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).
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Patent number: 10475939Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 17, 2016Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Yasunori Yamanobe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara
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Publication number: 20180175224Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2016Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Yasunori Yamanobe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara
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Patent number: 9099219Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 15, 2013Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
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Patent number: 8941002Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 7, 2011Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
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Publication number: 20130327395Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2013Publication date: December 12, 2013Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki ABE, Riichiro WAKE, Masakazu KUWAHARA, Kentaro SOGABE, Azusa OSHIRO, Hisaki YADA
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Patent number: 8574464Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 1, 2010Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
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Patent number: 8551370Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 13, 2012Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
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Patent number: 8349220Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 19, 2011Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
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Publication number: 20130001080Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2012Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
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Patent number: 8343387Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 4, 2010Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Yasuyuki Maeno
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Publication number: 20120279564Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2011Publication date: November 8, 2012Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
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Publication number: 20110240934Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2011Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
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Patent number: 7976738Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 12, 2007Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
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Publication number: 20110147676Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2010Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki ABE, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Yasuyuki Maeno
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Publication number: 20110126899Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2010Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki ABE, Riichiro Wake, Masakazu Kuwahara, Kentaro Sogabe, Azusa Oshiro, Hisaki Yada
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Publication number: 20070215456Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2007Publication date: September 20, 2007Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
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Patent number: 7153453Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 27, 2005Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake
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Publication number: 20050239660Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2005Publication date: October 27, 2005Inventors: Yoshiyuki Abe, Tokuyuki Nakayama, Go Ohara, Riichiro Wake