Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pump [10] for pumping various primary fluids. A body is formed from silicon dies [102,104]. A primary fluid channel [110] is formed in the body and a primary fluid supply [122] is coupled to the primary fluid channel [110] to supply a primary fluid to the primary fluid channel [110]. A mechanism for introducing a secondary fluid to an interface region of the primary fluid channel [110] is formed in the body. An energy delivery device is formed in the body to deliver energy to an interface between region between the primary fluid and the secondary fluid to create a thermal gradient along the fluid interface. The thermal gradient results in a surface tension gradient along the interface. The primary fluid will move to compensate for the surface tension gradient. Various semiconductor fabrication processes can be used to form the elements on the body.

Abstract: A method for removing a slurry from a silicon wafer after chemical-polishing whereby the wafer is subjected to at least 2 or more chemical megasonic baths for a short duration of time. The pH of the first megasonic bath matches the pH of the slurry to be removed.

Abstract: A new class of silicon-based lithographically defined nanoapertures and processes for their fabrication using conventional silicon microprocessing technology have been invented. The new ability to create and control such structures should significantly extend our ability to design and implement chemically selective devices and processes.

Abstract: A method for chemically removing hydrocarbons from oil contaminated material is described. The method comprises contacting the material containing the oil with a combinations of surfactants in an oil carrier similar to or identical to the oil to be removed. This process avoids the use of water. Therefore the process does not compromise the quality of the oil by having water as a contaminant and thus eliminating the possibility of oil contaminated water getting into the environment. In certain examples, when the process is used to remove oil from land based well bore cuttings, the processed well bore cuttings contain high levels of chlorides, which is an environmental problem. In such examples the method also includes contacting the well bore cuttings with a solution of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate in water to reduce the chloride concentration. An apparatus designed for this purpose is also described.

Abstract: A plasma process apparatus having a plasma chamber with in situ monitoring, a monitoring method, and a method for in situ cleaning a plasma chamber. The apparatus includes a sampling manifold which induces flow of a sample gas from a plasma chamber through the manifold. A gas analyzer analyzes the sample gas flowing through the sampling manifold. The in situ monitoring method monitors an initial gas to establish background levels, and bakes the apparatus to reduce contaminants, if necessary. The monitoring method then monitors a process reaction and, after unloading a wafer and discharging a waste gas, monitors an in situ cleaning reaction. Monitoring involves inducing flow of a gas from the plasma chamber through the sampling manifold, and then analyzing the gas in the manifold with a gas analyzer. The cleaning method includes using a mixture of sulfur hexafluoride and chlorine to clean the plasma chamber after etching a polysilicon layer.

Abstract: A process for selectively etching silicon from a workpiece without etching silicon oxide or silicon nitride. The principal etchant gas is molecular fluorine gas (F2) that is not excited to a plasma state.

Abstract: An inkjet printer head actuator including a vibrating plate having a flat plate shape, a chamber plate coupled to the vibrating plate, the chamber plate having chamber walls defining a plurality of uniformly spaced chambers each having a horizontal cross-sectional area decreasing gradually, as it extends one end thereof arranged toward the vibrating plate to the other end thereof arranged away from the vibrating plate, each of the chamber walls having a horizontal cross-sectional area increasing gradually as it extends one end thereof arranged toward the vibrating plate to the other end thereof arranged away from the vibrating plate, and a plurality of drive means attached to a surface of the vibrating plate opposite to the chamber plate at regions corresponding to the chambers, respectively.

Abstract: Deep profile and highly doped impurity regions can be formed by diffusing from a solid source or doped silicon glass and using a patterned nitride layer. An oxide etch stop and polysilicon sacrificial layer are left in place in the patterned regions and the dopant is diffused through those layers. The polysilicon provides sacrificial silicon that serves to prevent the formation of boron silicon nitride on the substrate surface and also protects the oxide layer during etching of the silicon glass layer. The oxide layer then acts as an etch stop during removal of the polysilicon layer. In this way, no damage done to the substrate surface during the diffusion or subsequent etch steps and the need for expensive ion implanter steps is avoided.

Abstract: An etching system and method. In the method, layers are etched on a plurality of substrates using a single amount of etchant to form a predetermined pattern on each of the layers, wherein an etching period varies according to an accumulated process number of substrates. The system includes an etching equipment including an etching processor for etching layers on a plurality of substrates using a single amount of etchant to form a predetermined pattern on each of the layers, and a loader for temporarily holding cassettes in which the substrates are stored; and a controller for controlling operations of the etching equipment. The etching equipment changes an etching period according to an accumulated process number of the substrates.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mothod for preventing the formation of additional surface stains on destained steel sheet processed in a continuous pickle line operation.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head, which is provided with discharge ports for discharging liquid; liquid flow paths communicated with the discharge ports for supplying the liquid to the discharge ports; heat generating elements arranged in the liquid flow paths for creating bubbles in the liquid; an elemental substrate having the heat generating elements therefor; and movable members arranged for the elemental substrate having each free end thereof on the discharge port side with a gap with the elemental substrate in the position facing the heat generating element on the elemental substrate, each free end of the movable members being displaced on the discharge port side centering on the fulcrum structured near the supporting and fixing portion with the elemental substrate by the pressure exerted by the creation of the bubbles for discharging the liquid form the discharge ports, comprises the steps of forming gap formation members; forming the material film; pattering the material film; and fo

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus produces fluorine radicals by activating a fluorinating gas containing at least fluorine atoms and fluorinates the surface of a component formed of an organic material (32) exposed to an atmosphere of a processing chamber (2) before carrying an object (S) into the processing chamber (2). The object (S) is carried into the processing chamber (2) after the completion of a fluorinating process. The object (S) is processed with a processing gas containing at least oxygen radicals. Etching of the component formed of the organic material (32) can be prevented by the fluorination of surface of the component formed of the organic material (32) and exposed to an atmosphere in the processing chamber (2).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and device for automatic cleaning of opto-electronic measuring systems used in process-technology for the analysis of substances in liquids and gases by means of optical absorption and fluorescence. The method is characterized in that the soiling degree is detected by the opto-electronic sensor system itself and, with predetermined soiling degree, a cleaning liquid cleans the soiling-sensitive optical components and detects the residual soiling, which is then evaluated quantitatively and compensated for in the signal analysis.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a low-k material etched opening, comprising the following steps. A semiconductor structure having an exposed device therein is provided. An etch stop layer is formed over the semiconductor structure and the exposed device. A layer of low-k material is formed over the etch stop layer semiconductor structure and device. A patterned layer of photoresist is formed over the low-k material layer. The patterned photoresist layer is used as a mask to etch low-k material layer is etched to form an opening exposing at least a portion of the etch stop layer over the device. The patterned photoresist layer is removed by a low temperature ashing process at a temperature from about 23 to 27° C., and more preferably about 25° C. (room temperature). The exposed portion of the etch stop layer over the device is removed to expose the underlying device by a low pressure, low bias etching process at a pressure from about 8 to 12 milli-Torr and a bias power from about 25 to 35 W.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a magneto-resistive tunnel junction head comprising a tunnel multilayered film having a tunnel barrier layer, a ferromagnetic free layer and a ferromagnetic pinned layer such that the tunnel barrier layer is held between the ferromagnetic free layer and the ferromagnetic pinned layer. The method comprises a laminating step of forming the tunnel barrier layer and a non-magnetic metal protect layer in turn on the ferromagnetic pinned layer, an insulating layer forming step of forming side insulating layers on both sides of a lamination body having the ferromagnetic pinned layer, the tunnel barrier layer and the non-magnetic metal protect layer, a cleaning step of cleaning the surface of the non-magnetic metal protect layer, and a ferromagnetic free layer forming step of forming the ferromagnetic free layer such that the ferromagnetic free layer faces the ferromagnetic pinned layer via the cleaned surface.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for forming contact openings to a substrate location with which electrical connection is desired. According to one aspect, a multi-level layer comprising masking material or photoresist is formed atop an electrically conductive substrate surface and defines a mask opening through which a contact opening is to be formed to an elevationally lower substrate location. A single layer of photoresist is patterned to form an elevationally thicker first layer immediately laterally adjacent the mask opening than a second layer which is formed laterally outward of the first layer. The electrically conductive substrate surface is etched through the mask opening to form the contact opening. The photoresist second layer is removed and the conductive substrate surface is etched to form a portion of an outer conductive component. Thereafter, conductive material is formed in the contact opening to electrically connect elevationally separated layers.

Abstract: Three fundamental and three derived aspects of the present invention are disclosed. The three fundamental aspects each disclose a process sequence that may be integrated in a full process. The first aspect, designated as “latent masking”, defines a mask in a persistent material like silicon oxide that is held abeyant after definition while intervening processing operations are performed. The latent oxide pattern is then used to mask an etch. The second aspect, designated as “simultaneous multi-level etching (SMILE)”, provides a process sequence wherein a first pattern may be given an advanced start relative to a second pattern in etching into an underlying material, such that the first pattern may be etched deeper, shallower, or to the same depth as the second pattern. The third aspect, designated as “delayed LOCOS”, provides a means of defining a contact hole pattern at one stage of a process, then using the defined pattern at a later stage to open the contact holes.

Abstract: A method is provided for stripping a polymer film from a floor surface, comprising the steps of: (a) applying a concentrated alkaline stripper solution including an alkaline agent and a solvent, to the polymer film; (b) allowing this concentrated alkaline solution to chemically act on the polymer film during a contact time of at least 5 seconds; (c) scrubbing the polymer film with a scrubbing device while diluting the concentrated alkaline solution with water, so as to obtain a sludge; (d) vacuum cleaning the floor surface by suction of the sludge, whereby this method is carried out using one floor treating machine. This method is an integrated floor stripping procedure which is considerably more effective than known stripping methods of the prior art.

Abstract: A contact lens is disposed in a well containing hydration fluid, such that a concave surface of the lens faces upwardly and the lens is submerged in the hydration fluid, thereby allowing contaminants to leach out of the lens into the hydration fluid. After hydration, a washing fluid is introduced into the well and contaminated hydration fluid is removed from the well so as to replace at least some of the contaminated hydration fluid in the well with the washing fluid in a predetermined fluid-exchange procedure. The washing fluid is introduced into the well so as to be directed against the concave surface of the lens and the contaminated hydration fluid is removed at a removal location remote from where the washing fluid impinges against the lens, such that the action of the introduced washing fluid serves to oppose The predetermined fluid-exchange procedure is monitored so as to establish whether the predetermined fluid-exchange procedure has been correctly performed.

Abstract: A multi-step flow cleaning method and a multi-step flow cleaning apparatus are provided which effectively clean workpieces with a stream of a cleaning solution and to suppress an increase of foreign matters adhering to the surfaces of the workpieces. A cleaning tank 10 for holding workpieces is provided, a supply line 14 for supplying a cleaning solution such as pure water from the bottom surface of the cleaning tank is provided, and a valve 12 for adjusting the flow of the cleaning solution is disposed in the middle of the supply line 14. The valve 12 is equipped with a switching section 12a for controlling the outflow of the cleaning solution by opening or closing the supply line 14, and a bypass 12b for supplying the cleaning solution, bypassing the switching section 12a.