A new type of Prussian blue modified electrode is described. The Prussian blue modified electrode is electrochemically prepared in a solution of ferric‐ferricyanide. The amount of Prussian blue on electrodes such as platinum, glassy carbon, and SnO2 is easily controlled by changing the current density, the electrode potential, and the time of the electrolysis. The waves observed at +0.2 and +1.0V vs. SCE are due to the reduction and the oxidation of the ferric part and of the ferrous part in the Prussian blue crystal, KFeIIIFeII false(CN)6 or Fe4IIIfalse[FeII false(CN)6]3 , respectively. This electrode exhibits excellent stability in aqueous solution. A spectroelectrochemical property of the modified electrode is also described.

An electrochromic display based on a Prussian-blue-modified electrode is described. Prussian blues are deposited electrochemically in a solution of ferric-ferricyanide. Current flow at +0.2 and +1.0 V is due to the reduction of Fe3+ and the oxidation of Fe2+ in the Prussian-blue coating, respectively. The result is a display that switches from clear to blue, has high stability, and has a response of less than 100 ms.

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To improve the safety of the electrolyte used for lithium secondary batteries, binary mixed solvent electrolytes containing trifluoropropylene carbonate ͑TFPC͒ as cosolvent have been studied. Chloroethylene carbonate ͑ClEC͒, ethylene carbonate, and propylene carbonate were chosen as the other component of the binary mixed solvent for the electrolytes. The solution properties of these electrolytes were characterized using conductivity and nuclear magnetic resonance ͑NMR͒ spectroscopy. The chemical shift of ClEC and TFPC did not vary with the mixing ratio due to their similar enthalpies of solvation as derived by molecular orbital simulation. The ClEC/TFPC electrolyte showed higher discharge capacities with lower irreversible capacity loss in both a graphite/Li cell and Li 1ϩx Mn 2 O 4 /Li cell than other electrolyte systems. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were made for cells composed of each electrolyte. The surface of the graphite anode was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and solid 7 Li-NMR spectroscopy.

The metal capping barrier deposited by the electroless cobalt tungsten boron ͑CoWB͒ alloy plating method for ultralarge scale integration applications was investigated. The CoWB film was formed directly on copper without a palladium catalyst, using dimethyl amin borane ͑DMAB͒ as a reducing agent, and it was deposited selectively on 0.25 m wide copper interconnects separated with 0.25 m spacing SiO 2 . The CoWB thin films were effective barriers against copper diffusion even at CoWB thicknesses as low as 50 nm. Compared with the CoWB film, cobalt tungsten phosphorus films deposited directly on copper using DMAB as a deposition initiator was not effective as a copper diffusion barrier. The plating films contained mainly cobalt with a significant amount of tungsten ͑up to 20 atom %͒ and a small amount of boron. Additionally, we propose a newly developed alkaline metal free electroless CoWB plating solution using tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide as a pH adjuster.