Abstract: A continuous annealing furnace for annealing steel strips has a reaction chamber wherein the steel strips are transported vertically, the reaction chamber having openings supplied with a reactant, also called reactant openings, located at the top or at the bottom of the reaction chamber, wherein the reaction chamber further has other openings supplied with an inert gas, also called inert gas openings, the inert gas openings being located on the lateral sides of the reaction chamber.

Abstract: A stoning or honing device for automatically applying an essentially constant and uniform pressure of an abrasive hard component onto a suspended portion of a continuously moving metal strip surface, for the purpose of defect visual inspection, includes: a main frame supporting at least one carriage bearing a hard component, the carriage being connected to a drive system for moving the hard component towards the metal strip and to apply a controlled contact pressure thereof on the metal strip surface; and a means for moving transversally and back and forth at a defined speed the hard component bearing carriage with respect to a continuous motion direction of the strip. The device includes, on each strip side, a plurality of hard component bearing carriages having each a defined width stroke and arranged according to at least three different locations respectively associated with three separate rails including drive and control systems.

Abstract: A furnace for annealing a sheet includes: a first section; a second vertical section, the second vertical section including openings supplied with an oxidizing medium, an opening facing each side of the sheet, and means for separately controlling a flow of the oxidizing medium on each side of the sheet; and a third section. The second vertical section is located in a distinct casing and separated from the first and third sections with sealing devices. The second vertical section includes extraction openings for extracting the oxidizing medium not consumed by the sheet, an extraction opening facing each side of the sheet. The openings supplied with an oxidizing medium are located transversally at one end of the second vertical section. The extraction openings are located transversally at an other end of the second vertical section.

Abstract: The invention relates to equipment for cooling a metal strip (2) having a liquid coating to be solidified, wherein said strip is continuously moving. Said equipment is characterized in that each half-cooler (11, 12) is divided, over the length thereof, into at least two sections, a first section (13) and a second section (14), in the direction of the movement of the strip (2). The first section (13) is separated from the second section (14) in each half-cooler (11, 12) by a respective internal adjustment device (7, 8), making it possible to change the gas flow/pressure parameter so that the value of said gas flow/pressure parameter is different in the first section (13) from the value of said parameter in the second section (14).

Abstract: A method for controlling surface reactions on a steel strip running through a furnace includes, successively, a first section, a second section, and a third section separated by a sealing element, an atmosphere in the second and third sections being oxidizing and reducing respectively, the method including: heating, in the first section, the steel strip to between 600 and 750° C., while causing the atmosphere therein to be slightly oxidizing and to include: an H2 content inferior to 2%; an O2 content inferior to 0.1%; an H2O or CO2, or H2O+CO2 content superior to 0.03%; a controlled dew point ranging from ?50 to ?15° C.; and a controlled concentration of CO+CO2 maintained below 2%. All percentages are expressed in terms of volume.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and compositions for a suicide gene approach comprising an expression vector comprising a cell cycle-dependent promoter driving the expression of a suicide gene. Also provided herein are methods to render proliferative cells sensitive to a prodrug after transplantation but avoids expression of the suicide gene in post-mitotic cells, such as neurons.

Abstract: A correctable parity-protected memory system may include a parity-protected memory configured to hold dirty data, an error correction register configured to hold data, an exclusive-OR (XOR) circuit configured to exclusive-OR dirty data that is written into and removed from the parity-protected memory with the data in the error-correction register, and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the results of the XOR circuit to accumulate in the error-correction register each time dirty data is written into and removed from the parity-protected memory, and, in response to detection of a fault in dirty data in the parity-protected memory, correct the fault based on the data in the error-correction register and dirty data in the parity-protected memory.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an installation for the hot-dip coating of a metal strip (11) with a liquid metal, comprising a pot (4) containing a bath of liquid metal, an immersed sink roll (1) for deflecting the strip entering the bath to a vertical exit path and at least one additional roll (2, 3) for controlling the strip flatness, the axes of said sink and additional rolls (1, 2, 3) being supported by arms (16) connected to a main metal frame (8, 8A) itself connected to a base on each side of the pot by means of supports (9, 10), characterized in that the metal frame is a double beam made of a removable beam (8A) connected to an intermediate beam (13) itself anchored to the base by the supports (9, 10).

Abstract: The invention relates to equipment for cooling a metal strip (2) having a liquid coating to be solidified, wherein said strip is continuously moving. Said equipment is characterized in that each half-cooler (11, 12) is divided, over the length thereof, into at least two sections, a first section (13) and a second section (14), in the direction of the movement of the strip (2). The first section (13) is separated from the second section (14) in each half-cooler (11, 12) by a respective internal adjustment device (7, 8), making it possible to change the gas flow/pressure parameter so that the value of said gas flow/pressure parameter is different in the first section (13) from the value of said parameter in the second section (14).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for controlling the thickness of a coating made of a liquid film on a moving strip (3), characterized in that automated structure for reducing the gas flow at each of said nozzle sides comprise a moving carriage (10) guiding a retractable cable (9) able to be applied respectively onto and out of the gas discharge opening (4), inside the nozzle chamber (5) and in that, at each transversal side of the nozzle (1), a transition, between an external nozzle section where the gas flow is reduced and an internal nozzle section where the gas flow is not reduced, is assured by two together-moving grooved wheels or pulleys (6, 7) connected to the moving carriage (10), located side by side and having their axis perpendicular to the nozzle, so that the cable (9) is successively located against the opening (4) on an external side of the first pulley (6), between the two pulleys (6, 7) and distant from the opening (4) on an internal side of the second pulley (7).

Abstract: In some examples, a process to generate an in-situ hardmask layer on porous dielectric materials using the densifying action of a plasma in conjunction with a sacrificial polymeric filler, the latter which enables control of the hardmask thickness as well as a well-defined interface with the underlying ILD.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for controlling the thickness of a coating made of a liquid film on a moving strip (3), characterised in that said automated means for reducing the gas flow at each of said nozzle sides comprise a moving carriage (10) guiding a retractable cable (9) able to be applied respectively onto and out of the gas discharge opening (4), inside the nozzle chamber (5) and in that, at each transversal side of the nozzle (1), a transition, between an external nozzle section where the gas flow is reduced and an internal nozzle section where the gas flow is not reduced, is assured by means of two together-moving grooved wheels or pulleys (6, 7) connected to the moving carriage (10), located side by side and having their axis perpendicular to the nozzle, so that the cable (9) is successively located against the opening (4) on an external side of the first pulley (6), between the two pulleys (6, 7) and distant from the opening (4) on an internal side of the second pulley (7).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an installation for the hot-dip coating of a metal strip (11) with a liquid metal, comprising a pot (4) containing a bath of liquid metal, an immersed sink roll (1) for deflecting the strip entering the bath to a vertical exit path and at least one additional roll (2, 3) for controlling the strip flatness, the axes of said sink and additional rolls (1, 2, 3) being supported by arms (16) connected to a main metal frame (8, 8A) itself connected to a base on each side of the pot by means of supports (9, 10), characterised in that the metal frame is a double beam made of a removable beam (8A) connected to an intermediate beam (13) itself anchored to the base by the supports (9, 10).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for controlling the thickness of a coating made of a liquid film on a moving strip (3), comprising a nozzle (1) fed with a pressurized fluid (6) in a chamber (2) of the nozzle, said chamber (2) being terminated by nozzle lips (11) making an elongated discharge opening (12) for discharging the pressurized fluid onto the moving strip (3), said chamber (2) comprising also a perforated baffle plate (8) obstructing a cross-section L×h of the chamber (2) in the fluid flow, the perforated baffle plate (8) having a number of holes (13) so that the total surface of said holes (13) is higher than 90% of said cross-section and having a thickness Th higher than 3 times the individual diameter of any of said holes (13) and higher than 3 mm, characterised in that the perforated baffle plate (8) has a honeycomb geometry, i.e. a geometry having cells (13) with hexagonal section.

Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method includes: providing a structure having a first layer overlying a substrate, where the first layer includes a dielectric material having a plurality of pores; applying a filling material to a surface of the first layer; after applying the filling material, heating the structure to enable the filling material to at least partially fill the plurality of pores, where heating the structure results in residual filling material being left on the surface of the first layer; and after heating the structure, removing the residual filling material by applying a solvent wash.

Abstract: In some examples, a process to generate an in-situ hardmask layer on porous dielectric materials using the densifying action of a plasma in conjunction with a sacrificial polymeric filler, the latter which enables control of the hardmask thickness as well as a well-defined interface with the underlying ILD.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, includes operations comprising: providing a structure comprising a first layer overlying a substrate, where the first layer comprises a dielectric material having a plurality of pores; applying a filling material to a surface of the first layer, where the filling material comprises a polymer and at least one additive, where the at least one additive comprises at least one of a surfactant, a high molecular weight polymer and a solvent (e.g., a high boiling point solvent); and after applying the filling material, heating the structure to enable the filling material to at least partially fill the plurality of pores uniformly across an area of the first layer, where heating the structure results in residual filling material being uniformly left on the surface of the first layer.

Abstract: Porous films are homogeneously and partially (but not completely) filled. A composition (that includes a polymer) is brought into contact with a planar film that has interconnected pores throughout the film. The polymer then partially fills the pores within the film, e.g., in response to being heated. An additional treatment such as heating the polymer and/or applying radiation to the polymer increases the Young's modulus of the film.

Abstract: An interconnect structure and method for fabricating the interconnect structure having enhanced performance and reliability, by minimizing oxygen intrusion into a seed layer and an electroplated copper layer of the interconnect structure, are disclosed. At least one opening in a dielectric layer is formed. A sacrificial oxidation layer disposed on the dielectric layer is formed. The sacrificial oxidation layer minimizes oxygen intrusion into the seed layer and the electroplated copper layer of the interconnect structure. A barrier metal layer disposed on the sacrificial oxidation layer is formed. A seed layer disposed on the barrier metal layer is formed. An electroplated copper layer disposed on the seed layer is formed. A planarized surface is formed, wherein a portion of the sacrificial oxidation layer, the barrier metal layer, the seed layer, and the electroplated copper layer are removed. In addition, a capping layer disposed on the planarized surface is formed.

Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes: providing a structure having a first layer overlying a substrate, where the first layer includes a dielectric material having a plurality of pores; applying a filling material to an exposed surface of the first layer; heating the structure to a first temperature to enable the filling material to homogeneously fill the plurality of pores; after filling the plurality of pores, performing at least one process on the structure; and after performing the at least one process, removing the filling material from the plurality of pores by heating the structure to a second temperature to decompose the filling material.