Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a finished metal object or product having a corrosion resistant layer integral to or within a top portion of at least one of its surfaces that would be exposed to a corrosive environment. In one embodiment, the method for manufacturing is directed to a finished metal tubing product having a corrosion resistant layer within its inside surface that is exposed to a fluid and wherein the corrosion resistant layer is a zinc-metal oxide layer, such as a zinc-chromium oxide layer, or a zinc-mixed metal oxide layer. In addition to methods of manufacturing, the present invention provides finished metal objects or products having a corrosion resistant layer integral to or within a top portion of at least one surfaces that would be exposed to a corrosive environment.

Abstract: A method for etching one or more entities on a semiconductor structure, each entity being made of a material selected from metals and metal nitrides is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) oxidizing by electrolysis, at a current of at least 0.1 A, a precursor solution comprising chloride anions at a concentration ranging from 0.01 mol/l to 1.0 mol/l, thereby forming an etching solution; (b) providing a semiconductor structure having the one or more entities thereon; and (c) etching at least partially the one or more entities by contacting them with the etching solution.

Abstract: According to the embodiments, a memory system includes a non-volatile memory, a control unit that reads a received word from the non-volatile memory, and a decoder that performs soft-decision decode to the received word. The decoder includes a test pattern generating unit that generates test patterns, a hard decision decoder that performs hard-decision decode by using the test pattern and the received word and outputs a decoded word, and a distance calculating unit that calculates Euclidean distance between the decoded word and the received word based on the decoded words of which the number is less than that of the test patterns of all the combinations in a case where the number of flips is of one to a predetermined value and selects a decoded word which is the decoding result from among the decoded words output from the hard decision decoder based on the Euclidean distance.

Abstract: A surface treating method of a negative electrode for a magnesium secondary battery is provided, wherein the magnesium secondary battery includes: a negative electrode capable of releasing magnesium ions during discharging and capable of precipitating elemental magnesium during charging; a positive electrode capable of precipitating a magnesium oxide during the discharging and capable of releasing magnesium ions during the charging; and a non-aqueous ion conductor for conducting magnesium ions as conduction species. The surface treating method comprises initializing the negative electrode by performing the discharging to form a bare surface at a surface of the negative electrode.

Abstract: A powder comprising pillared particles for use as an active component of a metal ion battery, the pillared particles comprising a particle core and a plurality of pillars extending from the particle core, wherein the pillared particles are formed from a starting material powder wherein at least 10% of the total volume of the starting material powder is made up of starting material particles having a particle size of no more than 10 microns.

Abstract: An electrolyte solution, methods, and systems for selectively removing a conductive metal from a substrate are provided. The electrolyte solution comprising nanoparticles that are more noble than the conductive metal being removed, is applied to a substrate to remove the conductive metal selectively relative to a dielectric material without application of an external potential or contact of a processing pad with a surface of the substrate. The solutions and methods can be applied, for example, to remove a conductive metal layer (e.g., barrier metal) selectively relative to a dielectric material and to a materially different conductive metal (e.g., copper interconnect) without application of an external potential or contact of a processing pad with the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A highly polished surface on an aluminum substrate is formed using any number of machining processes. During the machining process, intermetallic compounds are typically generated at a top surface area of the aluminum substrate caused by spot heat generated between the tool edge and the cut tip of the aluminum substrate during the cutting process. The intermetallic compounds can leave surface imperfections after conventional mechanical polishing operations that render the surface of the aluminum substrate difficult to obtain a desired high glossiness due to exfoliation of the intermetallic compounds from the top surface. In order to remove the effect of the intermetallic compounds, an acid etching solution is applied to the surface resulting in removal of intermetallic compounds across a surface portion of the aluminum substrate.

Abstract: Basically, I want to use soft, shredded, rusty metal as a sacrificial anode to CO2 and H2SO4. The metal is then grounded by an earth ground. The sulfuric acid (powder/gas) will increase the conductivity of a Galvanic Cell/Battery (Rust) and conscript oxygen to do so. The galvanic cell itself (Rust) also conscripts oxygen in its attraction to less noble and dissimilar materials (ferrous metal) and will be forced to do work in the galvanic cell. As oxygen is conducted between the difference of two potentials (Battery/Galvanic Cell), sulfuric acid (a bond breaker) will both contribute to un-fusing oxygen from its carbon in the galvanic cell (Rust), and depositing that carbon onto the carbon-iron found in mild steel. Oxygen is released through its' “work” in the sacrificial anode (mild steel) during the rust process and binding the carbon both by acid deposition and electrolysis to the remaining iron and carbon of rust.

Abstract: A modification rate at a surface of an anode formed on a substrate is controlled. The anode is connected to a cathode comprised of a material having a higher nobility than the anode. An electrically conductive path is established between the anode and the cathode through an electrolyte to induce formation of an oxide layer at the anode surface that is more resistive to modification than the anode.

Abstract: An electrolyte solution, methods, and systems for selectively removing a conductive metal from a substrate are provided. The electrolyte solution comprising nanoparticles that are more noble than the conductive metal being removed, is applied to a substrate to remove the conductive metal selectively relative to a dielectric material without application of an external potential or contact of a processing pad with the surface of the substrate. The solutions and methods can be applied, for example, to remove a conductive metal layer (e.g., barrier metal) selectively relative to dielectric material and to a materially different conductive metal (e.g., copper interconnect) without application of an external potential or contact of a processing pad with the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for fabricating high performance chip interconnects and packages by providing methods for depositing a conductive material in cavities of a substrate in a more efficient and time saving manner. This is accomplished by selectively removing portions of a seed layer from a top surface of a substrate and then depositing a conductive material in the cavities of the substrate, where portions of the seed layer remains in the cavities. Another method includes forming an oxide layer on the top surface of the substrate such that the conductive material can be deposited in the cavities without the material being formed on the top surface of the substrate. The present invention also discloses methods for forming multi-level interconnects and the corresponding structures.

Abstract: Resistance to corrosion of aluminum metallization on semiconductor devices during wafer sawing process is provided by a sacrificial anode containing magnesium in contact with the integrated circuit wafer and the dicing saw. A relatively thin film or disc of magnesium directly in contact with the surface of the dicing blade makes use of cooling water to serve as the electrolyte between the magnesium and aluminum surfaces, and in turn corrosion is transferred to the magnesium anode in preference to the aluminum of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A process including: creating a galvanic cell composed of a substrate as an anode, a cathode, and an electrolytic solution, wherein the substrate includes a metal surface having a plurality of metal fibers connected to the metal surface, wherein the cathode is selected to be more noble than the metal surface resulting in the anode being the working electrode, wherein the galvanic cell spontaneously electrochemically treats the metal surface in the absence of power externally supplied to the galvanic cell; and allowing the spontaneous electrochemical treatment of the metal surface to continue for a time sufficient to sever a number of the metal fibers from the metal surface to result in severed metal fiber fragments unconnected with the metal surface.

Abstract: A process for removing zinc from galvanized steel. The galvanized steel is immersed in an electrolyte containing at least about 15% by weight of sodium or potassium hydroxide and having a temperature of at least about 75° C. and the zinc is galvanically corroded from the surface of the galvanized steel. The material serving as the cathode is principally a material having a standard electrode potential which is intermediate of the standard electrode potentials of zinc and cadmium in the electrochemical series. The steel scrap is carried through the electrolyte by a conveyor which is electrically isolated from ground and which comprises a cathodic material which has a standard electrode potential which is intermediate of the standard electrode potentials of zinc and cadmium in the electrochemical series.

Abstract: The present invention deposits a conductive material from an electrolyte solution to a predetermined area of a wafer. The steps that are used when making this application include applying the conductive material to the predetermined area of the wafer using an electrolyte solution disposed on a surface of the wafer, when the wafer is disposed between a cathode and an anode, and preventing accumulation of the conductive material to areas other than the predetermine area by mechanically polishing the other areas while the conductive material is being applied.

Abstract: Material of a given chemical type is selectively electrochemically removed from a structure by subjecting portions of the structure to an electrolytic bath. The characteristics of certain parts of the structure are chosen to have electrochemical reduction half-cell potentials that enable removal of the undesired material to be achieved in the bath without applying external potential to any part of the structure. The electrolytic bath can be implemented with liquid that is inherently corrosive to, or inherently benign to, material of the chemical type being selectively removed.

Abstract: A process for removing zinc from galvanized steel. The galvanized steel is immersed in an electrolyte containing at least about 15% by weight of sodium or potassium hydroxide and having a temperature of at least about 75.degree. C. and the zinc is galvanically corroded from the surface of the galvanized steel. The material serving as the cathode is principally a material having a standard electrode potential which is intermediate of the standard electrode potentials of zinc and cadmium in the electrochemical series.

Abstract: An electrically conductive substrate (20) is etched by providing an etchant solution having finely divided, electrically conductive particles (40) mixed therein. The electrically conductive particles (40) are made of a material that is cathodic to the substrate (20) and does not dissolve into the etchant solution, with a preferred such material being graphite. The substrate (20) is placed into the etchant solution having the particles (40) therein so that the particles (40) contact the substrate (20), and etched for a period of time sufficient to remove a desired amount of the substrate material. The substrate (20) may be provided with an apertured mask (24) prior to being placed into the etchant solution.

Abstract: A silicon substrate is etched by dipping it in a NH.sub.4 F solution while charging it with a potential more negative than an open-circuit potential. The NH.sub.4 F solution preferably has NH.sub.4 F concentration of 10M or less. The potential applied to the silicon substrate is controlled within the range of from the open-circuit potential to a more negative potential by -1.5 V vs. SCE. Since the etched silicon substrate has flatness in atomic order, it is suitable for the precise fabrications to manufacture high-density ir high-functional semiconductor devices.