Abstract: A synthetic resin molded material characterized in that a thin film made of an oxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Zr, Ti, Ta, Hf, Mo, W, Nb, Sn, In, Al and Zn, is formed by a dry method on a synthetic resin substrate having hydrophobicity, and a method for its production.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced plastic base body is first of all provided with a coating of hard rubber or thermoplastic having a dispersed metal or ceramic content of 5% by volume to 80% by volume, and the coating is ground down to provide a smooth surface In a further step a layer of metal and/or ceramic, which has a printing function, is applied to the smooth surface, preferably by thermal spraying.

Abstract: An electroconductive coating composition which function as a sealer/primer includes (a) a radiation curable, polymerizable compound, (b) a photoinitiator and (c) a conductive pigment. The conductive pigment may be a mixture of pigment including a blend of conductive pigments as well as conductive pigment. Conductivity enhancers may, also, be added. The polymerizable compound is, preferably, a U curable acrylate functional compound which may be monofunctional or polyfunctional. The composition is particularly useful for sealing and priming SMC panels.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of enhancing the stability of electroactive polymers, redox active materials, or a composite comprising an electroactive polymer and a redox active material, which comprises depositing on the electroactive polymers, the redox active materials, or the composite, a fluoropolymer by radio frequency sputtering. The invention also relates to electroactive polymers, redox active materials, or a composite comprising an electroactive polymer and a redox active material, that bears a radio frequency sputtered fluoropolymer coating.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a membrane-electrode assembly, and fuel cells adopting a membrane-electrode assembly formed by the method, wherein the method includes: coating nano-sized catalytic metal particles on a proton exchange polymer membrane by sputtering a catalytic metal source; coating nano-sized carbon particles on the proton exchange polymer membrane by arc discharging or by sputtering a carbon source to form a nanophase catalyst layer; and bonding electrodes to the proton exchange polymer membrane having the nanophase catalyst layer. The nano-sized catalytic metal and nano-sized carbon particles can be coated on a proton exchanger polymer membrane to form a catalyst layer by simultaneously sputtering a catalyst metal source and a carbon source.

Abstract: Techniques are used to detect and identify analytes. Techniques are used to fabricate and manufacture sensors to detect analytes. An analyte (1810) is sensed by sensors (1820) that output electrical signals in response to the analyte. The electrical signals are preprocessed (1830) by filtering and amplification. In an embodiment, this preprocessing includes adapting the sensor and electronics to the environment in which the analyte exists. The electrical signals are further processed (1840) to classify and identify the analyte, which may be by a neural network.

Abstract: A low temperature method for forming a microcavity on a substrate and article having same are provided which utilize electroplated films. The method is particularly useful to package microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in vacuum on the wafer level and provide sealed feedthroughs to the outside world. The method may be performed in a batch process to substantially reduce cost and to form metal diaphragms. Furthermore, the method is performed at near room temperature, which provides more flexibility in the manufacturing process. The method enables substantial cost savings in the production of vacuum-sealed MEMS. Many feedthroughs can be incorporated into the package to transfer signals in and out of the package. One significant advantage of this method is that it does not require bonding of a second substrate, which reduces the system cost.

Abstract: Physical vapor deposition of radiopaque markings onto a graft is described. A graft is placed into a chamber, and a radiopaque material is vaporized and then deposited onto the graft. The chamber is kept at a temperature below the damage threshold of the graft material. A template optionally placed on the graft may define the design of the deposited radiopaque markings. The deposited radiopaque markings of the present invention may have any design and may comprise any radiopaque material.

Abstract: A plastic article that includes a plastic substrate and a thin film sputter-deposited on a surface of the plastic substrate. The plastic article is produced by a process in which the surface of the plastic substrate is first bombarded with an ionized gas in a vacuum environment to remove contaminants on the surface, to clean the surface, and to expose pores clogged by the contaminants in the surface. Subsequently, a thin film is deposited on the cleaned surface of the substrate by sputter deposition. A light guide plate for a backlighting device, and a housing for an electronic device, such as a cell phone, may be produced via the process.

Abstract: A transparent conductive laminate in which a crystalline transparent conductive film substantially made of In—Sn—O on a transparent substrate composed of a thermoplastic polymer film, is provided. The crystalline part of the transparent conductive film (ITO-film) has a specific crystalline structure in which the X-ray diffraction intensity from the (222) crystal plane or the (440) crystal plane is highest, and [X440/222], the ratio of the X-ray diffraction intensity from the (440) crystal plane to that from the (222) crystal plane, is within the range of 0.2 to 2.5. The laminate has a low resistivity, and it is useful as an electrode material for a liquid crystal display, an electroluminescence device, a touch panel or the like. The transparent conductive laminate can be manufactured by combining the control of film fabricating atmosphere during sputtering and a heat treatment under specific conditions after film fabricating.

Abstract: A method of forming an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer on a heat-sensitive substrate. An amorphous ITO layer is formed on the substrate by a sputtering process, wherein the temperature of the sputtering process is controlled at room temperature and, in situ, hydrogen gas with a flow rate of 1˜5 sccm is introduced in the sputtering process. Part of the amorphous ITO layer is removed by an oxalic acid solution to form an amorphous ITO pattern on the substrate. A heat treatment whose temperature is below 150° C. is performed to turn the amorphous ITO pattern into a crystalline ITO layer. Thus, a crystalline and flat ITO layer can be formed on the heat-sensitive substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure herein relates to a high throughput system for thin film deposition on substrates which can be used in applications such as optical disks, and in particular DVD disks, chip-scale packaging, and plastic based display, for example. An apparatus useful in the production of products of the kind described above includes: (a) a continuously moving web for simultaneously transporting a number of substrates to which a thin film of material is to be applied, wherein the moving web is a roll-to-roll moving web; (b) a central processing chamber which is maintained under vacuum and through which at least a portion of said continuously moving web travels; and, (c) at least one deposition device which is located within said central processing chamber, where at least a portion of said continuously moving web is exposed to material deposited from said deposition device. Typically the deposition device is a magnetron sputtering device.

Abstract: A method of sputter deposition onto an organic material, wherein the discharge gas of the sputtering operation is a gas having a spectrum of light emission of a lower energy than that of argon.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for metalizing polyolefin film in which at least one outermost layer of the unmetalized polyolefin film has at least about 90% cycloolefin polymer that has not been subjected to a process for increasing surface tension before metalization. The metalized films are useful as dielectrics in capacitors.

Abstract: A thin film of a metal compound such as metal oxide, nitride and carbide is formed on a substrate by sputtering a target in vacuum in the presence of an inert gas and a reactive gas. From a curve of an input power supplied from a DC supply to the target versus an input voltage between the target and the substrate, a transition point of input power at which an abrupt change of the input voltage occurs is determined. The input power during sputtering is controlled using the transition point as a reference, thereby controlling the composition or physical properties of the thin film. When a cobalt oxide thin film is formed on a substrate in this way, rubber can be vulcanized thereto to form a firm bond.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a stent or other medical device by creating a free standing thin film of metal.

Abstract: A gas adsorptive member is disposed in a space communicating with film deposition chambers, and deposition films are deposited while continuously feeding gas components released from this member, thereby enabling the high quality and uniform deposition films to be formed on the substrate with good reproducibility.

Abstract: A stack of layers reflecting heat radiation for transparent substrates comprises at least one silver functional layer and, on both faces of the latter, antireflection layers formed by one or more metal compounds. The antireflection layer under the silver layer comprises an upper partial layer of zinc oxide contiguous to the silver layer, and an additional partial layer, under the zinc oxide layer, which is formed by aluminum nitride and is under internal tensile stresses. With the aid of the AlN layer under tensile stresses, it is possible to compensate the internal compressive stresses existing in the ZnO layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of applying a coating by physical vapour deposition onto an article of organic material, in particular of non- conductive organic material such as plastic and/or epoxy material, especially ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymers) and polymers with high temperature resistance, or onto an article of another composition coated with such organic material, wherein a Cr layer is deposited on the article prior to deposition of said coating to form a diffusion barrier for water coming from said article, said Cr layer itself being deposited by a physical vapour deposition process comprising at least the following steps: a) depositing a first layer of Cr on said article in a physical vapour deposition apparatus using an arc evaporator or cathode sputtering source, or in a combined arc evaporator and cathode sputtering apparatus, using zero bias, and b) subsequently applying a negative bias voltage to said article having said first layer of Cr and depositing a further layer of

Abstract: Liquid crystalline polymers (LCP) may be sputter-coated or ion-plated with palladium to yield palladium coated LCP parts. These may be electrolytically plated, as with copper, using normal or unusually high current densities, to make metal plated LCP in which the metal has good adhesion to the LCPs. Before or after the electrolytic plating, the metal coating may be patterned. Parts containing patterned metal surface may be used as circuit boards or printed wire boards.

Abstract: A sputtering target which comprises SiC and metallic Si and has an atomic ratio of C to Si of from 0.5 to 0.95 and a density of from 2.75×103 kg/m3 to 3.1×103 kg/m3 and which is capable of forming a film comprising SiO2 as the main component and having a low refractive index at a high speed; a process for its production; and a film-forming method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the improvement of metal bonding strength in polypropylene films through the addition of ethylene in a mini-random ethylene-propylene copolymer in an amount of no more than about 1 weight percent, more preferably no more than about 0.7 weight percent, and most preferably between about 0.3 weight percent and about 0.5 weight percent, or even amounts between about 0.05 weight percent and about 0.2 weight percent. The invention allows the improvement of metal bond strength in metallizable films. The invention encompasses both the resulting films with enhanced metal bond strength and the process for producing such films.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to allowing a work piece to stabilize in regard to temperature and humidity/water content prior to precision operations so as to minimize any problems resulting from dimensional changes.

Abstract: The use of ion beam processing in preparation of a substrate's surfaces, particularly a polyimide film such as Upilex®-SS, prior to depositing a metal on the substrate surfaces. In one aspect, the ion beam processing can be used to remove relatively unique forms of surface contaminants without requiring additional cleaning by traditional methods such as chemical or plasma cleaning. In another aspect, the ion beam processing utilizing an anode layer ion source can be used to prepare polyimide films prior to metal deposition to produce substrates having surprisingly good peel strengths. In still another aspect, ion beam processing can be used to minimize differences in surface characteristics between opposite sides of a substrate.

Abstract: A process is described for producing a decorative material such as a wall covering material by applying a very thin layer of metal to the surface of a textured flexible substrate. The thin metal layer replicates the surface features and texture of the substrate to thereby create interesting visual effects.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sputtering target for production of a magnetic recording medium including at least a nonmagnetic undercoat layer, a magnetic layer, and a protective layer laminated sequentially on a nonmagnetic substrate, the sputtering target being used for film formation of the magnetic layer, the sputtering target comprising a mixture of a metal and an oxide, and the particle diameter of the oxide in the sputtering target being 10 &mgr;m or less. The sputtering target suppresses abnormal discharge occurring during film formation of a granular magnetic layer of the magnetic recording medium, and suppresses occurrence of foreign objects on the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A laminate comprising a polyimide and a conductor layer, which is obtained by forming at least one conductor layer directly on the surface of a thermoplastic polyimide, is thermally fused by pressurizing and heating to thereby enhance the adhesion strength between the thermoplastic polyimide and the conductor layer. Thus, a laminate having an excellent adhesion strength between a conductor layer and a polyimide film can be obtained without performing any surface roughening treatment or using any adhesive metal layer.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus comprises a sputtering chamber, a cooling drum disposed at an central portion thereof for cooling a roll film in contact with the surface thereof, a roll chamber, an SiOx film forming chamber and a monitor room disposed to the periphery of the drum, a sputter cathode disposed to the SiOx film forming chamber, and a moisture pump such as a cryogenic panel disposed in the film forming chamber for effectively discharging the moisture by which the partial pressure of the moisture in the film forming chamber is kept roll, in which the light absorption of the SiOx film after formation is monitored by an InSitu transmission light monitor, the value x for the SiOx is judged by the transmittance of light of the SiOx film to control the oxygen flow rate by an MFC such that the value x reaches an aimed value, thereby enabling to form an adhesion layer having sufficient adhesion and good permeability on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for coating substrates having sides of the substrate with unequal adhesion properties includes the steps of non-symmetrically coating the substrate by coating a first side under a first set of coating conditions and coating a second side under a second set of operating conditions wherein the operating conditions used to coat each side are varied so as to compensate for the unequal adhesion properties of the sides.

Abstract: A metallic layer is coated onto a polyimide substrate by sputtering a layer of chromium followed by a layer of copper whereby the rate of deposition of the chromium is about 4 angstroms/second or less.

Abstract: A compound glass arrangement comprises between two glass layers (5a, 5b) and embedded between two foils (3) a layer carrier foil (1). On the carrier foil (1) there is provided a coating (2) which is exclusively dielectric. It has a maximum of reflection for light in the near infrared spectral range and a transmission maximum for light in the visible spectral range.

Abstract: A method for preparing a membrane for use in a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly includes the steps of providing an electrolyte membrane, and sputter-depositing a catalyst onto the electrolyte membrane. The sputter-deposited catalyst may be applied to multiple sides of the electrolyte membrane. A method for forming an electrode for use in a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly includes the steps of obtaining a catalyst, obtaining a backing, and sputter-depositing the catalyst onto the backing. The membranes and electrodes are useful for assembling fuel cells that include an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, a fuel supply, and an electrolyte membrane, wherein the electrolyte membrane includes a sputter-deposited catalyst, and the sputter-deposited catalyst is effective for sustaining a voltage across a membrane electrode assembly in the fuel cell.