, in step (2), the distance between a sampling cone and a skimmer cone is adjusted such that the concentration of 40Ar65Cu which interferes with Pd, the concentrations of 40Ar63Cu and 40Ar40Ar23Na which interfere with Rh, and the concentrations of 38Ar63Cu and 40Ar38Ar23Na which interfere with Ru are all equal to or less than 0.05 ppb.

Abstract: Ultrahigh purity copper having a residual resistance ratio of 38,000 or greater and a purity of 8N or higher (excluding gas components of O, C, N, H, Sand P), and in particular ultrahigh purity copper wherein the respective elements of O, C, N, H, S and P as gas components are 1 ppm or less is provided.

Abstract: A nickel crucible used for melting an analytical sample in the pretreatment of the analytical sample, characterized in that the purity of the nickel crucible is 99.9999 wt % or higher. Also provided is a method of analysis, comprising melting a sample by the use of the nickel crucible for melting having a purity of 99.9999 wt % or higher, and analyzing the melt to thereby obtain an analytical result in which the respective lower limits of determination of Mn, Al, Si, Mg, Pb, Fe, Co, Ti, Cu, Cr, Zr, Mo, and W are Mn: 5 wtppm, Al: 10 wtppm, Si: 10 wtppm, Mg: 5 wtppm, Pb: 5 wtppm, Fe: 5 wtppm, Co: 5 wtppm, Ti: 20 wtppm, Cu: 20 wtppm, Cr: 10 wtppm, Zr: 5 wtppm, Mo: 2 wtppm, and W:10 wtppm. In light of the recent analytical technology demanded of fast and accurate measurement of high purity materials, high purity analysis is attained through inhibition of mixing of impurities from the crucible.

Abstract: A sputtering target is provided that has a relative density of 80% or more and contains a compound having as its principal component zinc oxide satisfying AXBYO(KaX+KbY)/2(ZnO)m, 1<m, X?m, 0<Y?0.9, X+Y=2, where A and B are respectively different positive elements of trivalence or more, and the valencies thereof are respectively Ka and Kb. A ZnO based sputtering target is obtained which does not contain ZnS and SiO2, and, upon forming a film via sputtering, is capable of reducing the affect of heating the substrate, of performing high speed deposition, of adjusting the film thickness to be thin, of reducing the generation of particles (dust) and nodules during sputtering, of improving the productivity with small variation in quality, and which has fine crystal grains and a high density of 80% or more, particUlarly 90% or more.

Abstract: It is to provide a substrate for growing a semiconductor, which is effective for suppressing an occurrence of surface defects different in type from hillock defects in case of epitaxially growing a compound semiconductor layer, particularly an Al-based compound semiconductor layer. In a substrate for growing a compound semiconductor, in which a crystal surface inclined at a predetermined off angle with respect to a (100) plane is a principal plane, an angle made by a direction of a vector obtained by projecting a normal vector of the principal plane on the (100) plane and one direction of a [0-11] direction, a [01-1] direction, a [011] direction and a [0-1-1] direction is set to be less than 35°, and the compound semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on the substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a tantalum sputtering target having a crystal structure in which the (222) orientation is preferential from a position 10% of the target thickness toward the center face of the target, and a manufacturing method of a tantalum sputtering target, including the steps of forging and recrystallization annealing, and thereafter rolling, a tantalum ingot or billet having been subject to melting and casting, and forming a crystal structure in which the (222) orientation is preferential from a position of 10% of the target thickness toward the center face of the target. As a result, evenness (uniformity) of the film is enhanced, and quality of the sputter deposition is improved.

Abstract: Provided is high purity nickel or nickel alloy target for magnetron sputtering having superior sputtering film uniformity and in which the magnetic permeability of the target is 100 or more, and this high purity nickel or a nickel alloy target for magnetron sputtering capable of achieving a favorable film uniformity (evenness of film thickness) and superior in plasma ignition (firing) even during the manufacturing process employing a 300 mm wafer. The present invention also provides the manufacturing method of such high purity nickel or nickel alloy target.

Abstract: Provided is a copper alloy sputtering target containing 0.01 to (less than) 0.5 wt % of at least 1 element selected from Al or Sn, and containing Mn or Si in a total amount of 0.25 wtppm or less. The above copper alloy sputtering target allows the formation of a wiring material for a semiconductor element, in particular, a seed layer being stable, uniform and free from the occurrence of coagulation during electrolytic copper plating and exhibits excellent sputtering film formation characteristics. A semiconductor element wiring formed with this target is also provided.

Abstract: Provided is iron silicide powder in which the content of oxygen as the gas component is 1500 ppm or less, and a method of manufacturing such iron silicide powder including the steps of reducing iron oxide with hydrogen to prepare iron powder, heating the iron powder and Si powder in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to prepare synthetic powder containing FeSi as its primary component, and adding and mixing Si powder once again thereto and heating this in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to prepare iron silicide powder containing FeSi2 as its primary component. The content of oxygen as the gas component contained in the iron silicide powder will decrease, and the iron silicide powder can be easily pulverized as a result thereof. Thus, the mixture of impurities when the pulverization is unsatisfactory will be reduced, the specific surface area of the iron silicide powder will increase, and the density can be enhanced upon sintering the iron silicide powder.

Abstract: Provided is an amorphous film substantially comprised of indium, tin, calcium and oxygen, wherein tin is contained at a ratio of 5 to 15% based on an atomicity ratio of Sn/(In+Sn+Ca) and calcium is contained at a ratio of 0.1 to 2.0% based on an atomicity ratio of Ca/(In+Sn+Ca), and remnant is indium and oxygen. The film can be further crystallized by annealing at a temperature of 260° C. or lower in which resistivity of the film will be 0.4 m?cm or less. An ITO thin film for use as a display electrode or the like in a flat panel display can be made into an amorphous ITO film by way of sputter deposition without heating the substrate or adding water during deposition. This ITO film is characterized in that it will crystallize by annealing at a temperature of 260° C. or less, which is not such a high temperature, and have low resistivity after being crystallized. Thus, the present invention aims to provide a method of producing such a film and a sintered compact for producing such a film.

Abstract: An electrolytic copper foil for a lithium rechargeable (secondary) battery, wherein the 0.2% proof stress is 18 to 25 kgf/mm2 and the elongation rate is 10% or more; and a process for producing an electrolytic copper foil for a lithium rechargeable battery, wherein an electrolytic copper foil whose 0.2% proof stress is 18 to 25 kgf/mm2 and elongation rate is 10% or more is manufactured by subjecting the electrolytic copper foil to an annealing treatment at a temperature within the range of 175° C. to 300° C. The present invention provides such an electrolytic copper foil used for a lithium rechargeable battery that has good proof stress and elongation rate and will not be easily broken due to electrode breakage caused by charge and discharge of the lithium rechargeable battery; and the invention also provides a process for producing such an electrolytic copper foil.