Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a conducting doped diamond-like nanocomposite film containing, as basic elements, carbon, silicon, metal, oxygen and hydrogen. The film is produced as follows: a substrate is disposed in a vacuum chamber, and a voltage of 0.3-5.0 kV is applied to the substrate; a gas discharge plasma with an energy density of more than 5 kilowatt-hour/gram-atom of carbon particles is generated, and an organosiloxane compound is evaporated into the plasma; a beam of particles of a dopant is introduced into the plasma; and a film is grown on the substrate to produce a conducting doped carbon nanocomposite film with a predetermined relationship of atomic concentrations of carbon, metal and silicon. The film surface is coated with a silicon dioxide layer. A unidirectional alternating current is passed through the film in a current generator mode to effect electric thermal exposure of the film.

Abstract: Annular substrates (20) are stacked in an enclosure where they define an inside volume (24) and an outer volume (26) outside the stack. A gas containing at least one precursor of a matrix material to be deposited within the pores of the substrates is channeled inside the enclosure to a first one (24) of the two volumes, and a residual gas is extracted from the enclosure from the other one (26) of the volumes. One or more leakage passages (22) allow the volumes to communicate with each other, other than through the substrates. The total section of the leakage passages has a value lying between a minimum value for ensuring that a maximum gas pressure in the first volume is not exceeded until the end of densification, and a maximum value such that a pressure difference is indeed established between the two volumes from the beginning of densification.

Abstract: The present invention is a turbine engine component comprising a superalloy substrate, a bond coat overlying the substrate having a thickness in the range of about 0.0005 inch to about 0.005 inch, a thin alumina scale overlying the bond coat, and a thermal barrier coating (TBC) overlying the thin alumina scale, the TBC having a thickness in the range of about 0.0025 inch to about 0.010 inch, and comprising at least mischmetal oxide.

Abstract: A layer formation method is disclosed which comprises supplying gas to a discharge space, exciting the supplied gas at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure by applying a high frequency electric field across the discharge space, and exposing a substrate to the excited gas, wherein the high frequency electric field is an electric field in which a first high frequency electric field and a second high frequency electric field are superposed, frequency ?2 of the second high frequency electric field is higher than frequency ?1 of the first high frequency electric field, strength V1 of the first high frequency electric field, strength V2 of the second high frequency electric field and strength IV of discharge starting electric field satisfy relationship V1?IV>V2 or V1>IV?V2, and power density of the second high frequency electric field is not less than 1 W/cm2.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method wherein the substrate (5) to be coated is immersed in an autocatalytic chemical deposit bath (4), for example nickel, contained in a stainless steel vessel (1) and wherein can be optionally mixed a suspended MCrAlY alloy, so as to form a metal deposit (nickel) wherein are optionally included powder particles. The invention is characterised in that, to provide a prolonged operation of the bath, it consists in measuring with a voltmeter (8) the difference of potential between the substrate (5) and a reference electrode (6) immersed in the bath (4), and in imposing between the substrate (5) and the vessel (1) an electric current produced by a generator (10), said current being adjusted by a regulator (11) so as to maintain said potential difference at a selected value.

Abstract: An electroless nickel plating method for the preparation of zirconia ceramic material. The surface of the zirconia ceramic material is first cleaned of contaminants. This is followed by an etching step where the surface of the material is etched by an acid. Then, activating the surface of the material is achieved by first applying a tin sensitizer, and then a palladium activator. Following the palladium activator step, applying an electroless nickel to the surface of the post activated material. After the electroless nickel bath, the zirconial ceramic material can then be further electroless or electrolytically plated with a variety of finishes. Applying the method of the present invention provides a suitable, commercially practicable method for the preparation of zirconia ceramic material for electroless nickel plating, so that the electroless nickel chemistry is distributed evenly on the material's surface.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus and method which employs the so-called batch processing method of processing a plurality of substrates simultaneously, thereby increasing the throughput, and which can carry out processing, such as electroless plating, stably and securely with a relatively simple apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing bath (14) for holding a processing liquid (12); and a substrate holder (16) which is vertically movable relative to the processing bath (14) and which includes a plurality of substrate holding portions (40) for holding a plurality of substrates (W) in parallel.

Abstract: A method of forming a diamond coating on an iron-based substrate, comprising: providing an iron based substrate with an outer layer which substantially comprises metal borides; and depositing the diamond coating on the outer layer using a process of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). An outer layer may be formed by deposition, by depositing a metal layer which is capable of being boronized followed by boronizing the metal layer, or by boronizing the iron-based substrate. The invention is also related to the use of an iron-based substrate comprising an outer layer with borides for hosting a CVD diamond coating.

Abstract: A method including combining a silicon source precursor and a nitrogen source precursor at a temperature up to 550° C.; and forming a silicon nitride film. A system including a chamber; a silicon precursor source coupled to the chamber; a controller configured to control the introduction into the chamber of a silicon precursor from the silicon precursor source; and a memory coupled to the controller comprising a machine-readable medium having a machine-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of the system, the machine-readable program including instructions for controlling the second precursor source to introduce an effective amount of silicon precursor into the chamber at a temperature up to 550° C.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate article is provided. The method includes masking a first portion of the substrate article with a maskant that includes a formed graphite piece that overlays and contacts the first portion of the substrate such that a second portion of the substrate is not overlaid nor contacted by the maskant; and processing the substrate article such that a coating of material is deposited on the second portion of the substrate, and wherein the maskant facilitates preventing the coating from being deposited on the first portion of the substrate article.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method which consists in a process known per se in producing, on the curved substrate (10) to be treated, a film of material derived from a specific material source (13). The invention is characterized in that it consists in inserting, between the curved substrate (10) and the material source (13), a mask (19) relative to the curved substrate (10), preferably selecting as mask (19), a mask comprising a ring-shaped part (20). The invention is particularly useful for providing lenses with antiglare treatment.

Abstract: CVD, ALD, and other vapor processes used in processing semiconductor workpieces often require volatilizing a liquid or solid precursor. Certain embodiments of the invention provide improved and/or more consistent volatilization rates by moving a reaction vessel. In one exemplary embodiment, a reaction vessel is rotated about a rotation axis which is disposed at an angle with respect to vertical. This deposits a quantity of the reaction precursor on an interior surface of the vessel's sidewall which is exposed to the headspace as the vessel rotates. Other embodiments employ drivers adapted to move the reaction vessel in other manners, such as a pendulum arm to oscillate the vessel along an arcuate path or a mechanical linkage which moves the vessel along an elliptical path.

Abstract: Protective layers are formed on a surface of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor. Parts defining a reaction space for an ALD or CVD reactor can be treated, in situ or ex situ, with chemicals that deactivate reactive sites on the reaction space surface(s). A pre-treatment step can maximize the available reactive sites prior to the treatment step. With reactive sites deactivated by adsorbed treatment reactant, during subsequent processing the reactant gases have reduced reactivity or deposition upon these treated surfaces. Accordingly, purge steps can be greatly shortened and a greater number of runs can be conducted between cleaning steps to remove built-up deposition on the reactor walls.

Abstract: One or more substrates may be coiled into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another. The one or more coiled substrates are placed in a treatment chamber where substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates may be treated with a surface treatment process. One or more spacers may be placed between adjacent layers of the coiled substrate before a full turn of the substrate has been coiled around a carousel.

Abstract: A method for depositing highly conformal silicate glass layers via chemical vapor deposition through the reaction of TEOS and O3 is provided, comprising placing an in-process semiconductor wafer having multiple surface constituents in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber.

Abstract: A method (10 or 20) for plating a component of a golf club head (42) is disclosed herein. The component of the golf club head that is plated is preferably composed of a metal material selected from the group consisting of magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, magnesium and aluminum. The plating (300) preferably comprises a first plating layer (302) a second plating layer (303) and a chrome or chromate layer (304). The method (10 of 20) preferably comprises exposing the component to alkaline and acidic solutions. The method (10 and 20) also preferably includes heat treating the plated component.

Abstract: A surface treatment method in which a surface of a part (7) is contacted with at least one activated species. The activated species is obtained by activating a gaseous medium containing at least two of the following elements: carbon, nitrogen, boron and oxygen. Preferably, the activated species is a neutral excited CN species. The activated species brings at least one interstitial element to the metal part (7) surface which is borne and maintained at a temperature enabling the interstitial element to be diffused into a surface layer of the metal part (7).

Abstract: The following plasma processing apparatus can suppress the production of contaminants from the plasma processing chamber of the apparatus and an article in the plasma processing chamber which are allowed to act as ground electrodes: a plasma processing apparatus in which a workpiece is processed by creating a plasma in the processing chamber, and one or more surfaces made of a grounded metal electric conductor which come into contact with the plasma in the plasma processing chamber are coated with a plasma-resistant polymeric material having a relationship between relative dielectric constant k? and thickness t (?m) of t/k?<300, or a protecting layer formed of a plasma-resistant and water-absorbing resin material is adhered and fixed to the outer surface of an article in the processing chamber by its swelling and then shrinkage.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus of forming titanium tantalum silicon nitride (TixTay(Si)Nz) layers are described. The titanium tantalum silicon nitride (TixTay(Si)Nz) layer may be formed using a cyclical deposition process by alternately adsorbing a titanium-containing precursor, a tantalum-containing precursor, a nitrogen-containing gas and a silicon-containing gas on a substrate. The titanium-containing precursor, the tantalum-containing precursor, the silicon-containing precursor and the nitrogen-containing precursor react to form the titanium tantalum silicon nitride (TixTay(Si)Nz) layer on the substrate. The formation of the titanium tantalum silicon nitride (TixTay(Si)Nz) layer is compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes. In one integrated circuit fabrication process, the titanium tantalum silicon nitride (TixTay(Si)Nz) layer is used as a diffusion barrier for a copper metallization process.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and apparatus for processing weak ferroelectric films on semiconductor substrates, including relatively large substrates, e.g., with 300 millimeter diameter. A ferroelectric film of zinc oxide (ZnO) doped with lithium (Li) and/or magnesium (Mg) is deposited on a substrate in a plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition process such as an electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR CVD) process. Zinc is introduced to a chamber through a zinc precursor in a vaporizer. Microwave energy ionizes zinc and oxygen in the chamber to a plasma, which is directed to the substrate with a relatively strong field. Electrically biased control grids control a rate of deposition of the plasma. The control grids also provide Li and/or Mg dopants for the ZnO to create the ferroelectric film. A desired ferroelectric property of the ferroelectric film can be tailored by selecting an appropriate composition of the control grids.