Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell has a stack structure in which sheet bodies and separators for separating air and fuel gas are stacked in alternating layers. Each of the sheet bodies includes an electrolyte layer, a fuel electrode layer formed on the upper surface of the electrolyte layer, and an air electrode layer formed on the lower surface of the electrolyte layer, wherein these layers are stacked and fired in such a manner that the electrolyte layer is sandwiched between the fuel electrode layer and the air electrode layer. The thickness of the electrolyte layer is 0.3 ?m or more and 5 ?m or less, and the electrolyte layer is composed of a single particle of YSZ in the thickness direction. Thus, the electrolyte layer is extremely thin, and further, the grain boundary in the thickness direction is small. Accordingly, the IR loss (electric resistance) of the electrolyte layer can remarkably be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention has an objective to provide a circuit board for a peripheral circuit which can transmit outside heat which generates from a high exothermic element, such as a power semiconductor element, while attaining reduction in size and weight, reduction in surge, and reduction in a loss, in high-capacity modules including power modules, such as an inverter. [Solution Means] In a high-capacity module, by laminating a peripheral circuit using a ceramic circuit board with electrode(s) constituted by thick conductor and embedded therein on a highly exothermic element, overheating of the module is prevented by effective heat dissipation via the circuit board while attaining reduction in size and weight, reduction in surge, and reduction in a loss in the module.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to stably achieve a good thermal conductivity in a glass-ceramic composite material in which aluminum nitride particles are used as filler particles. The glass-ceramic composite material according to the present invention includes a glass matrix and filler particles, each of which is formed by an aluminum nitride particle having a surface layer on which an oxide film is formed, and arranged in the glass matrix. The present invention has characteristic features that the filler particle has a cornerless smooth surface, and that a percentage of the number of filler particles having a sphericity of 0.8 or greater, which is a value of a minor diameter divided by a major diameter, is higher than or equal to 70% on the condition where any fine particle of which particle diameter is smaller than 0.5 ?m is excluded from the number of the filler particles.

Abstract: The solid oxide fuel cell has a stack structure formed by stacking sheet bodies each of which comprises three layers of the electrolyte layer, a fuel electrode layer, an air electrode layer, and separators in alternating layers. In an air channel defined between the air electrode and the separator facing the air electrode layer, a SUS mesh made of stainless steel for electrically connecting both of them is confined. On the surface of the SUS mesh, previously by itself before the assembly of the stack structure, an Ag-plating treatment is performed and further a vacuum heat-treatment (heat-treatment under a negative pressure) is performed.

Abstract: A device includes a ceramic thin plate member including a fired ceramic sheet; and a metal thin plate member having an outer shape larger than that of the ceramic thin plate member. An outer circumferential portion of the ceramic thin plate member is joined to the metal thin plate member. The ceramic thin plate member has through holes and a plurality of crease portions. Each crease portion has a ridge portion whose crest continuously extends from a joint portion between the ceramic thin plate member and the metal thin plate member toward an outer circumferential portion of the metal thin plate member. Since thermal stress due to a difference in thermal expansion between the metal thin plate member and the ceramic thin plate member can be relaxed through expansion of the crease portions, the ceramic thin plate member does not deform.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery containing therein an open pore having a protrusion which is formed so as to extend from the inner surface of the open pore toward the center of the open pore. Specifically, the protrusion is formed so as to extend toward the center of a virtual circle formed by approximating the shape of a cross section of the open pore to a circular shape. The protrusion is formed of the same material as the remaining portion of the cathode active material.

Abstract: Provided is a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery, which can achieve both of excellent rate characteristic and practically sufficient durability (cycle characteristic) in the lithium secondary battery. The cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery includes therein pores. A particle or film of the cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery has formed therein a large number of pores. The inner wall of each of such pores is coated with a conductive film.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a lithium secondary battery which has improved capacity, durability, and the other characteristic as compared with conventional lithium secondary batteries. A plate-like particle or a film for a lithium secondary battery cathode active material has a layered rock salt structure. The lithium ion gateway plane is oriented in parallel with a plate surface, which is a surface orthogonal to a thickness direction of the particle and thus exposed at the plate surface, a plurality of layers are stacked together in the thickness direction, and while the layers have the same crystal axis in the thickness direction, as for the plate surface direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, the layers have different crystal axes.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material containing a large number of crystal grains which contain, by 70 areal % or more, primary particles of non-octahedral shape, having particle diameters of 5 to 20 ?m, and composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure containing lithium and manganese as the constituent elements.

Abstract: An easily-administered technology which demonstrates the intrinsic thermal conductivity improvement effect by addition of non-oxide system compound crystal phase (filler particles) and makes it possible to sufficiently raise the thermal conductivity of a glass-ceramics composite material is provided. In the glass phase which constitutes a glass-ceramics composite material, the quantity of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) component is increased under a condition where at least either of zinc oxide (ZnO) component or magnesium oxide (MgO) component exists in a predetermined quantity or more. Thereby, the unintended reaction between a non-oxide system compound crystal phase and a glass phase can be suppressed, and the intrinsic thermal conductivity improvement effect by addition of non-oxide system compound crystal phase (filler particles) can be demonstrated.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to realize more effective intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions in a cathode active material. The preset invention provides a cathode active material plate-like particle for a lithium secondary battery, the particle having a layered rock salt structure, wherein lithium-intercalation/deintercalation-plane-oriented grains (primary crystal grains whose (003) plane is oriented so as to intersect a plate surface of the plate-like particle) are present in a dispersed state among numerous (003)-plane-oriented grains (primary crystal grains whose (003) plane is oriented in parallel with the plate surface of the plate-like particle).

Abstract: The method for producing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery is characterized by including (1) a forming step of forming a sheet-form compact containing, as raw substances, a lithium compound serving as a first ingredient, a compound of a transition metal other than lithium serving as a second ingredient, and at least one of boron oxide and vanadium oxide serving as a third ingredient; and (2) a firing step of firing the compact at 700 to 1,300° C.

Abstract: [Summary] [Subject] The present invention has an objective to provide a circuit board for a peripheral circuit which can transmit outside heat which generates from a high exothermic element, such as a power semiconductor element, while attaining reduction in size and weight, reduction in serge, and reduction in a loss, in high-capacity modules including power modules, such as an inverter. [Solution Means] In a high-capacity module, by laminating a peripheral circuit using a ceramic circuit board with electrode(s) constituted by thick conductor and embedded therein on a highly exothermic element, overheating of the module is prevented by effective heat dissipation via the circuit board while attaining reduction in size and weight, reduction in serge, and reduction in a loss in the module.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a lithium secondary battery cathode which can more improve characteristics of the battery. The cathode of the present invention includes a first layer composed of a plate-like cathode active material and a second layer containing particles of the cathode active material and a binder, the second layer being joined to the first layer in a stacked state.

Abstract: In a fuel cell, perimetric portions of each sheet body, an upper support member, and a lower support member are sealed against one another by a seal that includes first and second seal portions. The first seal portion is of glass having a softening point lower than a working temperature of the reactor and seals against the upper surface of the perimetric portion of the sheet body and the lower surface of the perimetric portion of the upper support member as well as against the lower surface of the perimetric portion of the sheet body and the upper surface of the perimetric portion of the lower support member. The second seal portion is of glass having a softening point higher than the working temperature and seals against the lower side end and upper side end of the perimetric portions of the upper and lower support members, respectively.

Abstract: A ceramic sheet is produced by a method in which inorganic particles including, as a main component, an oxide represented by general formula ABO3 and containing a volatile component are mixed such that the A/B ratio is 1.05 or more, the inorganic particles are formed into a self-supported planar shaped body with a thickness of 30 ?m or less, and the shaped body is fired, without an inactive layer or with an inactive layer which does not substantially react with the shaped body and is disposed adjacent to the shaped body, at a temperature-rising rate of 30° C./min or more in a temperature range which is equal to or higher than a temperature at which the volatile component is volatilized.

Abstract: A crystal production method according to the present invention includes a film formation and crystallization step of spraying a raw material powder containing a raw material component to form a film containing the raw material component on a seed substrate containing a single crystal at a predetermined single crystallization temperature at which single crystallization of the raw material component occurs, and crystallizing the film containing the raw material while maintaining the single crystallization temperature. In the film formation and crystallization step, preferably, the single crystallization temperature is 900° C. or higher. Furthermore, in the film formation and crystallization step, preferably, the raw material powder and the seed substrate are each a nitride or an oxide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cathode and a cathode active material plate for a lithium secondary battery, and the production method thereof. There is a feature of the present invention in that grooves consisting of a concave portion and having an infinite form (for example, an infinite cell-like shape) in a planar view are formed in a principal surface of the cathode active material plate.

Abstract: A circuit board that can decrease thermal stress acting between a semiconductor element and a board in association with temperature alteration and has high mechanical strength (rigidity) as a whole board (including a multilayer wiring layer) is provided. Ceramic base material having a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of a semiconductor element and inner layer wiring are integrally sintered, and the circuit board is configured so that fine-lined conductor structure corresponding to a multilayer wiring layer in the inner layer wiring has predetermined width, intralayer interval and interlayer interval. Thereby, thermal stress acting between a semiconductor element and the board when the board is exposed to temperature alteration in a condition where it is joined with the semiconductor element is suppressed, rigidity of the board is maintained, and its reliability against temperature cycle is increased.

Abstract: A sheet body includes an electrolyte layer, a fuel electrode layer formed on the upper surface of the electrolyte layer, and an air electrode layer formed on the lower surface of the electrolyte layer, wherein these layers are stacked and fired in such a manner that the electrolyte layer is sandwiched between the fuel electrode layer and the air electrode layer. The fuel electrode layer is a porous layer including a first layer on a side close to the electrolyte layer made of fine particles of Ni and YSZ, and a second layer on a side apart from the electrolyte layer made of fine particles of Ni, YSZ, and ZrSiO4. The zircon particles are uniformly distributed in the second layer in the plane direction and in the stacking direction.