Abstract: A tubular probe having annularly spaced electrodes is immersed in ATF and sequentially excited with an alternating voltage at a relatively high and low frequency. The current is measured at both frequencies and the difference in impedance computed; and, the differential impedance is corrected for temperature and the corresponding value of one of TAN per ASTM D-669, Delta Oxidation per ASTME-168 (?OX) and HPDSC induction time per ASTM D-5483 (MIN) determined from a lookup table of values of TAN, ?OX and MIN versus impedance differential for known fluid conditions. The remaining useful life (RUL) may then be computed from determined present value of TAN, ?OX or MIN. When the temperature corrected impedance difference ?ZTC reaches 6.5×105 Ohms, the ATF is considered to have reached the end of its useful life.

Abstract: A probe having a pair of electrodes is excited with a low A.C. voltage at a relatively high and relatively low frequency and the difference in current measured. The difference dZ between bulk fluid and interfacial impedance is computed from the current difference. The rate of change ?dZ of the impedance difference is determined over a time interval and a physiochemical parameter (X) determined when ?dZ is positive from lubricant with known amounts of constituents selected from the group consisting of (a) Phosphorus, Oxygen and Carbon (P—O—C); (b) Phosphorous and double bond Sulphur (P?S); (c) Zincdialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP); and (d) the Total Base Number TBN by measuring CaCO3 (CO3), from a table of the selected parameter X versus dZ in a first region of the table and determining RUL from a table of RUL versus parameter X (X1). The value of the selected parameter X when ?dz is negative is determined from a second region of the table of X versus dZ.

Abstract: A tubular probe having annularly spaced electrodes is immersed in ATF and sequentially excited with an alternating voltage at a relatively high and low frequency. The current is measured at both frequencies and the difference in impedance computed; and, the differential impedance is corrected for temperature and the corresponding value of one of TAN per ASTM D-669, Delta Oxidation per ASTME-168 (&Dgr;OX) and HPDSC induction time per ASTM D-5483 (MIN) determined from a lookup table of values of TAN, &Dgr;OX and MIN versus impedance differential for known fluid conditions. The remaining useful life (RUL) may then be computed from determined present value of TAN, &Dgr;OX or MIN. When the temperature corrected impedance difference &Dgr;ZTC reaches 6.5×105 Ohms, the ATF is considered to have reached the end of its useful life.

Abstract: A method for real time monitoring fluid in a vessel with a probe having a pair of electrodes immersed in the fluid. The disclosed probe has the electrodes arranged helically on a rod, sized and configured for insertion in an engine dipstick hole. Preferably, the probe has spiral electrode winding up regions different pitch to provide improved impedance response at low fractional Hertz and high (at least one Hertz) frequencies of excitation. In one version with alternating voltage the difference in current magnitude measured at the low and high frequencies is compared with stored known values for known fluid conditions and an electrical signal indicative of fluid condition is generated. Examples with engine drain oil and heavy duty transmission lubricant fluid are presented. The impedance properties measured can determine the percentage remaining useful life (RUL) of the fluid.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine valve (100) is provided having a stem (4) onto which a plating or coating of trivalent chromium is electrodeposited and which is then heated at a temperature of at least about 150.degree. F. for at least about 3 hours to provide a wear resistant surface that is superior to coatings of hexavalent chromium heretofor used for such purpose.

Abstract: A method is provided for epitaxially growing single crystalline silicon on a silicon substrate (10) from a silicon-bearing gas (26) at a temperature below the pyrolytic threshold of the gas and at temperatures below those normally required for epitaxial growth. An oxidized silicon substrate (10) is fluorinated (equation 2, FIG. 2) to replace the silicon-oxide layer with an adsorbed fluorinated layer. The substrate is placed in a laser photo-CVD reactor chamber (20), the chamber is evacuated to a sub-UHV level of 10.sup.-3 to 10.sup.-7 Torr, the substrate is heated to 570.degree. C., hydrogen gas (24) is introduced into the chamber, and excimer pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation (32 from laser 12) is applied through the hydrogen gas to impinge the wafer substrate.

Abstract: An aluminum electrical connector lug (2) has a lug body (4) with a threaded opening (12) having an electroplated coating layer (22) with substantially the same thickness at the roots (16) as at the crowns (18).

Abstract: A semiconductor processing technique is disclosed for forming a multi-layered semiconductor structure in a single chamber and with the same equipment, without removing the semiconductor wafer substrate or otherwise transferring it to another chamber. A gaseous mixture of different gases is provided in a chamber. Excimer pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation is introduced into the chamber at a first discrete wavelength to photolytically react with a first of the gases at a discrete excitation energy photochemically breaking bonds of the first gas to epitaxially deposit a first layer on the substrate, followed by radiation at a second discrete wavelength to photolytically react with a second gas to deposit a second layer on the first layer, and so on. The different gases may be introduced into the chamber collectively, or serially between radiations. Scavenging between layers is provided by photolytic removal of surface containments and the products of reaction.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing technique is disclosed for periodically selectively effecting lattice ordering and dopant distribution during a semiconductor layer formation process. Excimer pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation is provided at different energy fluxes to provide an electrically active layer as formed, without post-annealing, and curing lattice damage otherwise due to certain processing methods such as ion implantation. In a photolytic deposition technique, excimer laser radiation is periodically increased to transiently provide a pyrolytic thermal reaction in the layer as thus far deposited to provide a plurality of short intermittent periodic annealing steps to ensure crystallization as the layer continues to be deposited at lower radiation energy fluxes. Single crystalline material may be formed without post-annealing by periodically irradiating incremental thicknesses of the layer as formed.

Abstract: A semiconductor ion implantation processing technique is disclosed for implanting high purity, high flux density ions in a semiconductor wafer substrate. A reactant gas is irradiated with excimer pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation at a discrete designated pulsed wavelength corresponding to a discrete designated ionization excitation energy of the gas photochemically breaking bonds of the gas to nonthermally photolytically ionize the gas. The ions are then accelerated by an electric field for subsequent implantation into a surface.

Abstract: A dopant gettering semiconductor processing technique is disclosed for selectively activating an otherwise benign reactant to remove dopant from a semiconductor wafer substrate. Excimer pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation is provided at a discrete designated pulsed wavelength corresponding to a discrete designated gettering excitation energy of the otherwise benign reactant photochemically breaking bonds of the reactant such that the reactant is photolytically activated to remove dopant from the substrate, without thermally driven pyrolytic reaction. The bonds of a reactant gas are photochemically broken to produce gettering agents reacting with the substrate to remove dopant by forming a gaseous compound liberated from the substrate and benign to and unactivated by the discrete designated wavelength of the excimer pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing technique is disclosed for reasonantly reacting with a semiconductor wafer substrate and cleaving surface atomic bonds to create dangling bonds. The substrate is irradiated with excimer pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation at a discrete designed wavelength to resonantly photolytically cleave surface bonds and create the dangling bonds. This enhances further processing operations such as single crystalline silicon deposition and enhanced bonding and growth thereof.

Abstract: Beryllia is prepared for direct autocatalytic plating of a metal film by immersing it first in a sodium hydroxide solution for roughening the surface uniformly, rinsing it in water, then immersing it in a fluoride-based solution for etching silica and magnesium from the grain boundaries, rinsing it in water and then plating the beryllia by conventional methods for metallizing non-conductors.