Abstract: A photovoltaic device includes a light absorbing layer as a p-type semiconductor, a buffer layer, and a window layer. The light absorbing layer, the buffer layer, and the window layer are provided in this order. A film of a sulfide-based compound semiconductor containing Cu, Zn, Sn, and S is used as the light absorbing layer. In addition, the buffer layer includes a material having a composition of Zn1-xMgxO (0<x?0.4), and including a phase having a hexagonal crystal structure as a main component.

Abstract: Because a mirror electron imaging type inspection apparatus for obtaining an inspection object image with mirror electrons has been difficult to optimize inspection conditions, since the image forming principles of the apparatus are different from those of conventional SEM type inspection apparatuses. In order to solve the above conventional problem, the present invention has made it possible for the user to examine such conditions as inspection speed, inspection sensitivity, etc. intuitively by displaying the relationship among the values of inspection speed S, inspection object digital signal image pixel size D, inspection object image size L, and image signal acquisition cycle P with use of a time delay integration method as a graph on an operation screen. The user can thus determine a set of values of a pixel size, an inspection image width, and a TDI sensor operation cycle easily with reference to the displayed graph.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device has a tilt detection unit that detects a tilt of a sample surface and an E×B deflector in which an electric field and a magnetic field are overlapped with each other and which causes, according to the detected tilt of the sample surface, the sample surface to be perpendicularly irradiated with an irradiation charged particle beam while, at the same time, aligning the trajectory of the charged particle beam with the optical axis centers of an irradiation optical system and an imaging optical system; thereby, the charged particle beam device can prevent problems possibly occurring in cases where a sample stage is tilted or a sample surface is undulating and can enable an accurate image to be acquired.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery of the present invention includes a current collector and a negative electrode active material layer carried on the current collector. The negative electrode active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles. The current collector has a surface including a depression and a plurality of projected regions defined by the depression. The projected regions carry the columnar particles. Further, the present invention relates to a lithium secondary battery using the foregoing negative electrode. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a high-capacity negative electrode excellent mainly in cycle characteristics for a lithium secondary battery, and a lithium secondary battery including the same.

Abstract: This invention provides a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including the negative electrode. The negative electrode includes a Li-absorbing element as a negative electrode active material, is free from deformation, separation of the negative electrode active material layer from the negative electrode current collector, and deposition of lithium on the negative electrode current collector, and is excellent in cycle characteristic, large-current discharge characteristic, and low-temperature discharge characteristic. The negative electrode of this invention includes: a current collector having depressions and protrusions on a surface in the thickness direction thereof; and a negative electrode active material layer that includes a plurality of columns containing a negative electrode active material that absorbs and releases lithium ions, the columns being grown outwardly from the surface of the current collector.

Abstract: A nonaqueous solvent for an electrical storage device disclosed in the present application includes fluorine-containing cyclic saturated hydrocarbon having a structure represented by the following general formula (1) in which one or two substituents R are introduced into a cyclopentane ring; and a compound having a relative dielectric constant of 25 or higher (in general formula (1), R is represented by CnX2n+1 where n is an integer of 1 or greater, at least one of (2n+1) pieces of X's is F, and the other X's are H).

Abstract: An electrode for a lithium secondary battery including a sheet-like current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector. The active material layer is capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium, and the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles having at least one bend. An angle ?1 formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from a bottom to a first bend of the columnar particles, and a direction normal to the current collector is preferably 10° or more and less than 90°. When ?n+1 is an angle formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from an n-th bend counted from a bottom of the columnar particles to an (n+1)-th bend, and the direction normal to the current collector, and n is an integer of 1 or more, ?n+1 is preferably 0° or more and less than 90°.

Abstract: An electrode for a lithium secondary battery including a sheet-like current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector. The active material layer is capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium, and the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles having at least one bend. An angle ?1 formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from a bottom to a first bend of the columnar particles, and a direction normal to the current collector is preferably 10° or more and less than 90°. When ?n+1 is an angle formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from an n-th bend counted from a bottom of the columnar particles to an (n+1)-th bend, and the direction normal to the current collector, and n is an integer of 1 or more, ?n+1 is preferably 0° or more and less than 90°.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery disclosed in the present application includes: a positive electrode capable of absorbing and releasing lithium, containing a positive electrode active material composed of a lithium-containing transition metal oxide having a layered crystalline structure; and a negative electrode capable of absorbing and releasing lithium, containing a negative electrode active material composed of a lithium-containing transition metal oxide obtained by substituting some of Ti element of a lithium-containing titanium oxide having a spinel crystalline structure with one or more element different from Ti, wherein a retention of the negative electrode is set to be greater than a retention of the positive electrode, and an irreversible capacity rate of the negative electrode is set to be greater than an irreversible capacity rate of the positive electrode, whereby a discharge ends by negative electrode limitation.

Abstract: An electron beam inspection apparatus images reflected electrons and cancels negative charging derived from electron-beam irradiation. Ultraviolet rays are irradiated and an irradiated area of ultraviolet rays is displayed as a photoelectron image. The photoelectron image and a reflected-electron image are displayed on a monitor while being superposed on each other, to easily grasp the positional relationship between the images and the difference in size between them. Specifically, the shape of the irradiated area of an electron beam includes the shape of the irradiated area of ultraviolet rays on a display screen. The intensity of the ultraviolet rays in the irradiated area of the electron beam is adjusted while the reflected-electron imaging conditions for the reflected-electron image are sustained.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention includes a current collector 12, and an active material layer 14 formed on the current collector 12. The active material layer 14 includes a plurality of negative-electrode active material members 16 disposed on the current collector 12. Each negative-electrode active material member 16 is oxide, including a first region 18 of a relatively high oxygen concentration and a plurality of second regions 20 having an oxygen concentration which is lower than that of the first region 18. The first region 18 extends from a bottom face of each negative-electrode active material member 16 in a direction away from the surface of the current collector. The plurality of second regions 20 are alternately disposed on both sides of the first region 18.

Abstract: A negative electrode active substance material for a lithium ion secondary battery contains a lithium titanium complex oxide having a composition expressed as Li4Ti5-xMnxO12 (where 0<x?0.3), Li4Ti5-x-yMnxVyO12 (where 0<x?0.3, 0<y?0.05), or Li4Ti5-x-zMnxBzO12 (where 0<x?0.3, 0<z?0.3).

Abstract: A negative electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery contains a lithium titanium complex oxide having a composition expressed as Li4Ti5-x-yFexVyO12 (where 0?x?0.3, 0?y?0.05) or Li4Ti5-x-zFexBzO12 (where 0?x?0.3, 0?z?0.3).

Abstract: A nonaqueous solvent for an electrical storage device according to the present invention includes fluorine-containing cyclic saturated hydrocarbon having a structure represented by the following general formula (1) in which one or two substituents R are introduced into a cyclohexane ring; a compound having a relative dielectric constant of 25 or higher; and a chain carbonate (in general formula (1), R is represented by CnX2n+1 where n is an integer of 1 or greater, at least one of (2n+1) pieces of X's is F, and the other X's are H).

Abstract: A nonaqueous solvent for an electricity storage device according to the present invention comprises fluorine-containing cyclic saturated hydrocarbon having a structure which is represented by general formula (1) below and in which one or two substituents R are introduced into a cyclohexane ring (in general formula (1), R is represented by CnX2n+1, n is an integer of 1 or greater, at least one of (2n+1) pieces of X's is F, and the other X's are F or H).

Abstract: Provided is a nonaqueous solvent for an electrical storage device, including a fluorine-containing, cyclic, saturated hydrocarbon represented by the following general formula (1) and having a structure obtained by introducing one or two substituents R into a cyclopentane ring: in the general formula (1), R is represented by CnX2n+1, n represents an integer of 1 or more, at least one of the 2n+1 X's represents F, and the other X's each represent H.

Abstract: An electrode for a lithium secondary battery including a sheet-like current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector. The active material layer is capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium, and the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles having at least one bend. An angle ?1 formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from a bottom to a first bend of the columnar particles, and a direction normal to the current collector is preferably 10° or more and less than 90°. When ?n+1 is an angle formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from an n-th bend counted from a bottom of the columnar particles to an (n+1)-th bend, and the direction normal to the current collector, and n is an integer of 1 or more, ?n+1 is preferably 0° or more and less than 90°.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device has a tilt detection unit that detects a tilt of a sample surface and an E×B deflector in which an electric field and a magnetic field are overlapped with each other and which causes, according to the detected tilt of the sample surface, the sample surface to be perpendicularly irradiated with an irradiation charged particle beam while, at the same time, aligning the trajectory of the charged particle beam with the optical axis centers of an irradiation optical system and an imaging optical system; thereby, the charged particle beam device can prevent problems possibly occurring in cases where a sample stage is tilted or a sample surface is undulating and can enable an accurate image to be acquired.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery reversibly inserting and extracting lithium ions, and including current collector having concave portion and convex portion on at least one surface thereof; and columnar body formed on convex portion of current collector and including columnar body portions laminated in n stages (n?2) in which a content ratio of an element sequentially changes in the longitudinal direction of the current collector. The content ratio of an element is different between in an odd stage and in an even stage of columnar body portions.

Abstract: An ion beam machining system which performs a predetermined machining of a sample by irradiating the sample with an ion beam includes a beam spot former which forms a beam spot shape of the ion beam to be non-axially symmetric in a perpendicular plane with respect to an irradiation axis of the ion beam, and an axis orientator which orients one axis of the beam spot at the ion beam irradiation position on the sample in a predetermined direction.