Abstract: An improved x-ray generation system produces a converging or diverging radiation pattern particularly suited for substantially cylindrical or spherical treatment devices. In an embodiment, the system comprises a closed or concave outer wall about a closed or concave inner wall. An electron emitter is situated on the inside surface of the outer wall, while a target film is situated on the outside surface of the inner wall. An extraction voltage at the emitter extracts electrons which are accelerated toward the inner wall by an acceleration voltage. Alternately, electron emission may be by thermionic means. Collisions of electrons with the target film causes x-ray emission, a substantial portion of which is directed through the inner wall into the space defined within. In an embodiment, the location of the emitter and target film are reversed, establishing a reflective rather than transmissive mode for convergent patterns and a transmissive mode for divergent patterns.

Abstract: A composition suitable for tantalum chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) comprises an abrasive, an organic oxidizer, and a liquid carrier therefor. The organic oxidizer has a standard redox potential (E0) of not more than about 0.5 V relative to a standard hydrogen electrode. The oxidized form comprises at least one pi-conjugated ring, which includes at least one heteroatom directly attached to the ring. The heteroatom can be a N, O, S or a combination thereof. In a method embodiment, a CMP composition comprising an abrasive, and organic oxidizer having an E0 of not more than about 0.7 V relative to a standard hydrogen electrode, and a liquid carrier therefor, is utilized to polish a tantalum-containing surface of a substrate, by abrading the surface of the substrate with the composition, preferably with the aid of a polishing pad.

Abstract: A method of operating and process for fabricating an electron source. A conductive rod is covered by an insulating layer, by dipping the rod in an insulation solution, for example. The rod is then covered by a field emitter material to form a layered conductive rod. The rod may also be covered by a second insulating material. Next, the materials are removed from the end of the rod and the insulating layers are recessed with respect to the field emitter layer so that a gap is present between the field emitter layer and the rod. The layered rod may be operated as an electron source within a vacuum tube by applying a positive bias to the rod with respect to the field emitter material and applying a higher positive bias to an anode opposite the rod in the tube. Electrons will accelerate to the charged anode and generate soft X-rays.

Abstract: A MEM device and method for fabricating a MEM device. A MEM device comprising a lever mechanism residing along a substrate is disclosed. A contact material is deposited on a first surface of the lever mechanism. In one arrangment, the first surface is disposed towards the substrate. A first contact region may be deposited on the substrate. The first contact region attracts the lever mechanism towards the substrate such that the contact material becomes operationally coupled to a second contact region. The MEM device may also comprise a first anchor portion and a second anchor portion. The first and second anchor portions may be integral to a top surface of the substrate. Aspects of the invention are also particularly useful in providing an encapsulated MEM switching device.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising a polishing component, a surfactant, and a liquid carrier. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the polishing system.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) pad comprises the steps of (a) forming a layer of a polymer resin liquid solution (i.e., a polymer resin dissolved in a solvent); (b) inducing a phase separation in the layer of polymer solution to produce an interpenetrating polymeric network comprising a continuous polymer-rich phase interspersed with a continuous polymer-depleted phase in which the polymer-depleted phase constitutes about 20 to about 90 percent of the combined volume of the phases; (c) solidifying the continuous polymer-rich phase to form a porous polymer sheet; (d) removing at least a portion of the polymer-depleted phase from the porous polymer sheet; and (e) forming a CMP pad therefrom.

Abstract: The invention provides chemical-mechanical polishing systems, and methods of polishing a substrate using the polishing systems, comprising (a) an abrasive, (b) a liquid carrier, and (c) a positively charged polyelectrolyte with a molecular weight of about 15,000 or more, wherein the abrasive comprises particles that are electrostatically associated with the positively charged polyelectrolyte.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of preparing a chemical-mechanical polishing composition for polishing a substrate with at least a first layer and a second layer. The method comprises providing both a first chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising an abrasive with a selectivity for a first layer as compared to a second layer and a second chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising an abrasive with different selectivity for the first layer as compared to the second layer, wherein the second chemical-mechanical polishing composition is stable in the presence of the first chemical-mechanical polishing composition, and mixing the first and second chemical-mechanical polishing compositions in a ratio to achieve a final selectivity for the first layer as compared to the second layer. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate.

Abstract: The inventive chemical-mechanical polishing system comprises a polishing component, a liquid carrier, and a polyether amine. The inventive method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the aforementioned polishing system.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for polishing a substrate comprising a metal in an oxidized form, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a substrate comprising a metal in an oxidized form, (b) contacting a portion of the substrate with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising: (i) a polishing component, (ii) a reducing agent, and (iii) a liquid carrier, and (c) abrading at least a portion of the metal in an oxidized form to polish the substrate. The reducing agent can be selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxy-4-pyrones, ?-hydroxy-?-butyrolactones, ascorbic acid, borane, borohydrides, dialkylamine boranes, formaldehyde, formic acid, hydrogen, hydroquinones, hydroxylamine, hypophosphorous acid, phosphorous acid, a metal or metal ions in an oxidation state having a standard redox potential that is less than the standard redox potential of the metal in an oxidized form, trihydroxybenzenes, solvated electrons, sulfurous acid, salts thereof, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising an abrasive, a benzotriazole derivative, an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of iodate compounds, organic oxidizing agents, and mixtures thereof, and water, wherein the polishing composition comprises substantially no organic carboxylic acid having a molecular weight of less than about 500 Daltons, and wherein the polishing composition comprises no alkyl sulfate having a molecular weight of less than about 500 Daltons. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the aforementioned polishing composition.

Abstract: An improved high-density digital storage device uses placement of mobile ions within a memory layer to record digital data. In an embodiment of the invention, the mobile ions comprise sodium ions or other alkali metal ions implanted in a silicon oxide memory layer. In a further embodiment of the invention, a scanning nanotip array is used to position the mobile ions via an electric field as well as to read the positions of the mobile ions. In a further embodiment of the invention, a grid-addressable array of transistors is used to provide scanning tips.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for planarizing or polishing a substrate. The composition comprises an abrasive, iodate ion, a nitrogen-containing compound selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen-containing C4-20 heterocycle and a C1-20 alkylamine, and a liquid carrier comprising water.

Abstract: The inventive chemical-mechanical polishing system comprises a polishing component, a liquid carrier, an oxidizing agent, and a halogen anion. The inventive method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the polishing system.

Abstract: An improved x-ray generation system produces a converging or diverging radiation pattern particularly suited for substantially cylindrical or spherical treatment devices. In an embodiment, the system comprises a closed or concave outer wall about a closed or concave inner wall. An electron emitter is situated on the inside surface of the outer wall, while a target film is situated on the outside surface of the inner wall. An extraction voltage at the emitter extracts electrons which are accelerated toward the inner wall by an acceleration voltage. Alternately, electron emission may be by thermonic means. Collisions of electrons with the target film causes x-ray emission, a substantial portion of which is directed through the inner wall into the space defined within. In an embodiment, the location of the emitter and target film are reversed, establishing a reflective rather than transmissive mode for convergent patterns and a transmissive mode for divergent patterns.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate comprising tungsten through use of a composition comprising a tungsten etchant, an inhibitor of tungsten etching, and water, wherein the inhibitor of tungsten polishing is a polymer, copolymer, or polymer blend comprising at least one repeating group comprising at least one nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring or a tertiary or quaternary nitrogen atom. The invention further provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition particularly useful in polishing tungsten-containing substrates.

Abstract: The inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprises an abrasive, a nitride accelerator, and water, and has a pH of about 1 to about 6. The inventive method of polishing a substrate involves the use of the aforesaid polishing composition and is particularly useful in polishing a substrate containing silicon nitride.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a chemical-mechanical polishing pad substrate comprising a microporous closed-cell foam characterized by a narrow pore size distribution in the range of about 0.01 microns to about 10 microns. The polishing pad is produced by foaming a solid polymer sheet with a supercritical gas under an elevated temperature and pressure until the sheet is saturated with gas. The invention is further directed to a polishing pad comprising the polishing pad substrate, a method of polishing comprising the use of the polishing pad substrate, and a chemical-mechanical apparatus comprising the polishing pad substrate.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a polishing pad for use in chemical-mechanical polishing comprising a biodegradable polymer. The biodegradable polymer comprises a repeat unit selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, lactic acid, hydroxyalkanoic acids, hydroxybutyric acid, hydroxyvaleric acid, caprolactone, p-dioxanone, trimethylene carbonate, butylene succinate, butylene adipate, monosaccharides, dicarboxylic acid anhydrides, enantiomers thereof, and combinations thereof. The invention is further directed to methods of its use.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate. A substrate comprising ruthenium and copper is contacted with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising a polishing component, hydrogen peroxide, an organic acid, at least one heterocyclic compound comprising at least one nitrogen atom, and water. The polishing component is moved relative to the substrate, and at least a portion of the substrate is abraded to polish the substrate. The pH of the polishing system is about 6 to about 12, the ruthenium and copper are in electrical contact, and the difference between the open circuit potential of copper and the open circuit potential of ruthenium in the polishing system is about 50 mV or less.