Abstract: A magnetostrictive film includes rich regions having a mesh pattern in a cross section perpendicular to a film thickness direction of the magnetostrictive film. The rich regions are richer in a specific element contributing to ferromagnetism than surroundings of the rich regions.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable and which includes an accommodating portion and a replenishment port, a transfer portion configured to transfer a developer image on an image bearing member onto a recording material, a supporting tray including a supporting surface configured to support the recording material thereon, and a discharge portion configured to discharge the recording material, onto which the developer image has been transferred, on the supporting surface, wherein the supporting surface has an opening portion opening such that the replenishment port is exposed through the supporting surface, and wherein an opening/closing member configured to be movable between a closed position where the opening/closing member covers the replenishment port and serves as a part of the supporting surface and an open position where the replenishment port is exposed is provided.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a resin composition having excellent photochromic properties and mechanical properties. The present invention relates to a resin composition containing (i) a urethane-based resin having a propylene glycol chain in a molecular chain thereof and (ii) a photochromic compound, wherein the intensity ratio of PMIpst to PMIcp (PMIpst/PMIcp) is 8.0 or more and 40.0 or less when PMIpst indicates the total spectral intensity of 16 ppm or more and 20 ppm or less including the spectral intensity of a carbon atom of a methyl group in the propylene glycol chain as measured by 13C-PST/MAS NMR and PMIcp indicates the total spectral intensity of 16 ppm or more and 20 ppm or less including the spectral intensity of the carbon atom of the methyl group in the propylene glycol chain as measured by 13C-CP/MAS NMR.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photochromic compound including a polyvalent residue on which at least one group having a photochromic moiety is substituted, and at least one long-chain group not containing a photochromic moiety and having a molecular weight of 300 or more is further substituted; and a curable composition containing the same. In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide a photochromic compound which has high solubility in a polymerizable compound serving as a matrix while retaining high photochromic characteristics and is hardly affected by the matrix; and a curable composition containing the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel compound for optical materials, and a curable composition, a cured body and an optical article containing the compound for optical materials. According to an embodiment, there is provided a compound for optical materials represented by Formula (Ia) below: In Formula (Ia), X1 and X2 are each NH, S, or O. R1 is a 1- to 30-valent organic residue. R3 is a group composed of a polymer having a repeating unit selected from the group consisting of —(CH2)mO—, —(CH2CH2O)—, —(CH(CH3)CH2O)—, —(CH2CH(CH3)O)—, — (C(?O)—CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2O)—, —(C(?O)—O—CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2O)—, and —(C(?O)—O—CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2O)—, a random copolymer having at least two repeating units selected from the group, or a block copolymer having at least two repeating units selected from the group.

Abstract: A thin film laminate comprises a metal layer consisting of a metal, and a thin film laminated on the surface of the metal layer, wherein a first direction is defined as one direction parallel to the surface of the metal layer, and a second direction is defined as one direction parallel to the surface of the metal layer and crossing the first direction; and the metal layer contains a plurality of first metal grains consisting of the metal and extending in the first direction on the surface of the metal layer, and a plurality of second metal grains consisting of the metal and extending in the second direction on the surface of the metal layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photochromic optical article including a pair of optical article plates bonded together through an adhesive layer containing a photochromic compound and at least one resin selected from a urethane resin, an epoxy resin, and an acrylic resin, wherein a deviation of the thickness of the adhesive layer on a concentric circle from the central point of the pair of optical article plates is within ±10%. In accordance with the present invention, in the photochromic optical article formed of a pair of optical article plates bonded together through an adhesive layer, a photochromic optical article in which the thickness of the photochromic adhesive layer is prescribed, and which is free from problems, such as a lowering of the appearance quality, can be provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photochromic compound including a polyvalent residue on which at least one group having a photochromic moiety is substituted, and at least one long-chain group not containing a photochromic moiety and having a molecular weight of 300 or more is further substituted; and a curable composition containing the same. In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide a photochromic compound which has high solubility in a polymerizable compound serving as a matrix while retaining high photochromic characteristics and is hardly affected by the matrix; and a curable composition containing the same.

Abstract: A photochromic polyrotaxane compound which comprises an axial molecule and a plurality of cyclic molecules clathrating the axial molecule, wherein at least one side chain containing a photochromic moiety is bonded to at least one of the cyclic molecules, and a curable composition comprising the photochromic polyrotaxane compound and a polymerizable compound.

Abstract: A thin film laminate comprises a metal layer consisting of a metal, and a thin film laminated on the surface of the metal layer, wherein a first direction is defined as one direction parallel to the surface of the metal layer, and a second direction is defined as one direction parallel to the surface of the metal layer and crossing the first direction; and the metal layer contains a plurality of first metal grains consisting of the metal and extending in the first direction on the surface of the metal layer, and a plurality of second metal grains consisting of the metal and extending in the second direction on the surface of the metal layer.

Abstract: A photochromic polyrotaxane compound which comprises an axial molecule and a plurality of cyclic molecules clathrating the axial molecule, wherein at least one side chain containing a photochromic moiety is bonded to at least one of the cyclic molecules, and a curable composition comprising the photochromic polyrotaxane compound and a polymerizable compound.

Abstract: A stacked film includes an oxide film including a ZrO2 film, a metal oxide film provided on the oxide film, and a predetermined metal film provided on the metal oxide film and having a single orientation, and the metal oxide film is a PtO film or a PdO film. In the case of this structure, the predetermined metal film has a single orientation, and characteristics of the piezoelectric film such as PZT formed on the predetermined metal film are improved. Therefore, excellent characteristics such as an increase in the driving force due to the piezoelectric film or a reduction in leakage current can be exhibited.

Abstract: A stacked film is a stacked film including an oxide film, and a metal film provided on the oxide film, in which the oxide film includes a ZrO2 film of which a main surface is a (001) plane, the metal film includes a Pt film or a Pd film that has a single orientation and of which a main surface is a (001) plane, and a [100] axis of the ZrO2 film and a [100] axis of the metal film are parallel to an interface between the oxide film and the metal film, and the axes of both are parallel to each other.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of an epitaxial thin film piezoelectric element includes: providing a substrate; forming a bottom electrode layer on the substrate by epitaxial growth process; forming a first piezoelectric layer that has c-axis orientation on the bottom electrode layer by epitaxial growth process; forming a second piezoelectric layer that has c-axis orientation and different phase structure from the first piezoelectric layer on the first piezoelectric layer by epitaxial growth process; and forming a top electrode layer on the second piezoelectric layer. The thin film piezoelectric element has good thermal stability, low temperature coefficient and high piezoelectric constant.

Abstract: A stacked film includes an oxide film including a ZrO2 film, a metal oxide film provided on the oxide film, and a predetermined metal film provided on the metal oxide film and having a single orientation, and the metal oxide film is a PtO film or a PdO film. In the case of this structure, the predetermined metal film has a single orientation, and characteristics of the piezoelectric film such as PZT formed on the predetermined metal film are improved. Therefore, excellent characteristics such as an increase in the driving force due to the piezoelectric film or a reduction in leakage current can be exhibited.

Abstract: A stacked film is a stacked film including an oxide film, and a metal film provided on the oxide film, in which the oxide film includes a ZrO2 film of which a main surface is a (001) plane, the metal film includes a Pt film or a Pd film that has a single orientation and of which a main surface is a (001) plane, and a [100] axis of the ZrO2 film and a [100] axis of the metal film are parallel to an interface between the oxide film and the metal film, and the axes of both are parallel to each other.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of an epitaxial thin film piezoelectric element includes: providing a substrate; forming a bottom electrode layer on the substrate by epitaxial growth process; forming a first piezoelectric layer that has c-axis orientation on the bottom electrode layer by epitaxial growth process; forming a second piezoelectric layer that has c-axis orientation and different phase structure from the first piezoelectric layer on the first piezoelectric layer by epitaxial growth process; and forming a top electrode layer on the second piezoelectric layer. The thin film piezoelectric element has good thermal stability, low temperature coefficient and high piezoelectric constant.

Abstract: A thin-film piezoelectric material element includes a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric material film, and an upper electrode film, the lower electrode film, the piezoelectric material film and the upper electrode film are laminated sequentially. An upper surface of the piezoelectric material film is a concavity and convexity surface having a convex part and a concave part, the convex part is a curved surface convexly projected, and the concave part is a curved surface concavely hollowed, the upper electrode film is formed on the concavity and convexity surface. The thin-film piezoelectric material element has a stress balancing film formed with a material having an internal stress capable of cancelling an element stress, the stress balancing film is formed on the upper electrode film.

Abstract: A thin-film piezoelectric material element includes a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric material film, and an upper electrode film, the lower electrode film, the piezoelectric material film and the upper electrode film are laminated sequentially. An upper surface of the piezoelectric material film is a concavity and convexity surface having a convex part and a concave part, the convex part is a curved surface convexly projected, and the concave part is a curved surface concavely hollowed, the upper electrode film is formed on the concavity and convexity surface. The thin-film piezoelectric material element has a stress balancing film formed with a material having an internal stress capable of cancelling an element stress, the stress balancing film is formed on the upper electrode film.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic device with improved characteristics and a method of making the electronic device. In a method of making an electronic device (piezoelectric device) 74 according to the present invention, an outer edge R1 of a piezoelectric film 52A formed on an electrode film 46A of a laminate 60 is located inside an outer edge R2 of the electrode film 46A. For this reason, in removal of a monocrystalline Si substrate 14 from a multilayer board 61, where an etching solution permeates between polyimide 72 and laminate 60, the etching solution circumvents the electrode film 46A before it reaches the piezoelectric film 52A. Namely, a route A of the etching solution to the piezoelectric film 52A is significantly extended by the electrode film 46A. In the method of making the electronic device 74, therefore, the etching solution is less likely to reach the piezoelectric film 52A.