Patents by Inventor Riichiro Wake

Riichiro Wake has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10475939
    Abstract: Provided is a photoelectric conversion element comprising ITiO as a transparent electrode that is formed using an inline-type sputtering method, and utilizing the high transmittance up to the near-infrared ray region and excellent conductivity of ITiO. Using the inline-type sputtering method, a first transparent conductive oxide film 8 comprising indium oxide or tin-containing indium oxide that includes indium oxide as a main component and tin at an atomic ratio Sn/(In+Sn) of 19 atomic % or less is formed on a photoelectric conversion layer 7 side, and a second transparent conductive oxide film 9 comprising a titanium-containing indium oxide that includes indium oxide as a main component, and titanium at an atomic ratio Ti/(In+Ti) of 0.5 atomic % to 3.5 atomic % is laminated on an opposite side of the first transparent conductive film 8 from the photoelectric conversion layer 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Yasunori Yamanobe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20180175224
    Abstract: Provided is a photoelectric conversion element comprising ITiO as a transparent electrode that is formed using an inline-type sputtering method, and utilizing the high transmittance up to the near-infrared ray region and excellent conductivity of ITiO. Using the inline-type sputtering method, a first transparent conductive oxide film 8 comprising indium oxide or tin-containing indium oxide that includes indium oxide as a main component and tin at an atomic ratio Sn/(In+Sn) of 19 atomic % or less is formed on a photoelectric conversion layer 7 side, and a second transparent conductive oxide film 9 comprising a titanium-containing indium oxide that includes indium oxide as a main component, and titanium at an atomic ratio Ti/(In+Ti) of 0.5 atomic % to 3.5 atomic % is laminated on an opposite side of the first transparent conductive film 8 from the photoelectric conversion layer 7.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Yasunori Yamanobe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 9099219
    Abstract: An oxide evaporation material according to the present invention includes a sintered body containing indium oxide as a main component thereof and cerium with a Ce/In atomic ratio of 0.001 to 0.110. The L* value in the CIE 1976 color space is 62 to 95. The oxide evaporation material with the L* value of 62 to 95 has an optimal oxygen amount. Accordingly, even when a small amount of an oxygen gas is introduced into a film-formation vacuum chamber, a transparent conducting film having a low resistance and a high transmittance in the visible to near-infrared region is formed by vacuum deposition methods. Since the amount of the oxygen gas introduced is small, the difference in composition between the film and the evaporation material is made small. This reduces the variations in composition and characteristics among films formed in large quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
  • Patent number: 8941002
    Abstract: Provided are an oxide tablet for vapor deposition (oxide evaporation material), and a vapor-deposited thin film and a solar cell formed using the same. The tablet comprises a sintered body which contains indium oxide as a main component and cerium and which is subjected to no surface grinding after sintering, in which CompS/CompA=0.9 to 1.1, where the content of cerium in a surface layer to a depth of 5 ?m from a surface of the sintered body is represented by a Ce/In atomic ratio (CompS), and an average value of the content of cerium in the entire sintered body is represented by a Ce/In atomic ratio (CompA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
  • Publication number: 20130327395
    Abstract: An oxide evaporation material according to the present invention includes a sintered body containing indium oxide as a main component thereof and cerium with a Ce/In atomic ratio of 0.001 to 0.110. The L* value in the CIE 1976 color space is 62 to 95. The oxide evaporation material with the L* value of 62 to 95 has an optimal oxygen amount. Accordingly, even when a small amount of an oxygen gas is introduced into a film-formation vacuum chamber, a transparent conducting film having a low resistance and a high transmittance in the visible to near-infrared region is formed by vacuum deposition methods. Since the amount of the oxygen gas introduced is small, the difference in composition between the film and the evaporation material is made small. This reduces the variations in composition and characteristics among films formed in large quantities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki ABE, Riichiro WAKE, Masakazu KUWAHARA, Kentaro SOGABE, Azusa OSHIRO, Hisaki YADA
  • Patent number: 8574464
    Abstract: An oxide evaporation material according to the present invention includes a sintered body containing indium oxide as a main component thereof and cerium with a Ce/In atomic ratio of 0.001 to 0.110. The L* value in the CIE 1976 color space is 62 to 95. The oxide evaporation material with the L* value of 62 to 95 has an optimal oxygen amount. Accordingly, even when a small amount of an oxygen gas is introduced into a film-formation vacuum chamber, a transparent conducting film having a low resistance and a high transmittance in the visible to near-infrared region is formed by vacuum deposition methods. Since the amount of the oxygen gas introduced is small, the difference in composition between the film and the evaporation material is made small. This reduces the variations in composition and characteristics among films formed in large quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
  • Patent number: 8551370
    Abstract: An oxide sintered body substantially containing zinc, tin and oxygen; containing tin at an atomic number ratio, Sn/(Zn+Sn), of 0.23 to 0.50, and being composed mainly of a zinc oxide phase and at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase, or being composed of at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase; provided by a method for manufacturing the oxide sintered body by formulating an aqueous solvent to raw material powder containing powder of a zinc stannate compound, or mixed powder of tin oxide powder and zinc oxide powder, and after mixing the resulting slurry for equal to longer than 15 hours, by subjecting the slurry to solid-liquid separation, drying and granulation and subsequently compacting by charging the granule into a mold followed by sintering the resultant compact under sintering atmosphere at 1300 to 1500° C. for equal to or longer than 15 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
  • Patent number: 8349220
    Abstract: An oxide sintered body substantially containing zinc, tin and oxygen; containing tin at an atomic number ratio, Sn/(Zn+Sn), of 0.23 to 0.50, and being composed mainly of a zinc oxide phase and at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase, or being composed of at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase; provided by a method for manufacturing the oxide sintered body by formulating an aqueous solvent to raw material powder containing powder of a zinc stannate compound, or mixed powder of tin oxide powder and zinc oxide powder, and after mixing the resulting slurry for equal to longer than 15 hours, by subjecting the slurry to solid-liquid separation, drying and granulation, and subsequently compacting by charging the granule into a mold, followed by sintering the resultant compact under sintering atmosphere at 1300 to 1500° C. for equal to or longer than 15 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
  • Publication number: 20130001080
    Abstract: An oxide sintered body substantially containing zinc, tin and oxygen; containing tin at an atomic number ratio, Sn/(Zn+Sn), of 0.23 to 0.50, and being composed mainly of a zinc oxide phase and at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase, or being composed of at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase; provided by a method for manufacturing the oxide sintered body by formulating an aqueous solvent to raw material powder containing powder of a zinc stannate compound, or mixed powder of tin oxide powder and zinc oxide powder, and after mixing the resulting slurry for equal to longer than 15 hours, by subjecting the slurry to solid-liquid separation, drying and granulation and subsequently compacting by charging the granule into a mold followed by sintering the resultant compact under sintering atmosphere at 1300 to 1500° C. for equal to or longer than 15 hours.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
  • Patent number: 8343387
    Abstract: An oxide evaporation material in the present invention comprises a sintered body containing indium oxide as a main component thereof and cerium with the Ce/In atomic ratio of more than 0.110 and equal to or less than 0.538, and has an L* value of 62 to 95 in the CIE 1976 color space. The oxide evaporation material with the L* value of 62 to 95 has an optimal oxygen amount. Accordingly, even when a small amount of oxygen gas is introduced into a film-formation vacuum chamber, a high-refractive-index transparent film having a refractive index of 2.15 to 2.51 at a wavelength of 550 nm, a low resistance, and a high transmittance in the visible to near-infrared region is formed by vacuum deposition methods. Since the introduced oxygen gas amount is small, the difference in composition between the film and the evaporation material is made small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Yasuyuki Maeno
  • Publication number: 20120279564
    Abstract: Provided are an oxide tablet for vapor deposition (oxide evaporation material), and a vapor-deposited thin film and a solar cell formed using the same. The tablet comprises a sintered body which contains indium oxide as a main component and cerium and which is subjected to no surface grinding after sintering, in which CompS/CompA=0.9 to 1.1, where the content of cerium in a surface layer to a depth of 5 ?m from a surface of the sintered body is represented by a Ce/In atomic ratio (CompS), and an average value of the content of cerium in the entire sintered body is represented by a Ce/In atomic ratio (CompA).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
  • Publication number: 20110240934
    Abstract: An oxide sintered body substantially containing zinc, tin and oxygen; containing tin at an atomic number ratio, Sn/(Zn+Sn), of 0.23 to 0.50, and being composed mainly of a zinc oxide phase and at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase, or being composed of at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase; provided by a method for manufacturing the oxide sintered body by formulating an aqueous solvent to raw material powder containing powder of a zinc stannate compound, or mixed powder of tin oxide powder and zinc oxide powder, and after mixing the resulting slurry for equal to longer than 15 hours, by subjecting the slurry to solid-liquid separation, drying and granulation, and subsequently compacting by charging the granule into a mold, followed by sintering the resultant compact under sintering atmosphere at 1300 to 1500° C. for equal to or longer than 15 hours.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
  • Patent number: 7976738
    Abstract: An oxide sintered body substantially containing zinc, tin and oxygen; containing tin at an atomic number ratio, Sn/(Zn +Sn), of 0.23 to 0.50, and being composed mainly of a zinc oxide phase and at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase, or being composed of at least one kind of zinc stannate compound phase; provided by a method for manufacturing the oxide sintered body by formulating an aqueous solvent to raw material powder containing powder of a zinc stannate compound, or mixed powder of tin oxide powder and zinc oxide powder, and after mixing the resulting slurry for equal to longer than 15 hours, by subjecting the slurry to solid-liquid separation, drying and granulation, and subsequently compacting by charging the granule into a mold, followed by sintering the resultant compact under sintering atmosphere at 1300 to 1500° C. for equal to or longer than 15 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
  • Publication number: 20110147676
    Abstract: An oxide evaporation material in the present invention comprises a sintered body containing indium oxide as a main component thereof and cerium with the Ce/In atomic ratio of more than 0.110 and equal to or less than 0.538, and has an L* value of 62 to 95 in the CIE 1976 color space. The oxide evaporation material with the L* value of 62 to 95 has an optimal oxygen amount. Accordingly, even when a small amount of oxygen gas is introduced into a film-formation vacuum chamber, a high-refractive-index transparent film having a refractive index of 2.15 to 2.51 at a wavelength of 550 nm, a low resistance, and a high transmittance in the visible to near-infrared region is formed by vacuum deposition methods. Since the introduced oxygen gas amount is small, the difference in composition between the film and the evaporation material is made small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki ABE, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Yasuyuki Maeno
  • Publication number: 20110126899
    Abstract: An oxide evaporation material according to the present invention includes a sintered body containing indium oxide as a main component thereof and cerium with a Ce/In atomic ratio of 0.001 to 0.110. The L* value in the CIE 1976 color space is 62 to 95. The oxide evaporation material with the L* value of 62 to 95 has an optimal oxygen amount. Accordingly, even when a small amount of an oxygen gas is introduced into a film-formation vacuum chamber, a transparent conducting film having a low resistance and a high transmittance in the visible to near-infrared region is formed by vacuum deposition methods. Since the amount of the oxygen gas introduced is small, the difference in composition between the film and the evaporation material is made small. This reduces the variations in composition and characteristics among films formed in large quantities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki ABE, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
  • Publication number: 20070215456
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the oxide sintered body substantially containing zinc, tin and oxygen, useful as a target, which can be sputtered under charging of high DC power, without generation of arcing or crack, and a manufacturing method for an oxide transparent conductive film formable in high-speed, and the oxide transparent conductive film excellent in chemical resistance. The oxide sintered body substantially containing zinc, tin and oxygen; containing tin at an atomic number ratio, Sn/(Zn+Sn), of 0.23 to 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
  • Patent number: 7153453
    Abstract: There is provided an amorphous transparent conductive thin film with a low resistivity, a low absolute value for the internal stress of the film, and a high transmittance in the visible light range, an oxide sintered body for manufacturing the amorphous transparent conductive thin film, and a sputtering target obtained therefrom. An oxide sintered body is obtained by: preparing In2O3 powder, WO3 powder, and ZnO powder with an average grain size of less than 1 ?m so that tungsten is at a W/In atomic number ratio of 0.004 to 0.023, and zinc is at a Zn/In atomic number ratio of 0.004 to 0.100; mixing the prepared powder for 10 to 30 hours; granulating the obtained mixed powder until the average grain size is 20 to 150 ?m; molding the obtained granulated powder by a cold isostatic press with a pressure of 2 to 5 ton/cm2, and sintering the obtained compact at 1200 to 1500 degree.C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
  • Publication number: 20050239660
    Abstract: There is provided an amorphous transparent conductive thin film with a low resistivity, a low absolute value for the internal stress of the film, and a high transmittance in the visible light range, an oxide sintered body for manufacturing the amorphous transparent conductive thin film, and a sputtering target obtained therefrom. An oxide sintered body is obtained by: preparing In2O3 powder, WO3 powder, and ZnO powder with an average grain size of less than 1 ?m so that tungsten is at a W/In atomic number ratio of 0.004 to 0.023, and zinc is at a Zn/In atomic number ratio of 0.004 to 0.100; mixing the prepared powder for 10 to 30 hours; granulating the obtained mixed powder until the average grain size is 20 to 150 ?m; molding the obtained granulated powder by a cold isostatic press with a pressure of 2 to 5 ton/cm2, and sintering the obtained compact at 1200 to 1500 degree.C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake