Abstract: A solid electrolyte is constituted by lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON). A multiplication value obtained by multiplying a ratio of a peak intensity of nitrogen atoms having a single bond with one P atom and having a double bond with another P atom to a peak intensity of an N2 state in a Raman spectroscopy spectrum by a ratio of a content amount of N atoms to a content amount of P atoms is greater than or equal to 0.40.

Abstract: A solid electrolyte is constituted by lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON). A multiplication value obtained by multiplying a ratio of a peak intensity of nitrogen atoms having a single bond with one P atom and having a double bond with another P atom to a peak intensity of an N2 state in a Raman spectroscopy spectrum by a ratio of a content amount of N atoms to a content amount of P atoms is greater than or equal to 0.40.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material containing a large number of crystal grains which contain, by 70 areal % or more, primary particles of non-octahedral shape, having particle diameters of 5 to 20 ?m, and composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure containing lithium and manganese as the constituent elements.

Abstract: Piezoelectric materials having improved electrical properties, and manufacturing methods of the same, are provided. In (Li, Na, K, Bi)(Nb, Ta)O3 based piezoelectric materials, the surface microstructures of sintered bodies include microscopic grains having grain diameters of less than 5 ?m, intermediate grains having grain diameters of 5 ?m or more and less than 15 ?m, and coarse grains having grain diameters of 15 ?m or more and 100 ?m or less.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic sintered body has a microstructure in which a matrix phase and an additional material phase having different compositions coexist and the additional material phase is dispersed in the matrix phase. A residual strain ratio of the additional material phase alone is larger than a residual strain ratio of the matrix phase alone. The matrix phase and the additional material phase have a composition in which a Mn compound containing Mn atoms of 0 parts by mole or more and 3 parts by mole or less and a Ba compound containing Ba atoms of 0 parts by mole or more and 1 part by mole or less are contained in a composite of 100 parts by mole represented by a general formula {Liy(Na1-xKx)1-y}a(Nb1-z-wTazSbw)O3, where a, x, y, z and w satisfy 0.9?a?1.2, 0.2?x?0.8, 0.0?y?0.2, 0?z?0.5 and 0?w?0.1, respectively.

Abstract: A (Li, Na, K)(Nb, Ta, Sb)O3 based piezoelectric material is a sintered body having a surface microstructure that comprises microscopic grains having a grain diameter of less than 5 ?m, intermediate grains having a grain diameter of 5 ?m or more and less than 15 ?m, and coarse grains having a grain diameter of 15 ?m or more and 50 ?m or less. The amount of coarse grains is 3% or more in a share of grains in terms of area. The piezoelectric material can be manufactured by mixing metal-containing compounds so as to give the above-mentioned formulation, calcining the mixture and then crushing the resultant to obtain a calcined/crushed powder, then keeping temperature constantly at a temperature within a range from 800 to 950° C. for a predetermined period of time in a constant temperature keeping process, and raising temperature to firing temperature for sintering.

Abstract: An alkali niobate-based piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramics sintered body including, as a main crystal phase, a perovskite type oxide containing at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Li, Na and K as A site constituent elements and at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Nb and Ta as B site constituent elements. The number of lattice-strained layers of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramics sintered body is preferably small. A diffuse scattering intensity ratio, which is a ratio of an intensity of diffuse scattering by a lattice-strained layer present near a domain wall to a sum of an X-ray diffraction intensity of a first lattice plane and that of a second lattice plane different in interplanar spacing from the first lattice plane due to crystallographic symmetry reduction is preferably 0.5 or lower.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing (Li, Na, K)(Nb, Ta)O3 type piezoelectric material having an improved relative dielectric constant and an electric-field-induced strain is provided. The method is a process in which a formed body of powder particles constituted of a composition of (Li, Na, K)(Nb, Ta)O3 is fired to produce the (Li, Na, K)(Nb, Ta)O3 type piezoelectric material, and a constant temperature is kept in a range of 850 to 1000° C. for a constant time before heating to a firing temperature.

Abstract: The production method of the present invention includes (A) a forming step of forming into a sheet-like compact a raw material containing at least a manganese compound and not containing a lithium compound; (B) a first firing step of firing the sheet-like compact formed through the forming step; and (C) a second firing step of firing a mixture of the fired compact obtained through the first firing step and a lithium compound at a temperature lower than the firing temperature employed in the first firing step.

Abstract: The production method of the present invention includes a raw material preparation step of preparing a raw material mixture; a firing step of firing the raw material mixture prepared through the raw material preparation step; and a crushing step of crushing the fired compact obtained through the firing step, wherein the raw material mixture contains a main raw material containing at least a manganese compound, and a seed crystal having a spinel-type crystal structure.

Abstract: The production method of the present invention includes (A) a raw material preparation step of preparing a raw material mixture containing at least a manganese compound; (B) a forming step of forming the raw material mixture prepared through the raw material preparation step into a compact having a longitudinal size L and a maximum size R as measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (i.e., in a thickness direction) such that L/R is 3 or more; (C) a firing step of firing the compact obtained through the forming step; and (D) a crushing step of crushing the fired compact obtained through the firing step.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic sintered body has a microstructure in which a matrix phase and an additional material phase having different compositions coexist and the additional material phase is dispersed in the matrix phase. A residual strain ratio of the additional material phase alone is larger than a residual strain ratio of the matrix phase alone. The matrix phase and the additional material phase have a composition in which a Mn compound containing Mn atoms of 0 parts by mol or more and 3 parts by mol or less and a Sr compound containing Sr atoms of 0 parts by mol or more and 1 part by mol or less are contained in a composite of 100 parts by mol represented by a general formula {Liy(Na1-xKx)1-y}a(Nb1-z-wTazSbw)O3, where a, x, y, z and w satisfy 0.9?a?1.2, 0.2?x?0.8, 0.0?y?0.2, 0?z?0.5 and 0?w?0.1, respectively.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic sintered body has a microstructure in which a matrix phase and an additional material phase having different compositions coexist and the additional material phase is dispersed in the matrix phase. A residual strain ratio of the additional material phase alone is larger than a residual strain ratio of the matrix phase alone. The matrix phase and the additional material phase have a composition in which a Mn compound containing Mn atoms of 0 parts by mole or more and 3 parts by mole or less and a Ba compound containing Ba atoms of 0 parts by mole or more and 1 part by mole or less are contained in a composite of 100 parts by mole represented by a general formula {Liy(Na1-xKx)1-y}a(Nb1-z-wTazSbw)O3, where a, x, y, z and w satisfy 0.9?a?1.2, 0.2?x?0.8, 0.0?y?0.2, 0?z?0.5 and 0?w?0.1, respectively.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material containing a large number of crystal grains which contain, by 70 areal % or more, primary particles of non-octahedral shape, having particle diameters of 5 to 20 ?m, and composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure containing lithium and manganese as the constituent elements.

Abstract: Manufacturing sintered bodies having microstructures including microscopic grains having a grain diameter of less than 5 ?m, intermediate grains having a grain diameter of 5 ?m or more and less than 15 ?m, and coarse grains having a grain diameter of 15 ?m or more and 100 ?m or less enables to obtain high electric characteristics. Chemical compounds including metal elements are mixed so that the ratio of the elements is a composition expressed by (Li, Na, K)(Nb, Ta)O3, the mixture is calcined and crushed to obtain calcined/crushed powder. The powder is sintered in a constant temperature keeping process wherein temperature is kept constantly at a predetermined temperature within a range from 800 to 900° C. for a predetermined period of time in a heating process, and then the powder is further sintered by raising temperature to firing temperature, thereby the piezoelectric materials having superior electric characteristics are manufactured.

Abstract: To provide an alkaline-niobate-based piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic composition that has excellent electric field induced strain during application of high electric field. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive film is a sintered body of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic composition. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic composition is a piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition, in which a compound of at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Ba, Sr, Ca, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Dy, Ho and Yb and a Mn compound are contained in a perovskite-type oxide containing Li, Na and K as A-site elements and Nb and Sb as B-site elements, where a ratio of a total number of atoms of the A-site elements to a total number of atoms of the B-site elements is more than one and the number of atoms of Sb to the total number of atoms of the B-site elements is 1 mol % or more and 10 mol % or less.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic sintered body has a microstructure in which a matrix phase and an additional material phase having different compositions coexist and the additional material phase is dispersed in the matrix phase. A residual strain ratio of the additional material phase alone is larger than a residual strain ratio of the matrix phase alone. The matrix phase and the additional material phase have a composition in which a Mn compound containing Mn atoms of 0 parts by mol or more and 3 parts by mol or less and a Sr compound containing Sr atoms of 0 parts by mol or more and 1 part by mol or less are contained in a composite of 100 parts by mol represented by a general formula {Liy(Na1-xKx)1-y}a(Nb1-z-wTazSbw)O3, where a, x, y, z and w satisfy 0.9?a?1.2, 0.2?x?0.8, 0.0?y?0.2, 0?z?0.5 and 0?w?0.1, respectively.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material having a specific surface area of 0.1 to 0.5 m2/g, which contains a large number of crystal grains containing primary particles of 5 to 20 ?m in particle diameter, composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure containing lithium and manganese as the constituent elements, and a bismuth compound containing bismuth, wherein the proportion of the primary particles contained in the large number of crystal grains is 70 areal % or more and the proportion of the bismuth contained in the bismuth compound is 0.005 to 0.5 mol % relative to the manganese contained in the lithium manganate.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material comprising a large number of crystal grains composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure, wherein the large number of crystal grains contain primary particles of 3 to 20 ?m in particle diameter by 70 areal % or more relative to all the crystal grains, the primary particles contain a component having a rectangular plane, and the ratio of the total area of all the rectangular planes to the total surface area of the primary particles is 0.5 to 5%.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material having an average from 1 ?m or lager to smaller than 5 ?m and containing a large number of crystal grains being composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure containing lithium and manganese as constituent elements, whose crystallite size is 500 to 1,500 nm in powder X-ray diffraction pattern, and whose value of a lattice strain (?) of 0.05×10?3 to 0.9×10?3 in powder X-ray diffraction pattern, and whose D50/DBET ratio is 1 to 4 wherein the D50 (?m) is the median diameter of the positive electrode active material and the DBET (?m) is calculated from the BET specific surface area by using the following general formula (1). DBET=6/(d×S)??(1) [Wherein d is the true density (g/cm3) of the positive electrode active material powder and S is BET specific surface area (m2/g) in the general formula (1).