Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Seiko Epson Corporation

Other

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Natsumi Shimogawa

Tsutomu Nanataki

Yukihisa Takeuchi

Makoto Ohmori

Takayoshi Akao

Shigeki Okada

Toshiyuki Nakamura

Koji Kimura

Nobuo Takahashi

Toshikazu Hirota

Masayuki Shinkai

Shuichi Ozawa

Hirofumi Yamaguchi

Nobuyuki Kobayashi

Kazuhiro Yamamoto

Naoto Ohira

Minoru Usui

Takahiro Katakura

Takao Ohnishi

Shinsuke Yano

Kei Tokui

Katsuyuki Takeuchi

Kazuyuki Mizuno

Hiroki Fujita

Yoshihiro Tanaka

Motonori Okumura

Hisanori Yamamoto

Masao Takahashi

Kenichi Iwauchi

Takaichi Wada

Takahiro Maeda

Yukio Aisaka

Keizo Miyata

Isao Shikata

Nobou Takahashi

Michihiro Asai

The present invention relates to a composite electronic component having a dielectric body portion inside of which a conductive body is provided, and a magnetic body portion inside of which a conductive body is provided. In the present invention, a layer made of a metal material is arranged between the dielectric body portion and the magnetic body portion as an intermediate layer.

Composite electronic component

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 (AlO) 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.

Glass-ceramics composite material

A reduction process is performed to each fuel electrode layer by supplying a reduction gas into each fuel channelin the state in which a perimetric portion of a sheet bodyis held to be sealed by perimetric portions of an upper support memberand a lower support member. In the case of a small-sized fuel cell in which the thickness of the sheet bodyis 20&#x2dc;500 &#x3bc;m, the fuel electrode layer is greater in thickness than the solid electrolyte layer and the air electrode layer, and the area of the orthogonal projection of the plane portionof each support memberis 1&#x2dc;100 cm, a ratio of a warpage of not more than 0.05 cmon the sheet body with respect to the area of the orthogonal projection can be achieved at room temperature after the reduction process.

Solid oxide fuel cell, and assembling method of the same

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 &#x3bc;m or more and 5 &#x3bc;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.

Solid oxide fuel cell

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.

Device with ceramic thin plate member and metal thin plate member

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.

Reactor

A method for manufacturing a fired ceramic body including a metal wire wherein the metal wire is placed in a mold and then, a ceramic slurry having a heat-gelling characteristic or a thermoset characteristic is poured into the mold. Subsequently, the ceramic slurry is dried and hardened to form a ceramic-compact-before-fired, and then, the ceramic-compact-before-fired is fired. In this firing process, a degreasing of the ceramic compact is firstly performed, and thereafter, a temperature of the ceramic compact is increased up to a second temperature at which the metal wire is softened and the ceramic compact is fired at a second temperature increasing rate. The second temperature increasing rate is set at such a rate that a shrinkage ratio of the ceramic compact when the temperature of the ceramic compact reaches the second temperature is smaller than or equal to a predetermined threshold shrinkage ratio.

Method for manufacturing a fired ceramic body including a metallic wire inside

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 ZrSiO. The zircon particles are uniformly distributed in the second layer in the plane direction and in the stacking direction.

Sheet body of solid oxide fuel cell, and solid oxide fuel cell

An assembling method of a solid oxide fuel cell, having a stack structure in which sheet bodies and separators are stacked in alternating layers, includes a stacking step, a sealing step, and a reduction process step. In the sealing step, a laminate in which a crystallized glass material is interposed between the perimetric portions adjacent to each other is heated, so that the crystallization rate of the crystallized glass is increased to 0 to 50%. Accordingly, the perimetric portions adjacent to each other are integrated and sealed, and a room for glass softening is left. In the reduction process step, the laminate is heated, and a reduction gas is supplied into a fuel channel, whereby the reduction process is performed to the fuel electrode layer, and the crystallization rate is increased to 70 to 100%. Thus, the assembly of the fuel cell is completed.

Assembling method of solid oxide fuel cell

A layered inductor is manufactured by layering 'silver-based conductive layers' and 'ferrite-based magnetic layers' and simultaneously firing these layers. The conductive layers are via-connected to form a helical coil. A shape of a cross sectional surface of the conductive layer, cut by a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of each of the conductive layers is a substantial trapezoid shape, having an upper base and a lower base. A base angle &#x3b8; of the trapezoid shape at both ends of the lower base is equal to or greater than 50&#xb0; and is smaller than or equal to 80&#xb0;.

Layered inductor

A compact inductor comprises a coil, a coil-burying body, and a body for a closed magnetic circuit. The coil-burying body is a fired porous ceramic body having a first magnetic permeability, in which the coil is buried. In the coil-burying body, 'a through-holepassing through inside of the coil along an axis of the coil' is formed. The body for a closed magnetic circuit is a fired dense ceramic body having a second magnetic permeability greater than the first magnetic permeability. The body for a closed magnetic circuit is arranged closely/densely at an outer circumference portion of the coil-burying body and in the through-hole. A magnetic path is therefore formed mainly within the body for a closed magnetic circuit, and the magnetic flux density is reduced in an area close to the coil. Accordingly, an inductor having the excellent superimposed DC current characteristic is provided.

Compact inductor and a method for manufacturing the same

Striped sheets each having a structure in which two types of first layers and second layers are stacked in the X direction are prepared. More specifically, first raw material sheets having the same composition as the first layers and second raw material sheets having the same composition as the second layers are regularly alternately stacked in the X direction to prepare a uniaxial stack. The uniaxial stack is then cut along the X direction to prepare the striped sheets. A large number of striped sheets and a large number of homogeneous sheets are then collected to form a sheet group. The striped sheets and the homogeneous sheets are alternately stacked in the Y direction different from the X direction to prepare a biaxial stack having two stacking axes in the X direction and the Y direction. The biaxial stack is fired to produce a ceramic structure.

Method of producing ceramic structure and ceramic structure

A fuel cell has a stack structure in which fired sheet bodies (laminates each including a fuel electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and an air electrode layer) and support members for supporting the sheet bodies are stacked in alternating layers. Each of the sheet bodies is warped downward (toward an air-electrode-layer side). Because of a magnitude relationship of thermal expansion coefficient among the layers in the sheet body and that between the support member and the sheet body, a warp height gradually lessens in the course of temperature rise at start-up. However, even when a working temperature (800&#xb0; C. or the like) is reached, the sheet bodies are still warped downward. By virtue of presence of the warp, the sheet bodies become unlikely to be deformed at the working temperature.

A thin plate member is a thin plate member that is formed by sintering, contains a ceramic layer, and comprises a thin part having two or more types of layers laminated, each of which is made of a material having a different thermal expansion coefficient, and a thick part that is made by laminating plural layers including at least all of the layers constituting the thin part, and has a thickness greater than the thickness of the thin part. The thin part has a shape warping in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the thin plate member. By virtue of this configuration, the internal electrical resistance of the thin part can be reduced. Further, the thin plate member can be provided that is difficult to be deformed with respect to the internal stress caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between layers.

Ceramic thin plate member

A thin plate member has a uniform thickness of not less than 5 &#x3bc;m and not more than 100 &#x3bc;m, includes at least a ceramic sheet, formed by sintering. The thin plate member has plural convex portions protruding from one plane P of the thin plate member, and plural concave portions caved in from the plane P. Accordingly, the deflection amount obtained when the thin plate member is supported at a predetermined support section of the thin plate member in a direction orthogonal to the plane P is smaller than the deflection amount of a thin plate member that is flat without having convex and concave portions. Therefore, a thin plate member which is difficult to be deformed is provided.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Natsumi Shimogawa