Abstract: A recording medium for ink jet printing comprises a base material layer such as paper or plastic sheet, a porous lower layer formed on the base material layer, and a porous upper layer formed on the porous lower layer. The porous lower layer contains hydrated alumina showing a boehmite structure. The porous upper layer mainly comprises agglomerates of spherical silica particles with particle diameters ranging between 1 and 100 nm and a binder and contains voids mainly found between the agglomerates, not within the agglomerates. Preferably, a second type of spherical silica particles having smaller particle diameters than the above first type of spherical silica particles are also contained in the porous upper layer, and in this case, the first type particles have particle diameters ranging between 10 and 100 nm and are mostly found outside the agglomerates, while the second type particles have particle diameters ranging between 1 and 10 nm and are mostly found within the agglomerates.

Abstract: Provided is a recording medium provided with a porous ink-receiving layer containing thermoplastic resin particles and an inorganic pigment laminated on a substrate, wherein the pore radius distribution curve of said porous ink-receiving layer has a maximum peak in a pore radius range of from 1 &mgr;m to 10 &mgr;m and at least one peak in a pore radius range of from 0.001 &mgr;m to 0.1 &mgr;m and the total volume of pores having radii of from 0.1 &mgr;m to 20 &mgr;m is not less than 0.5 cm3/g.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink-jet recording method in which recording is conducted with an ink comprising a pigment component on a recording medium comprising a substrate and a porous layer including polymer particles provided thereon. The method comprises, in the case where the pore diameter distribution of the porous layer including polymer particles and the particle diameter distribution of the pigment component are both expressed in terms of frequency distribution, the steps of forming an image upon controlling a proportion of the frequency of the pore diameter of the porous layer including polymer particles, which overlaps the particle diameter distribution of the pigment component, to the frequency of the whole pore diameter of the porous layer including polymer particles to from 0.1% to 10%; and heat-treating the porous layer including polymer particles after the formation of the image.

Abstract: A recording medium comprises a base member mainly made of pulp fibers and an ink receiving layer formed thereon containing an inorganic pigment and a binder. The recording medium shows a pore radius distribution having a peak attributable to pores in the base member and a peak attributable to pores in the ink receiving layer. The peak attributable to pores in the ink receiving layer is located between 8 and 50 nm. The ink receiving layer is formed on the base member by applying a coating formulation containing at least an inorganic pigment and a resin emulsion to the base member at a coating rate between 1 and 10 g/m2 so that the inorganic pigment and the resin emulsion become weakly agglomerate. The recording medium can be suitably used with an ink-jet recording system.

Abstract: A recording medium for ink jet printing comprises a base material layer such as paper or plastic sheet, a porous lower layer formed on the base material layer, and a porous upper layer formed on the porous lower layer. The porous lower layer contains hydrated alumina showing a boehmite structure. The porous upper layer mainly comprises agglomerates of spherical silica particles with particle diameters ranging between 1 and 100 nm and a binder and contains voids mainly found between the agglomerates, not within the agglomerates. Preferably, a second type of spherical silica particles having smaller particle diameters than the above first type of spherical silica particles are also contained in the porous upper layer, and in this case, the first type particles have particle diameters ranging between 10 and 100 nm and are mostly found outside the agglomerates, while the second type particles have particle diameters ranging between 1 and 10 nm and are mostly found within the agglomerates.

Abstract: Provided is a recording medium provided with a porous ink-receiving layer containing thermoplastic resin particles and an inorganic pigment laminated on a substrate, wherein the pore radius distribution curve of said porous ink-receiving layer has a maximum peak in a pore radius range of from 1 &mgr;m to 10 &mgr;m and at least one peak in a pore radius range of from 0.001 &mgr;m to 0.1 &mgr;m and the total volume of pores having radii of from 0.1 &mgr;m to 20 &mgr;m is not less than 0.5 cm3/g.

Abstract: An electrolytic etching method for etching treating an object to be etched by an electrochemical reaction through an electrolyte between the object to be etched and an etching electrode, where the contact angle of the electrolyte to the object to be etched is not more than 70°. This electrolytic etching method can etch the object in a non-contact manner, can reduce the cost, number of steps, and processing time, and can enhance the patterning accuracy.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element comprising an electrode comprising an electrically conductive core member which is coated with a conductive adhesive fixed on the light incident surface of a photoactive semiconductor layer, via the conductive adhesive, is disclosed. The conductive adhesive is composed of at least two layers. The softening point of the conductive adhesive layer nearer to the core member is higher than the highest temperature encountered in the manufacture of the photovoltaic element.

Abstract: A recording medium for use in ink-jet recording. The recording medium has a substrate and at least one porous resin layer formed on the substrate. The porous resin layer comprises heteromorphic microspheres formed of a thermoplastic resin. The invention also encompasses a process for producing a recording medium having at least one porous resin layer on a substrate. The process includes the steps of applying to the substrate a coating formulation comprising polymer colloid in which heteromorphic microspheres are dispersed, and drying the coating formulation at a temperature lower than the lowest film-forming temperature of the heteromorphic microspheres.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink-jet recording method in which recording is conducted with an ink comprising a pigment component on a recording medium comprising a substrate and a porous layer including polymer particles provided thereon, the method comprising, in the case where the pore diameter distribution of the porous layer including polymer particles and the particle diameter distribution of the pigment component are both expressed in terms of frequency distribution, the steps of forming an image upon controlling a proportion of the frequency of the pore diameter of the porous layer including polymer particles, which overlaps the particle diameter distribution of the pigment component, to the frequency of the whole pore diameter of the porous layer including polymer particles to from 0.1% to 10%, and heat-treating the porous layer including polymer particles after the formation of the image.

Abstract: A recording medium comprises a base member and at least a porous organic resin layer formed on the base member. The porous organic resin layer includes organic fine particles having both hydrophilic radicals and hydrophobic radicals, a water-absorbing binder and voids. The layer shows a pore size distribution having a highest peak found within a pore radius range between 3 nm and 300 nm, a pore volume of 0.2 cm3/g or more and a pH value of 5.2 or higher as observed by a method conforming to JIS P 8133. The layer is typically formed by applying to the base member a coating formulation of aqueous dispersion containing such organic fine particles, a water-absorbing binder and a basic substance and showing a pH value of 5.2 or higher as observed by a method conforming to JIS Z 8802, followed by drying.

Abstract: Provided is an electrolytic etching method for etching treating an object to be etched by an electrochemical reaction through an electrolyte between the object to be etched and an etching electrode, wherein the contact angle of the electrolyte to the object to be etched is not more than 70°. Thus provided is an electrolytic etching method that can etch the object in a non-contact manner, that can reduce the cost, the number of steps, and the processing time, and that can enhance the patterning accuracy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing a photovoltaic element, which comprises a step of immersing a photovoltaic element having at least a first electrode layer, a semiconductor layer and a second electrode layer formed on a substrate into an electrolytic solution, and removing a short circuit current path caused by a defect in the photovoltaic element under the effect of an electric field, wherein the amount of a first ingredient and the amount of a second ingredient contained in the electrolytic solution are adjusted to control the concentration of hydrogen ions in the electrolytic solution, wherein the constituent substance of the second electrode layer is electrically dissolved by the first ingredient, and thereby it also provides a method of producing photovoltaic elements which is capable of reducing a leakage current caused by defect portions such as pin-holes existing in the photovoltaic elements with a large area to obtain photovoltaic elements with excellent photovoltage generation ch

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a highly reliable semiconductor element with high performance, and a fabrication method for such highly reliable semiconductor with excellent mass producibility. The photovoltaic elements comprise an electric conductor, semiconductor regions and a transparent conductor layer, which are sequentially formed on a substrate. The shunt resistance in the semiconductor element is rendered in the range from 1.times.10.sup.3 .OMEGA.cm.sup.2 to 1.times.10.sup.6 .OMEGA.cm.sup.2 by performing a forming treatment and a short circuit passivation treatment after forming the transparent conductor layer, and then selectively covering with insulation the defective portions with a cationic or anionic electrodeposited resin, or performing a forming treatment, after forming the semiconductor layers, then selectively covering with insulation the defective portions with a cationic or anionic electrodeposited resin, and then forming the transparent conductor layer.

Abstract: An etching apparatus is described comprising a substrate holding segment for holding a substrate with a portion to be etched, an electrolytic bath for maintaining an electrolyte solution therein, a locomotive mechanism for moving the substrate holding segment in order to immerse the substrate held on the substrate holding segment in the electrolyte solution maintained in the electrolytic bath, and a counter electrode holding segment for holding a counter electrode having a pattern corresponding a desired etching pattern to be formed at the portion to be etched of the substrate. The counter electrode is positioned to oppose the substrate held on the substrate holding segment.

Abstract: An electrode structure is formed by superposing a bar-shaped or linear metal member on an electroconductive layer comprising a polymeric resin and an electroconductive filler dispersed therein. The electroconductive layer may be formed as an electroconductive sheet in advance and patterned before it is superposed with the metal member, followed by heat and pressure application to provide an electrode structure showing a low resistivity, a large adhesion even to an elevation and a high reliability. The electrode structure is suitably used for providing a collector electrode structure on a photo-electricity generating device.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device is provided which comprises a semiconductor layer, and an electrode comprising an electrode member and an conductive resin layer, wherein the electrode member has a constitution of a complex of a core and a periphery, and the periphery contains no particle with a particle size larger than 2 .mu.m. The electrode of this photovoltaic device exhibits high current collecting efficiency and is reliable in long use term.

Abstract: An electrode structure is constituted by a first electrode, and at least one second electrode providing a pair of opposite portions with a prescribed spacing therebetween at which the first electrode is disposed. The electrode structure is suitably used for electrolytic etching and is effective in providing an accurate etching pattern without damaging the surface of an etching object.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device is provided which comprises at least one metal wire on a surface of a photovoltaic element for collecting the power generated by the photovoltaic element, the at least one metal wire being coated with an electroconductive adhesive over the entire length and fixed onto the photovoltaic element. The photovoltaic device is produced without applying and curing the electroconductive adhesive in the photovoltaic device production process at low cost with high reliability.

Abstract: A method for etching an object having a portion to be etched on the surface thereof, comprising a step of immersing said object in an electrolyte solution such that said object serves as a negative electrode; a step of arranging a counter electrode having a pattern corresponding to a desired etching pattern to be formed at said portion to be etched of said object in said electrolyte solution so as to maintain a predetermined interval between said counter electrode and said object, and a step of applying a direct current or a pulse current between said object and said counter electrode to etch said portion to be etched of said object into a pattern corresponding to said pattern of said counter electrode.