Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prepare a fine particle with high durability and high brightness, in which semiconductor nanoparticles are assembled. The present invention provides fluorescent fine particles comprising Cd- and Se-containing semiconductor nanoparticles dispersed in silicon-containing fine particles, wherein the average particle size of the silicon-containing fine particles is 20 to 100 nm, and the number of semiconductor nanoparticles dispersed in the silicon-containing fine particles is 10 or more.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prepare a fine particle with high durability and high brightness, in which semiconductor nanoparticles are assembled. The present invention provides fluorescent fine particles comprising Cd- and Se-containing semiconductor nanoparticles dispersed in silicon-containing fine particles, wherein the average particle size of the silicon-containing fine particles is 20 to 100 nm, and the number of semiconductor nanoparticles dispersed in the silicon-containing fine particles is 10 or more.

Abstract: The present invention provides semiconductor-nanoparticle-dispersed small silica glass particles that emit bright fluorescent light with high fluorescence quantum yield and high density, compared to the conventional semiconductor-nanoparticle-dispersed small glass particles, and that have excellent fluorescence intensity stability over time; and a process for preparing the same. The semiconductor-nanoparticle-dispersed silica glass particles have a mean particle size of not less than 10 nanometers and not more than 5 micrometers, and contain a hydrolyzed alkoxide and semiconductor nanoparticles at a concentration of not less than 2×10?5 mol/l and not more than 1×10?2 mol/l. The particles emit fluorescent light with a fluorescence quantum yield (quantum yield) of 25% or more (and 60% or more), when dispersed in a solution.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prepare a fine particle with high durability and high brightness, in which semiconductor nanoparticles are assembled. The present invention provides fluorescent fine particles comprising Cd- and Se-containing semiconductor nanoparticles dispersed in silicon-containing fine particles, wherein the average particle size of the silicon-containing fine particles is 20 to 100 nm, and the number of semiconductor nanoparticles dispersed in the silicon-containing fine particles is 10 or more.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel fluorescent material which has a luminance higher than that of the conventional rare earth ion-dispersed fluorescent materials and is excellent in light resistance and long-term stability, and also an optical device, such as a high-luminance display panel or lighting equipment, which uses such a fluorescent material. Semiconductor ultrafine particles are characterized by maintaining 50% or more fluorescence quantum yield of photoluminescence when they are kept dispersed in water at 10° C. to 20° C. in air for 5 days. The fluorescent material is obtained by dispersing such semiconductor ultrafine particles in a glass matrix using a sol-gel process.

Abstract: Nanoparticles having a core/shell structure consisting of a core comprising a Group III element and a Group V element at a molar ratio of the Group III element to the Group V element in the range of 1.25 to 3.0, and a shell comprising a Group II element and a Group VI element and having a thickness of 0.2 nm to 4 nm, the nanoparticles having a photoluminescence efficiency of 10% or more and a diameter of 2.5 to 10 nm; a method of producing the water-dispersible nanoparticles and a method of producing a glass matrix having the nanoparticles dispersed therein.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel phosphor material that has better brightness than conventional phosphors using dispersed rare earth ions, and that possesses excellent light resistance, temporal stability, and the like, and a light-emitting device with high brightness comprising such phosphor material and an excitation ultraviolet light source corresponding to the properties thereof. A phosphor comprising a silicon-containing solid matrix and semiconductor superfine particles dispersed therein at a concentration of 5×10?4 to 1×10?2 mol/L, said semiconductor superfine particles having a fluorescence quantum yield of 3% or greater and a diameter of 1.5 to 5 nm, and a light-emitting device including said phosphor and a light source for excitation light with an intensity of 3 to 800 W/cm2.

Abstract: The present invention provides a luminescent fiber, which retains a certain shape with assembled nanoparticles, and a method for producing the luminescent fiber. Specifically, the present invention provides a luminescent fiber comprising silicon and semiconductor nanoparticles having a mean particle size of 2 to 12 nm, the luminescent fiber having a diameter of 20 nm to 2 ?m, a length of 40 nm to 500 ?m, an aspect ratio of 2 to 1,000, and photoluminescence efficiency of not less than 5%.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film fluorescent material in which semiconductor nanoparticles in a stable condition maintain a high fluorescence quantum yield and can be held at a high concentration in a glass matrix. The present invention also provides optical devices using the thin-film fluorescent material, such as high-brightness displays and lighting systems. The present invention relates to a fluorescent material, in which semiconductor nanoparticles with a fluorescence quantum yield of 15% or more and a diameter of 2 to 5 nanometers are dispersed in a glass matrix at a concentration of 5×10?4 mol/l or more and a method for manufacturing the same.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce the incompleteness of the surface state due to lattice constant and steric hindrance, which was heretofore nearly unavoidable, in the surface treatment of light-emitting semiconductor nanoparticles. The present invention provides an excellent luminescent material that has enhanced photoluminescence efficiency, reduced photoluminescence spectrum width, and increased chemical resistance. Specifically, the present invention provides a luminescent material comprising semiconductor nanoparticles having a mean particle size of 2 to 12 nm and a band gap of 3.8 eV or less, each of the semiconductor nanoparticles being coated with a silicon-containing layer, the semiconductor nanoparticles in the luminescent material having a peak emission wavelength 20 nm or more towards the longer-wavelength side than the peak emission wavelength of the semiconductor nanoparticles alone.

Abstract: The present invention provides fine silicon-containing glass beads each having one or more cavities therein and containing nanoparticles in a glass phase of each of the silicon-containing glass beads, and a method of producing such glass beads, and also provides silicon-containing glass beads containing nanoparticles, which may be identical to or different from the nanoparticles in the glass phase, and a functional material such as pharmaceutical molecules (e.g., materials having fluorescent properties, magnetic properties, drug effects, etc.), and a method of producing such glass beads. The present invention relates to silicon-containing glass beads each having one or more cavities therein and having an average particle diameter of 20 nm to 1 ?m, the silicon-containing glass beads containing nanoparticles A in the silicon-containing glass phase, and also containing a functional material in the cavity.

Abstract: The present invention provides nanoparticles having a core/shell structure consisting of a core comprising a Group III element and a Group V element at a molar ratio of the Group III element to the Group V element in the range of 1.25 to 3.0, and a shell comprising a Group II element and a Group VI element and having a thickness of 0.2 nm to 4 nm, the nanoparticles having a photoluminescence efficiency of 10% or more and a diameter of 2.5 to 10 nm; a method of producing the water-dispersible nanoparticles comprising bringing a dispersion of III-V semiconductor nanoparticles in an organic solvent into contact with an aqueous solution of a Group II element-containing compound and a Group VI element-containing compound to thereby transfer the III-V semiconductor nanoparticles of the organic solvent dispersion to the aqueous solution, and then irradiating the aqueous solution with light; and a method of producing a glass matrix having the nanoparticles dispersed therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides semiconductor-nanoparticle-dispersed small silica glass particles that emit bright fluorescent light with high fluorescence quantum yield and high density, compared to the conventional semiconductor-nanoparticle-dispersed small glass particles, and that have excellent fluorescence intensity stability over time; and a process for preparing the same. The semiconductor-nanoparticle-dispersed silica glass particles have a mean particle size of not less than 10 nanometers and not more than 5 micrometers, and contain a hydrolyzed alkoxide and semiconductor nanoparticles at a concentration of not less than 2×10?5 mol/l and not more than 1×10?2 mol/l. The particles emit fluorescent light with a fluorescence quantum yield (quantum yield) of 25% or more (and 60% or more), when dispersed in a solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film fluorescent material in which semiconductor nanoparticles in a stable condition maintain a high fluorescence quantum yield and can be held at a high concentration in a glass matrix. The present invention also provides optical devices using the thin-film fluorescent material, such as high-brightness displays and lighting systems. The present invention relates to a fluorescent material, in which semiconductor nanoparticles with a fluorescence quantum yield of 15% or more and a diameter of 2 to 5 nanometers are dispersed in a glass matrix at a concentration of 5×10?4 mol/l or more and a method for manufacturing the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel fluorescent material which has a luminance higher than that of the conventional rare earth ion-dispersed fluorescent materials and is excellent in light resistance and long-term stability, and also an optical device, such as a high-luminance display panel or lighting equipment, which uses such a fluorescent material. Semiconductor ultrafine particles are characterized by maintaining 50% or more fluorescence quantum yield of photoluminescence when they are kept dispersed in water at 10° C. to 20° C. in air for 5 days. The fluorescent material is obtained by dispersing such semiconductor ultrafine particles in a glass matrix using a sol-gel process.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel phosphor material that has better brightness than conventional phosphors using dispersed rare earth ions, and that possesses excellent light resistance, temporal stability, and the like, and a light-emitting device with high brightness comprising such phosphor material and an excitation ultraviolet light source corresponding to the properties thereof. A phosphor comprising a silicon-containing solid matrix and semiconductor superfine particles dispersed therein at a concentration of 5×10?4 to 1×10?2 mol/L, said semiconductor superfine particles having a fluorescence quantum yield of 3% or greater and a diameter of 1.5 to 5 nm, and a light-emitting device including said phosphor and a light source for excitation light with an intensity of 3 to 800 W/cm2.

Abstract: In a system (apparatus and method) which employs a light absorbent material surrounded by an optically transparent matrix as a recording medium and in which the presence or absence of emission light of a specific wavelength from unity of the light absorbent material is used for optical writing and reading, the light emitted in response to reading light is condensed and spectrally diffracted and the light intensity is detected for each specific wavelength and related to recorded information.

Abstract: The present invention provides ice nucleating-active materials which are free from problems like corrosiveness against a device owing to the materials used and harmfulness of the materials themselves; and have a function of elevating freezing temperature of water which is effective for releasing an over-cooling state of it, and generates a method for an ice bank system exhibiting a large energy-saving effect. This invention relates to ice nucleating-active materials containing trioctahedral smectites capable of being dispersive in water as effective components, and a method for an ice bank system comprising adding the trioctahedral smectites into a liquid in the ice bank system at a concentration of at least 30 ppm and freezing it by using a freezer.

Abstract: An information recording medium includes an information recording layer on which at least information is to be recorded by irradiating light, and a light transmission restricting layer which has a plurality of nonlinear transmission characteristics or nonlinear reflection characteristics for the intensity of the light irradiated and which has an optical material for restricting the transmission or reflection of the light according to the respective characteristics when the light is irradiated onto the information recording layer. An information recording and reproducing unit uses the information recording medium and includes an information recording position setting unit for deciding a position at which information is to be recorded on the information recording medium by detecting a direction of an easy magnetization axis.

Abstract: A wavelength-multiple optical memory is provided which is capable of performing high density recording/reading at room temperature. A large number of cylindrical recording members, each of which is made up of plural portions along a central axis of the cylinder and plural sizes which vary slightly in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, are formed on a substrate. The cylindrical recording members may be of circular cylindrical or elliptical cylindrical shape. It is preferable that recording material layers of the cylindrical recording members have complex refractive indexes which are different from each other. A difference in size of the recording material layers of the circular or elliptical cylinders having sizes closest to each other is preferably in a range of 1/5000 to 1/5 of an average of the sizes, are even more preferably in a range of 1/500 to 1/10. Wavelength-multiple recording is performed by changing a wavelength of a light beam emitted from a light source within a very narrow range.