Abstract: The present invention provides a silver paste containing at least a silver powder, a binder resin, and an organic solvent, wherein the silver powder contains a first silver powder having a D50 of 3.50 to 7.50 ?m and a second silver powder having a D50 of 0.80 to 2.00 ?m, where D50 represents a 50% value of a volume-based cumulative fraction obtained by laser diffraction particle size distribution measurement; a copper content of the whole silver powder is 10 to 5000 ppm by mass; a copper content of the second silver powder is 80 ppm by mass or more; and the first silver powder contains substantially no copper. The present invention provides a silver paste containing a powder in a high concentration and excellent in printability, and provides a silver conductor film that has a high filling factor, a high film density, high electrical conductivity, and excellent migration resistance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a silver paste containing at least a silver powder, a binder resin, and an organic solvent, wherein the silver powder contains a first silver powder having a D50 of 3.50 to 7.50 ?m and a second silver powder having a D50 of 0.80 to 2.00 ?m, where D50 represents a 50% value of a volume-based cumulative fraction obtained by laser diffraction particle size distribution measurement; a copper content of the whole silver powder is 10 to 5000 ppm by mass; a copper content of the second silver powder is 80 ppm by mass or more; and the first silver powder contains substantially no copper. The present invention provides a silver paste containing a powder in a high concentration and excellent in printability, and provides a silver conductor film that has a high filling factor, a high film density, high electrical conductivity, and excellent migration resistance.

Abstract: A carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties is particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements. The carbon-coated metal powder can be obtained by melting and vaporizing a metallic raw material in a reaction vessel, conveying the generated metal vapor into a cooling tube and rapidly cooling the metal vapor by endothermically decomposing a carbon source supplied into the cooling tube, and forming a carbon coating film on metal nuclei surfaces in parallel with generation of the metal nuclei.

Abstract: A carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties is particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements. The carbon-coated metal powder can be obtained by melting and vaporizing a metallic raw material in a reaction vessel, conveying the generated metal vapor into a cooling tube and rapidly cooling the metal vapor by endothermically decomposing a carbon source supplied into the cooling tube, and forming a carbon coating film on metal nuclei surfaces in parallel with generation of the metal nuclei.

Abstract: A carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties is particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements. The carbon-coated metal powder can be obtained by melting and vaporizing a metallic raw material in a reaction vessel, conveying the generated metal vapor into a cooling tube and rapidly cooling the metal vapor by endothermically decomposing a carbon source supplied into the cooling tube, and forming a carbon coating film on metal nuclei surfaces in parallel with generation of the metal nuclei.

Abstract: This invention aims at providing a carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements.

Abstract: A conductive paste for a solar cell element front surface electrode that is used to form a front surface electrode of a solar cell element that is provided with a semiconductor substrate, an antireflective film disposed in a first region on one main surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a front surface electrode disposed in a second region on the one main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The conductive paste contains a conductive powder, a mixed glass frit, and an organic vehicle in which the mixed glass frit contains, in the form of mixture, a tellurium-based glass frit containing tellurium, tungsten, and bismuth as essential components and a lead-bismuth-based glass frit that contains lead and bismuth as essential components and that substantially does not contain tellurium.

Abstract: This invention aims at providing a carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements.

Abstract: Fine, highly-crystallized metal powder is produced at low cost and high efficiency by a method involving: ejecting raw material powder composed of one or more kinds of thermally decomposable metal compound powders into a reaction vessel through a nozzle together with a carrier gas and producing a metal powder by heating the raw material powder at a temperature T2 which is higher than the decomposition temperature of the raw material powder and not lower than (Tm?200°) C. where Tm is the melting point (° C.) of the metal to be produced, while allowing the raw material powder to pass through the reaction vessel in a state where the raw material powder is dispersed in a gas phase at a concentration of 10 g/liter or less, wherein an ambient temperature T1 of a nozzle opening part is set to a temperature of 400° C. or higher and lower than (Tm?200°) C.

Abstract: A solar cell device including an electrode formed by applying a conductive paste containing at least a conductive powder, glass frit and an organic vehicle onto a semiconductor substrate provided with a silicon nitride layer on a surface thereof and firing the applied conductive paste, wherein the electrode has a structure with a front electrode layer containing silver as a main component, a glass layer containing tellurium glass as a main component, and a silicon oxide layer containing plural silver particles precipitated by the firing. The solar cell device is provided with an electrode formed using a conductive paste not containing lead glass and has good solar cell characteristics.

Abstract: A solar cell device including an electrode formed by applying a conductive paste containing at least a conductive powder, glass frit and an organic vehicle onto a semiconductor substrate provided with a silicon nitride layer on a surface thereof and firing the applied conductive paste, wherein the electrode has a structure with a front electrode layer containing silver as a main component, a glass layer containing tellurium glass as a main component, and a silicon oxide layer containing plural silver particles precipitated by the firing. The solar cell device is provided with an electrode formed using a conductive paste not containing lead glass and has good solar cell characteristics.

Abstract: A nickel powder with an average particle size of 0.05 to 1.0 ?m, which is composed of nickel particles having an oxidized surface layer and containing sulfur, wherein the sulfur content with respect to the total weight of the powder is 100 to 2000 ppm, and the intensity of a peak identified to sulfur bonded to nickel in surface analysis by ESCA of the nickel particles varies in a direction toward the center from the surface of the particles, and this intensity has its maximum at a location deeper than 3 nm from the particle outermost surface. This nickel powder is manufactured by bringing a nickel powder containing sulfur and dispersed in a non-oxidizing gas atmosphere into contact with an oxidizing gas at a high temperature.

Abstract: Fine, highly-crystallized metal powder is produced at low cost and high efficiency by a method involving: ejecting raw material powder composed of one or more kinds of thermally decomposable metal compound powders into a reaction vessel through a nozzle together with a carrier gas and producing a metal powder by heating the raw material powder at a temperature T2 which is higher than the decomposition temperature of the raw material powder and not lower than (Tm?200)° C. where Tm is the melting point (° C.) of the metal to be produced, while allowing the raw material powder to pass through the reaction vessel in a state where the raw material powder is dispersed in a gas phase at a concentration of 10 g/liter or less, wherein an ambient temperature T1 of a nozzle opening part is set to a temperature of 400° C. or higher and lower than (Tm?200)° C.

Abstract: A nickel powder with an average particle size of 0.05 to 1.0 ?m, which is composed of nickel particles having an oxidized surface layer and containing sulfur, wherein the sulfur content with respect to the total weight of the powder is 100 to 2000 ppm, and the intensity of a peak identified to sulfur bonded to nickel in surface analysis by ESCA of the nickel particles varies in a direction toward the center from the surface of the particles, and this intensity has its maximum at a location deeper than 3 nm from the particle outermost surface. This nickel powder is manufactured by bringing a nickel powder containing sulfur and dispersed in a non-oxidizing gas atmosphere into contact with an oxidizing gas at a high temperature.

Abstract: A nickel powder with an average particle size of 0.05 to 1.0 ?m, which is composed of nickel particles having an oxidized surface layer and containing sulfur, wherein the sulfur content with respect to the total weight of the powder is 100 to 2000 ppm, and the intensity of a peak identified to sulfur bonded to nickel in surface analysis by ESCA of the nickel particles varies in a direction toward the center from the surface of the particles, and this intensity has its maximum at a location deeper than 3 nm from the particle outermost surface. This nickel powder is manufactured by bringing a nickel powder containing sulfur and dispersed in a non-oxidizing gas atmosphere into contact with an oxidizing gas at a high temperature.

Abstract: A solar cell device including an electrode formed by applying a conductive paste containing at least a conductive powder, glass frit and an organic vehicle onto a semiconductor substrate provided with a silicon nitride layer on a surface thereof and firing the applied conductive paste, wherein the electrode has a structure comprising a front electrode layer comprising silver as a main component, a glass layer comprising tellurium glass as a main component, and a silicon oxide layer containing plural silver particles precipitated by the firing. The solar cell device is provided with an electrode formed using a conductive paste not containing lead glass and has good solar cell characteristics.

Abstract: A vacuum package has a chamber in which pressure is reduced to less than the atmospheric pressure, a functional component sealed in the chamber, and a material forming at least a part of the chamber. The material has at least one through hole to evacuate the chamber. In a cross section perpendicular to the material taken along the through hole, an edge portion of the material forming the through hole has an obtuse angle. The through hole is sealed with a sealing material.

Abstract: The invention provides a nickel-rhenium alloy powder that contains nickel as a main component, 0.1 to 10% by weight of rhenium and 50 to 10,000 ppm of silicon in terms of silicon atoms, and that is suitable, in particular, for the formation of an internal electrode layer for a multilayer ceramic electronic component. The obtained powder is homogeneously mixed and dispersed in an organic vehicle, together with other additives as needed, to prepare a conductor paste. When used in particular for forming an internal electrode of a multilayer ceramic electronic component, the nickel-rhenium alloy powder of the invention delays sintering initiation and slows down the progress of sintering during firing, even for extremely fine powders, while bringing the sintering shrinkage behaviors of electrode layers and ceramic layers closer to each other. Moreover, there occurs no electrode spheroidizing caused by oversintering. A thinner, dense internal electrode having excellent continuity can be formed as a result.

Abstract: A nickel-rhenium alloy powder comprising nickel as a main component, 0.1 to 10% by weight of rhenium, and having an average particle size of 0.05 to 1.0 ?m is provided. The nickel-rhenium alloy powder has a surface oxide film containing a nickel oxide and a rhenium oxide, and the amount of oxygen in the surface oxide film is 0.1 to 3.0% by weight relative to the total weight of the powder. The nickel-rhenium alloy powder is suitable, in particular, for forming internal electrode layers of a multilayer ceramic electronic component. The obtained powder is homogeneously mixed and dispersed in an organic vehicle, together with other additives as needed, to prepare a conductor paste. The surface oxide film allows bringing the sintering shrinkage behavior of electrode layers and ceramic layers closer to each other when the nickel-rhenium alloy powder is used, in particular, for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic electronic component.

Abstract: A melt of nickel nitrate hydrate is introduced as droplets or liquid flow into a heated reaction vessel and thermally decomposed in a gas phase at a temperature of 1200° C. or more and at an oxygen partial pressure equal to or below the equilibrium oxygen pressure of nickel-nickel oxide at that temperature to manufacture a highly crystalline fine nickel powder with an extremely narrow particle size distribution. The oxygen partial pressure during the thermal decomposition is preferably 10?2 Pa or less, and a metal other than nickel, a semimetal and/or a compound of these may be added to the nickel nitrate hydrate melt to manufacture a highly crystalline nickel alloy powder or highly crystalline nickel composite powder. The resultant powder is suited in particular to thick film pastes such as conductor pastes for manufacturing ceramic multilayer electronic components.