Abstract: A method, system and apparatus are disclosed for forming a lubricant film for magnetic recording applications. The method includes, in certain embodiments, providing at least one substantially solvent free lubricant having a plurality of lubricant molecules with each lubricant molecule comprising a polymer chain having a backbone section and at least one functional end group. The method also includes treating the at least one substantially solvent free lubricant with a physical treatment to cross-link the backbone section of each polymer chain with at least one other molecule to create a cross-linked lubricant.

Abstract: A method of forming a perpendicular magnetic recording medium. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprises a substrate, an underlayer on the substrate, an intermediate layer on the underlayer and a recording layer on the intermediate layer. The underlayer comprises a first soft underlayer, an antiferromagnetically coupled Ru layer on the first soft underlayer, a second soft underlayer on the antiferromagnetically coupled Ru layer, and an orientation control layer on the second soft underlayer, the method comprises applying a negative bias voltage to the substrate during formation of the underlayer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a silver miniwire film is provided, wherein the film exhibits a reduced sheet resistance.

Abstract: To improve the procedure for producing plates for lead-acid batteries, it is proposed with the invention to expose the pasted plates to saturated steam in one phase of the procedure.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic disk in which at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer are sequentially formed on a substrate is provided. The method comprises forming a film of a lubricant composition on the protective layer, the lubricant comprising a lubricant compound having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the molecular structure and an aromatic group or a phosphazene ring. The method further comprises forming the lubrication layer, and subjecting the magnetic disk to ultraviolet irradiation under a nitrogen gas or an inert gas atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of 5 volume % or less by adjusting an atmospheric temperature to a range of 50 to 180° C.

Abstract: Methods for forming interconnect or interconnections on a substrate for use in a microelectric device are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the method includes depositing an alloy layer comprising Cu and an alloying element, for, example, Mn, in a dielectric layer and segregating or diffusing the alloying element from the bulk Cu portion of the alloy layer. In one or more embodiments, the method includes annealing the alloy layer in an atomic hydrogen atmosphere. After annealing, the alloy layer exhibits a resistivity that is substantially equivalent to the resistivity of a pure Cu layer.

Abstract: Methods for improving the strength of glass substrates are described. One such method for strengthening a glass disk substrate for a storage device includes immersing at least a portion of the glass substrate in a solution, the solution including a solvent and a coating material selected from the group consisting of NaOH, KOH, and KNO3, removing the glass substrate from the solution, allowing the solvent to evaporate from the glass substrate, and heating the glass substrate at a preselected temperature for a preselected duration, where the preselected temperature is sufficient to substantially melt the coating material and is less than a transition temperature of the glass substrate.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic recording medium manufacturing method including forming a resist layer on a magnetic recording layer, patterning the resist layer, forming a magnetic pattern by performing ion implantation through the resist layer, partially modifying the surface of the magnetic recording layer, removing the resist, applying a self-organization material to the surface of the magnetic recording layer and forming a dotted mask pattern, and patterning the magnetic recording layer.

Abstract: A method for preparing a graphene sheet greater than 1 ?m in length that includes: combining graphitic oxide with a solvent having a ratio of from about 50:50 to about 80:20 deionized water and ethanol to form a graphitic oxide solution; mixing a solution of NaBH4 and deionized water and the graphitic oxide solution to form a mixture having a concentration of from 10 mmolar to 20 mmolar NaBH4; depositing the mixture on a substrate to form a sheet; and heating the mixture at a temperature of from 25° C. to 85° C. for from 3 to 30 minutes.

Abstract: Dielectric elastomer or electroactive polymer film transducers configured to minimize high electrical field gradients that can lead to partial discharge and corona.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming magnetic media substrates is provided. A patterned resist layer is formed on a substrate having a magnetically susceptible layer. A conformal protective layer is formed over the patterned resist layer to prevent degradation of the pattern during subsequent processing. The substrate is subjected to an energy treatment wherein energetic species penetrate portions of the patterned resist and conformal protective layer according to the pattern formed in the patterned resist, impacting the magnetically susceptible layer and modifying a magnetic property thereof. The patterned resist and conformal protective layers are then removed, leaving a magnetic substrate having a pattern of magnetic properties with a topography that is substantially unchanged.

Abstract: A bi-polar electrode having ion exchange polymers on opposite faces of a porous substrate is formed using a method that includes providing an electrode substrate with activated carbon layers on opposite faces of the electrode substrate, wherein said faces have an outer perimeter band void of the activated carbon layers. The electrode substrate is placed in a thermoplastic envelope formed by a pair of polyethylene films. A Mylar sheet is placed in each side of the envelope against the electrode substrate, and the envelope is thermally sealed to the outer perimeter band of the electrode substrate void of activated carbon to form a first pocket on one side of the electrode substrate and a second pocket on the opposite side of the electrode substrate. The method also includes inserting a first polymerizable monomer mixture having an anion exchange group into the first pocket of the envelope and inserting a second polymerizable monomer mixture having a cation exchange group into the second pocket of the envelope.

Abstract: The cavity has first and second main walls covered by a photoresist. The photoresist is subjected to electronic or electromagnetic radiation of wavelength comprised between 12.5 nm and 15 nm. A first thickness of the photoresist is exposed to form a first area of sacrificial material and a second area of different nature defining the surface coating. The sacrificial material is removed, the surface coating is formed and has a surface against one of the main walls and a free opposite surface. The lateral dimensions of the surface coating are defined in the cavity by the radiation through the first main wall.

Abstract: A method for making a current-perpendicular-to the-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) sensor with a Heusler alloy pinned layer on the sensor's Mn-containing antiferromagnetic pinning layer uses two annealing steps. A layer of a crystalline non-Heusler alloy ferromagnetic material, like Co or CoFe, is deposited on the antiferromagnetic pinning layer and a layer of an amorphous X-containing ferromagnetic alloy, like a CoFeBTa layer, is deposited on the Co or CoFe crystalline layer. After a first in-situ annealing of the amorphous X-containing ferromagnetic alloy, the Heusler alloy pinned layer is deposited on the amorphous X-containing ferromagnetic layer and a second high-temperature annealing step is performed to improve the microstructure of the Heusler alloy pinned layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic disk glass substrate has a cleaning step of cleaning the glass substrate. In the cleaning step, the cleaning is performed under an acidic condition using a cleaning liquid containing oxalate ions and bivalent iron ions. In parallel with the cleaning step or before or after the cleaning step, trivalent iron ions generated by oxidation of the bivalent iron ions contained in the cleaning liquid are reduced by ultraviolet irradiation.

Abstract: Provided is a method of inhibiting magnetically induced aggregation of ferrimagnetic and/or ferromagnetic nanoparticles by encapsulating the nanoparticles in a silica shell. The method entails coating magnetic nanoparticle surfaces with a polyacid polymer to form polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles and treating the polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles with a silica precursor to form uniform silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles. By controlling the thickness of the silica encapsulating the nanoparticles, the inherent magnetically induced aggregation of the nanoparticles can be completely inhibited.

Abstract: A method of forming a lyophobic coating on a surface having oxidized groups is disclosed. The method includes bringing into contact with the surface a silane or siloxane having the formula SiX4 wherein each X is the same or different, wherein at least one X is a leaving group and at least one X is a lyophobic group.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for coating ceramic honeycomb bodies with a catalyst suspension comprising catalyst components as solids and/or in dissolved form in a carrier liquid. Parallel flow channels run through the honeycomb bodies. The walls of the flow channels have an open pore structure. To coat the channel walls and in particular also the interior surfaces of the pores with the catalyst suspension, the entry and exit end faces of the vertically aligned honeycomb bodies are each brought into contact with a perforated mask, with the perforated masks being arranged so that the open regions of the perforated mask on the one end face are opposite the closed regions of the perforated mask on the other end face and vice versa. The catalyst suspension is then pumped or sucked from below into the honeycomb bodies until it exits at the upper end face.