Japan Science and Technology Agency

Tohoku University

Material Concept, Inc.

Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha

Nec Tokin Corporation

Osg Corporation

Japan Stent Technology Co., Ltd.

Furukawa Techno Material Co., Ltd.

Yuji Sutou

Junichi Koike

Kiyohito Ishida

Ryosuke Kainuma

Kiyoshi Yamauchi

Toshihiro Omori

Daisuke Ando

Yuuki Tanaka

Hiraku Murayama

Masatoshi Sakurai

Mei Wang

Shuzou Yamashita

Kouji Mori

Takamitsu Takagi

Ryouichi Souba

Michihide Ozawa

Makoto Wada

Katsunari Oikawa

Yuta Saito

Toshihiro Ohchi

Tri Hai Hoang

Masaaki Saiga

Toshiya Kamada

Akira Ogawa

Takeshi Kanomata

Shoko Komiyama

Masahito Hatori

Provided are a solar cell having a good conversion efficiency in which damage to a p-n junction structure is prevented when an antireflection film is removed, and a method of manufacturing such a solar cell.

Solar cell and method of manufacturing the same

The present invention is provided with an interface layer that minimizes interdiffusion between a silicon substrate and copper electrode wiring that are used as a solar cell, that improves the adhesive properties of copper wiring, and that is used to obtain ohmic contact characteristics. This silicon solar cell comprises a silicon substrate and is provided with a metal oxide layer that is formed on the silicon substrate and wiring that is formed on the metal oxide layer and that comprises mainly copper. The metal oxide layer contains (a) one of either titanium or manganese, (b) one of vanadium, niobium, tantalum, or silicon, and (c) at least one of copper and nickel. In addition, the metal oxide layer comprises copper or nickel as metal particles that are diffused in the interior of the metal oxide layer.

Solar cell and production method therefor

To provide a method for firing a copper paste, which improves sinterability of copper particles for the purpose of forming a copper wiring line that is decreased in the electrical conductivity. A method for firing a copper paste, which comprises: an application step wherein a copper paste is applied over a substrate; a first heating step wherein the substrate is heated in a nitrogen gas atmosphere containing from 500 ppm to 2,000 ppm (inclusive) of an oxidizing gas in terms of volume ratio after the application step, thereby oxidizing and sintering copper particles in the copper paste; and a second heating step wherein the substrate is heated in a nitrogen gas atmosphere containing 1% or more of a reducing gas in terms of volume ratio after the first heating step, thereby reducing the oxidized and sintered copper oxide.

Method for firing copper paste

A solar cell module capable of preventing the occurrence of a PID failure in a solar photovoltaic power generation system with a MW capacity, said system being used in a high-temperature high-humidity environment; and a method for manufacturing this solar cell module. A solar cell module which comprises a protection glass material and a sealing material on a light receiving surface side of a substrate, and which also comprises an oxide layer between the substrate and the protection glass material, said oxide layer containing a metal element and silicon. It is preferable that the oxide layer contains at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, zirconium, niobium and molybdenum. It is also preferable that the oxide layer has a refractive index of from 1.5 to 2.3 (inclusive) with respect to incident light having a wavelength of 587 nm.

Solar cell module and method for manufacturing the same

A hard lubrication film, with which a surface of a base material is coated, has two or more alternately laminated layers that are one or more A-layers made of (CrMoWVB)CNand one or more B-layers made of (CrMoWVB)CNO. Atom ratios a, b, c, d, e=1&#x2212;a&#x2212;b&#x2212;c&#x2212;d, x+y, and y related to A-layers satisfy 0.2&#x2264;a&#x2264;0.7, 0.05&#x2264;b&#x2264;0.6, 0&#x2264;c&#x2264;0.3, 0&#x2264;d&#x2264;0.05, 0&#x2264;e&#x2264;0.05, 0.3&#x2264;x+y&#x2264;0.6, and 0&#x2264;y&#x2264;0.6, respectively. Atom ratios a, b, c, d, e=1&#x2212;a&#x2212;b&#x2212;c&#x2212;d, x, y, z, and x+y+z related to B-layers satisfy 0.2&#x2264;a&#x2264;0.7, 0.05&#x2264;b&#x2264;0.6, 0&#x2264;c&#x2264;0.3, 0&#x2264;d&#x2264;0.05, 0&#x2264;e&#x2264;0.05, 0&#x2264;x&#x2264;0.6, 0&#x2264;y&#x2264;0.6, 0&#x3c;z&#x2264;0.6, and 0.3&#x2264;x+y+z&#x2264;0.6, respectively. Each A-layer has a film thickness within a range of 2 nm or more to 1000 nm or less, each B-layer has a film thickness within a range of 2 nm or more to 500 nm or less, and wherein the hard lubrication film has a total film thickness within a range of 0.1 &#x3bc;m or more to 10.0 &#x3bc;m or less.

Hard lubricating coating film and hard lubricating coating film-covered tool

To provide: an electronic component which comprises a copper electrode on an inorganic material substrate and wherein the adhesion strength between the substrate and the copper electrode is high, thereby achieving improved adhesion of the copper electrode; and a method for manufacturing this electronic component. An electronic component which comprises a copper electrode on an inorganic material substrate and wherein an interface layer containing copper, manganese, silicon and oxygen is provided at the interface between the substrate and the copper electrode, and the interface layer contains crystal grains that are mainly formed of copper and dispersed in the interface layer. A method for manufacturing this electronic component comprises: an interface layer formation step for forming an interface layer on the substrate; and an electrode formation step for forming the copper electrode on the interface layer.

Electronic component and method for manufacturing same

A tool hard film that is to be disposed as coating on a surface of a tool, the tool hard film being a TiCrMoWV oxycarbide, oxynitride, or oxycarbonitride having a phase with a NaCl-type crystal structure as a main phase, the oxycarbide, oxynitride, or oxycarbonitride having fine crystals due to introduction of oxygen.

Hard film for machining tools and hard film-coated metal machining tool

A Ti&#x2014;Ni&#x2014;Nb alloy device is provided which is a shape memory device excellent in response characteristics. The Ti&#x2014;Ni&#x2014;Nb alloy device is made of a Ti&#x2014;Ni&#x2014;Nb alloy which finishes transformation at a temperature lower than 10&#xb0; C. after start of reverse transformation.

Ti-Ni-Nb alloy device

To provide a stent which holds various performances such as deliverability, prevention of restenosis, flexible shape conformability, and so on and is therefore adaptable not only to a bile duct but also to a blood vessel system such as a tortuous coronary artery substantially without causing restenosis. A stent with an autonomic function is made of a Ti&#x2014;Ni based shape memory alloy and has a maximum expanding force at a center portion in its lengthwise direction.

Stent with autonomic function

A phase-change material, which has a high crystallization temperature and is superior in thermal stability of the amorphous phase, which has a composition of the general chemical formula GeMTewherein M indicates one type of element which is selected from the group which comprises Al, Si, Cu, In, and Sn, x is 5.0 to 50.0 (at %) and y is 4.0 to 45.0 (at %) in range, and x and y are selected so that 40 (at %)&#x2266;x+y&#x2266;60 (at %). This phase-change material further contains, as an additional element L, at least one type of element L which is selected from the group which comprises N, O, Al, Si, P, Cu, In, and Sn in the form of GeMLTewherein z is selected so that 40 (at %)&#x2266;x+y+z&#x2266;60 (at %).

Phase-change material and phase-change type memory device

A guide wire includes a distal core member made of a ferrous alloy which has shape memory properties and superelasticity. The ferrous alloy preferably includes substantially two phases, and has a difference of 100&#xb0; C. or less between an Af point and an Ms point in a thermal hysteresis of martensitic transformation and reverse transformation. The guide wire may include a proximal core member made of an iron-containing alloy and having a higher modulus of elasticity than the distal core member. The two core members may be joined together by welding to form a core of the guide wire.

Guide wire and stent

A Co-based alloy being useful as a spiral spring, common spring, wire, cable guide, steel belt, build-up material, guide wire, stent, catheter, etc. There is provided a Co-based alloy having a composition of Co&#x2014;Al binary system containing 3-13% Al loaded with at least one workability enhancing element selected from among 001 to 50% Ni, 0.01 to 40% Fe and 0.01 to 30% Mn and having a lamellar structure wherein f.c.c. structure &#x3b1;-phase and &#x3b2;(B2)-phase are repeated in layers. The lamellar structure is so regulated that the occupancy ratio of the whole structure is 30 vol. % or above and the layer spacing is 100 &#x3bc;m or less. The Co-based alloy may contain at least one optional component selected from among Ga, Cr, V, Ti, Mo, Nb, Zr, W, Ta, Hf, Si, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt, Au, B, C and P may be added in a total amount of 0.01 to 60%.

High-strength co-based alloy with enhanced workability and process for producing the same

An elastic metal strip aligning a longitudinal direction with a rolling direction of a cold-rolled plate is collected and processed to a shape including a correction plate with the longitudinal direction of the elastic metal as a width direction of a nail and a plurality of tongue strips protruded from the edge of the correction plate near the nail tip. Each tongue strip is folded and bent to form a hooked claw with a double structure of a folding part and a bending part. A nail tip of a deformed nail is inserted between the hooked claw and the correction plate to apply a restoring force of elasticity in the correction plate to the deformed nail as correction ability for deformed nails. A wrought wire rod can be used instead of a cold-rolled plate and a Cu&#x2014;Al&#x2014;Mn type shape-memory alloy may further be used as a raw material.

Corrective device for deformed nails

An iron-based alloy having shape memory properties and superelasticity, which has a composition comprising 25-35% by mass of Ni, 13-25% by mass of Co, 2-8% by mass of Al, and 1-20% by mass in total of at least one selected from the group consisting of 1-5% by mass of Ti, 2-10% by mass of Nb and 3-20% by mass of Ta, the balance being substantially Fe and inevitable impurities, and a recrystallization texture substantially comprising a &#x3b3; phase and a &#x3b3;' phase, particular crystal orientations of the &#x3b3; phase being aligned, and the difference between a reverse transformation-finishing temperature and a martensitic transformation-starting temperature being 100&#xb0; C. or less in the thermal hysteresis of martensitic transformation and reverse transformation.

Growing community of inventors

Sendai, Japan

Yuji Sutou