Abstract: An epoxy resin composition is provided which includes a polycrystalline structure comprised of a plurality of monocrystalline structures. The plurality of monocrystalline structures are respectively comprised of a plurality of silicon oxide colloidal particles regularly aligned in epoxy resin. The plurality of silicon oxide colloidal particles are not contacted with each other. The mean distance between the silicon oxide colloidal particles adjacent to each other is less than 330 nm. The mean particle size of the plurality of silicon oxide colloidal particles is less than 290 nm. The concentration of the plurality of silicon oxide colloidal particles is 10-50% by mass. A relative permittivity of 4 or more is ensured. A method for producing the epoxy resin composition is provided. Building materials, ornaments and optical materials, each using the epoxy resin composition, are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are: a sheet of colloidal crystals immobilized in resin exhibiting intense structural color, enabled to be observed easily from a squarely facing direction against a surface; and use thereof. The sheet of the present invention, assuming a direction perpendicular to part of a surface of a target area including partially the sheet surface is set as a specified axis, satisfies: (1) The target area includes plural inclined back-reflecting crystal-domains crystal domains having colloid particles immobilized in resin and including crystal lattice planes capable of Bragg-back reflecting at least some of components in a visible wavelength range of incident light having greater than 0 incident angle with the specified axis; and (2) By defining an azimuth angle around the specified axis, the inclined back-reflecting crystal-domains are so oriented that intensity of reflected light caused by Bragg back reflection varies depending on the azimuth angle of the incident light.

Abstract: A sheet of colloidal crystals immobilized in resin exhibiting intense structural color and allowing easy observation thereof from squarely facing direction against the surface; and application thereof are provided. The sheet includes crystal domains comprising colloidal crystals immobilized in resin. The Bragg reflection intensity resulting from crystal domains according to back reflection spectrum measurement to the sheet surface satisfies the following conditions (1) and (2). (1) When elevation angle from the sheet surface is in a range of at least 60° and less than 90° and measurement is performed at a predetermined azimuth angle on the sheet surface, intensity is not 0 and (2) when elevation angle from the sheet surface is in the range of at least 60° and less than 90° and azimuth dependency on the sheet surface is measured, the intensity exhibits a maximum value at the predetermined azimuth angle.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having a satisfactory and stable piezoelectric constant and electric insulation property in a wide practical temperature range. Provided is a piezoelectric material, including a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1) as a main component, the piezoelectric material containing Mn in a content of 0.01 part by weight or more and 0.80 part by weight or less with respect to 100 parts by weight of the perovskite-type metal oxide: (Li?xNa?yK?zBa?Bi0.5?+?)a(Ti?+?Fe?) O3 . . . (1), where 0.800???0.999, 0???0.150, 0.001???0.050, ?+?+?=1, 0?x?0.050, 0.045?y?0.450, 0.045?z?0.450, 0.450?x+y+z?0.500, and 0.980?a?1.020.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus including a cutting unit on which a cutting blade is detachably mounted, a control unit for controlling the cutting unit, and a blade case holder for holding a blade case for storing the cutting blade is provided. The blade case is provided with an IC tag allowing reading and writing of use history information of the cutting blade. The control unit is connected to a read/write unit for reading the use history information from the IC tag of the blade case held by the blade case holder and writing the use history information to the IC tag. The use history information read from the IC tag by the read/write unit is reflected in processing conditions for a workpiece to be processed, and the use history information after processing of the workpiece is written to the IC tag by the read/write unit.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a functional layer cutting step of applying a laser beam along each division line formed on a functional layer to thereby ablate the functional layer and form a laser processed groove along each division line. A protective member is attached to the front side of the functional layer. A groove is cut by positioning a cutting blade on the back side of the substrate in the area corresponding to each division line. The cut groove has a depth not reaching the functional layer. A dicing tape is attached to the back side of the substrate to support the outer circumferential portion of the dicing tape to an annular frame. The protective member is peeled off and the dicing tape attached to the back side of the substrate is expanded to increase the spacing between the devices.

Abstract: A wafer processing method divides a wafer along a plurality of crossing streets formed on the front side of the wafer to thereby partition a plurality of regions where a plurality of devices are respectively formed. The method includes a division groove forming step of cutting the back side of the wafer along each street by using a cutting blade to thereby form a division groove along each street with a predetermined thickness left between the bottom of the division groove and the front side of the wafer, a wafer supporting step of attaching the back side of the wafer to a dicing tape supported by an annular frame, and a wafer dividing step of applying an external force to the wafer attached to the dicing tape to thereby divide the wafer into the individual devices along the streets where the division grooves are respectively formed.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a functional layer cutting step of applying a laser beam along each division line formed on a functional layer to thereby ablate the functional layer and form a laser processed groove along each division line. A protective member is attached to the front side of the functional layer. A groove is cut by positioning a cutting blade on the back side of the substrate in the area corresponding to each division line. The cut groove has a depth not reaching the functional layer. A dicing tape is attached to the back side of the substrate to support the outer circumferential portion of the dicing tape to an annular frame. The protective member is peeled off and the dicing tape attached to the back side of the substrate is expanded to increase the spacing between the devices.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free dielectric ceramics having a low leakage current value, and a bismuth iron oxide powder as a raw material thereof. The bismuth iron oxide powder includes at least: (A) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a perovskite-type crystal structure; (B) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a crystal structure classified to a space group Pbam; and (C) grains including a bismuth iron oxide or a bismuth oxide having a crystal structure that is classified to a space group I23. The dielectric ceramics are made of bismuth iron oxide in which the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the crystal structure classified to the space group Pbam are distributed at a grain boundary of crystal grains of the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the perovskite-type crystal structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acrylic resin composition containing a polycrystal of colloidal particles of silicon oxide in an acrylic resin that is formed by curing an acrylic monomer liquid at room temperature and/or an acrylic oligomer liquid at room temperature, wherein a mean distance between the colloidal particles in the polycrystal is 140 to 330 nm. The size of the single crystal that constitutes the polycrystal can be controlled by adjusting the content of silicon oxide and/or the additive amount of impurities. An architectural material, a fashion accessory, and an optical material are provided that are formed by using the acrylic resin composition.

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing colloidal crystals from which a large single crystal reduced in lattice defects and unevenness can be easily produced at low cost without fail. The process for colloidal crystal production comprises: preparing a colloidal polycrystal dispersion in which colloidal crystals precipitate at a given temperature (preparation step); introducing into a vessel The colloidal polycrystal dispersion in the state of containing fine colloidal polycrystals precipitated (introduction step); and melting the colloidal polycrystals and then recrystallizing the molten polycrystals (recrystallization step). The crystals thus obtained have fewer lattice defects and less unevenness than the original polycrystals.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having a satisfactory and stable piezoelectric constant and electric insulation property in a wide practical temperature range. Provided is a piezoelectric material, including a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1) as a main component, the piezoelectric material containing Mn in a content of 0.01 part by weight or more and 0.80 part by weight or less with respect to 100 parts by weight of the perovskite-type metal oxide: (Li?xNa?yK?zBa?Bi0.5?+?)a(Ti?+?Fe?) O3 . . . (1), where 0.800???0.999, 0???0.150, 0.001???0.050, ?+?+?=1, 0?x?0.050, 0.045?y?0.450, 0.045?z?0.450, 0.450?x+y+z?0.500, and 0.980?a?1.020.

Abstract: An epoxy resin composition is provided which includes a polycrystalline structure comprised of a plurality of monocrystalline structures. The plurality of monocrystalline structures are respectively comprised of a plurality of silicon oxide colloidal particles regularly aligned in epoxy resin. The plurality of silicon oxide colloidal particles are not contacted with each other. The mean distance between the silicon oxide colloidal particles adjacent to each other is less than 330 nm. The mean particle size of the plurality of silicon oxide colloidal particles is less than 290 nm. The concentration of the plurality of silicon oxide colloidal particles is 10-50% by mass. A relative permittivity of 4 or more is ensured. A method for producing the epoxy resin composition is provided. Building materials, ornaments and optical materials, each using the epoxy resin composition, are also provided.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free dielectric ceramics having a low leakage current value, and a bismuth iron oxide powder as a raw material thereof. The bismuth iron oxide powder includes at least: (A) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a perovskite-type crystal structure; (B) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a crystal structure classified to a space group Pbam; and (C) grains including a bismuth iron oxide or a bismuth oxide having a crystal structure that is classified to a space group I23. The dielectric ceramics are made of bismuth iron oxide in which the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the crystal structure classified to the space group Pbam are distributed at a grain boundary of crystal grains of the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the perovskite-type crystal structure.

Abstract: There are disclosed a piezoelectric thin film having less non-uniform portions and holding satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics, a method of manufacturing the film, a piezoelectric element using the piezoelectric thin film, and an ink jet system recording head using the piezoelectric element. In the piezoelectric thin film of perovskite crystals formed on a substrate by a sol-gel process and represented by a general formula Pb(1-x)Lax(ZryTi1-y)O3 (where 0?x<1, 0.05?y?1), a film thickness of the thin film is 1000 nm or more and 4000 nm or less, and a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of y in an arbitrary portion of the thin film is 0.05 or less.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free dielectric ceramics having a low leakage current value, and a bismuth iron oxide powder as a raw material thereof. The bismuth iron oxide powder includes at least: (A) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a perovskite-type crystal structure; (B) grains including a bismuth iron oxide having a crystal structure classified to a space group Pbam; and (C) grains including a bismuth iron oxide or a bismuth oxide having a crystal structure that is classified to a space group I23. The dielectric ceramics are made of bismuth iron oxide in which the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the crystal structure classified to the space group Pbam are distributed at a grain boundary of crystal grains of the bismuth iron oxide crystals having the perovskite-type crystal structure.

Abstract: A wafer processing method divides a wafer along a plurality of crossing streets formed on the front side of the wafer to thereby partition a plurality of regions where a plurality of devices are respectively formed. The method includes a division groove forming step of cutting the back side of the wafer along each street by using a cutting blade to thereby form a division groove along each street with a predetermined thickness left between the bottom of the division groove and the front side of the wafer, a wafer supporting step of attaching the back side of the wafer to a dicing tape supported by an annular frame, and a wafer dividing step of applying an external force to the wafer attached to the dicing tape to thereby divide the wafer into the individual devices along the streets where the division grooves are respectively formed.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a method for producing a colloidal crystal, wherein the method is easily controlled and is capable of dealing with a wide range of types of colloidal particle. [Solution] The method for producing a colloidal crystal in the present invention is characterized by comprising a preparation step of preparing a colloidal dispersion liquid, in which colloidal particles are dispersed in a liquid comprising an ionic surfactant and a colloidal crystal can be formed due to temperature changes, and a crystallization step of formation of a colloidal crystal by changing the temperature of the colloidal dispersion liquid from a temperature region in which the colloidal crystal is not formed to a temperature region in which the colloidal crystal is formed.

Abstract: There is are disclosed a piezoelectric thin film having less non-uniform portions and holding satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics, a method of manufacturing the film, a piezoelectric element using the piezoelectric thin film, and an ink jet system recording head using the piezoelectric element. In the piezoelectric thin film of perovskite crystals formed on a substrate by a sol-gel process and represented by a general formula Pb(1?x)Lax (ZryTi1?y) O3 (where 0?x<1, 0.05?y?1), a film thickness of the thin film is 1000 nm or more and 4000 nm or less, and a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of y in an arbitrary portion of the thin film is 0.05 or less.

Abstract: There are disclosed a piezoelectric thin film having less non-uniform portions and holding satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics, a method of manufacturing the film, a piezoelectric element using the piezoelectric thin film, and an ink jet system recording head using the piezoelectric element. In the piezoelectric thin film of perovskite crystals formed on a substrate by a sol-gel process and represented by a general formula Pb(1?x)Lax(ZryTi1?y)O3 (where 0?x<1, 0.05?y?1), a film thickness of the thin film is 1000 nm or more and 4000 nm or less, and a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of y in an arbitrary portion of the thin film is 0.05 or less.