A combinatorial approach was applied to thin-film transistors (TFTs) using amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O semiconductor channels. A large number of TFTs, having n-type channels with different chemical compositions, were fabricated simultaneously on a substrate. A systematic relation was clarified among the compositional ratio of In:Ga:Zn, oxygen partial pressure in film deposition atmosphere, and TFT characteristics. The results provide an experimental basis to understand the roles of each metallic element in the In–Ga–Zn–O system. This information leads to a guideline to tune the metallic compositions for required TFT specifications.

In order to clarify the grain size dependence of mechanical stability of austenite, deformation-induced martensitic transformation behavior was investigated on uniaxial tensile deformation in a metastable austenitic stainless steel (Fe-16%Cr-10%Ni) with the grain size controlled from 1 to 80 μ m. In addition, crystallographic characteristics of deformation-induced martensite were analyzed by means of the EBSD (electron backscattering diffraction) method to discuss the variant selection rule. It was found that mechanical stability of austenite is independent of its grain size, although thermal stability of austenite is remarkably increased by grain refinement. Some special martensite variants tend to be selected in an austenite grain on the deformation-induced martensitic transformation (near single-variant transformation), and this results in the formation of a texture along tensile direction. This suggests that the most advantageous variants are selected in the deformation-induced martensitic transformation to release tensile strain and leads to the grain size independence of mechanical stability of austenite.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), standing perpendicularly to a substrate with an electrode, were fabricated by thermal catalytic decomposition of ethylene from Co particles electrochemically embedded at the bottom of anodic alumina nanoholes. The thermal durability of the alumina nanoholes for the CNTs growth process was achieved by using Nb as an underlying electrode. The CNTs were electrically connected to the electrode through the conductive paths, which were formed at the bottom of alumina nanoholes by Nb ion migration from the underlying electrode during anodization.

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