Method of Manufacturing Transparent Sesquioxide Sintered Body, and Transparent Sesquioxide Sintered Body Manufactured by the Method

摘要

To provide a method of manufacturing a transparent sesquioxide sintered body by which a transparent M 2 O 3 type sesquioxide sintered body with quality at a practical-use level can be manufactured in a stable manner. A powder including particles of an oxide of at least one rare earth element selected from the group consisting of Y, Sc and lanthanide elements and Zr oxide particles is prepared as a raw material powder, wherein in the particle size distribution of the rare earth element oxide particles, or in the particle size distribution of secondary particles in the case where the rare earth element oxide particles are agglomerated to form the secondary particles, the particle diameter D 2.5 value at which the cumulative particle amount from the minimum particle size side is 2.5% based on the total particle amount is in the range from 180 nm to 2000 nm, inclusive. The raw material powder is press molded into a predetermined shape, followed by sintering, to thereby manufacture a transparent M 2 O 3 type sesquioxide sintered body (M is at least one rare earth element selected from the group consisting of Y, Sc and the lanthanide elements).