Abstract: A method of operating a flying shear for cutting a rolled strip, which includes at least one drum provided with a blade, includes synchronizing a peripheral speed of the blade with a feed rate of the rolled strip, and cutting the rolled strip by effecting a partial penetration of the blade in the rolled strip to produce a weakened location of the rolled strip, and by tearing the rolled strip at the weakened location by a tensile force.

Abstract: A method of preventing roll chatter in a stand of a rolling mill during the process of directing a strip of material through the mill. The method comprises the step of introducing into the stand a low power vibration component that prevents the rolls in the stand from vertically oscillating in any generally large, uncontrollable manner.

Abstract: A silicon nitride layer is prepared on the surface of a silicon substrate by carrying out a surface reaction on the substrate in a vacuum chamber that contains an electrode which is capacitively coupled to an rf generator. A second electrode within the chamber, or a metal wall of the chamber itself, is connected to ground. The silicon substrates to be treated are placed on one of the electrodes to be in electrical and physical contact therewith, and a reagent gas that contains nitrogen is introduced into the chamber. An rf voltage is then applied between the electrodes to ionize and activate the gas, and cause ions and other active species thereof to be directed into the silicon substrate. The nitrogen ions and other active species that are created as a result of the application of the rf power can be directed at the surface of a number of wafers simultaneously.