Abstract: An apparatus and methods for use in spin coating a coating material onto a wafer. The apparatus includes a rotatable chuck capable of supporting the wafer and a bowl having a bottom and a side defining an interior region, the bottom containing an opening through which said rotatable chuck is movable and separable from the bowl. In a preferred embodiment the bottom has a raised cylindrical portion containing the opening and, the rotatable chuck is positioned within the opening so that the wafer is in close proximity to the raised portion of the bowl so as to prevent solvent vapors form escaping the bowl through the opening.

Abstract: A method is used to expose a fingerprint on the surface of a metallic object which is covered with a layer of a metallic oxide such as rust. The metallic oxide is dissolved with a reagent which reacts with the metallic oxide. The dissolved metallic oxide is removed from the surface of the metallic object by washing with water to expose the fingerprint and a permanent copy is made of the fingerprint. More specifically, rust from a ferrous object is dissolved with an aqueous acid, the acid and dissolved rust is washed away with water, and a photograph is taken of the exposed fingerprint. The rust can also be dissolved by spraying the rust with a Precision Brand Step #3 Aerosol Rust Inhibitor and Lubricant. The rust can be removed by contacting the rust with a reagent containing a complexing agent for Fe(III) ions.

Abstract: In a coating method, a precoating layer is applied to one surface of a web W laid between a plurality of web guide rollers GR while a leading end surface of an extrusion-type head portion EX is pressed against the one surface of the web. Accordingly, entrained air increasing as the transferring speed of the web becomes higher could be prevented from entering a coating point on a doctor edge surface near an outlet of a slot by the meniscus of coating liquid formed in a slight gap between the front edge surface of the extrusion-type head portion and the one surface of the web approaching there. As a result, the precoating layer having an excessive amount can be applied stably without turbulence at the coating point caused by the entrained air. Further, coating can be done stably in the rod portion by setting the thickness of the precoating layer for a final coating layer and a virtual coating layer.

Abstract: There are provided a spin coating method and an apparatus for forming a thin film having a uniform thickness on a substrate at a low cost in a process for manufacturing semiconductors, optical disks and the like. A coating solution is dropped onto the surface of a substrate (2) to be coated, mounted on a horizontal turn table (3) through a discharge nozzle (4) and the substrate is turned to form a thin film. After the coating solution is dropped through the nozzle, a stand-by nozzle tip (4a) is soaked and held in a nozzle soaking solution (10) having a composition near or equivalent to that of the coating solution. The crystal deposition of the solute is suppressed. Inter alia, the present invention is useful when a solution containing a solute having high crystallizability is coated.

Abstract: An exemplary method of using developer as a solvent to spread photoresist faster and reduce photoresist consumption can include dispensing a developer solution onto an integrated circuit wafer, spinning the integrated circuit wafer to distribute the developer solution over the integrated circuit wafer, and dispensing a photoresist solution onto the integrated circuit covered with the developer solution.

Abstract: A system and method is provided that facilitates the application of a uniform layer of developer material on a photoresist material layer. The system includes a nozzle adapted to apply a predetermined volume of developer material on a photoresist material layer along a linear path having a length approximately equal to the diameter of the photoresist material layer. A movement system moves the nozzle to a first position offset from a central region of the photoresist material layer for applying a first predetermined volume of developer material to the photoresist material layer while the developer material is spin coated. The movement system also moves the nozzle to a second position offset from the central region for applying a second predetermined volume of developer material to the photoresist material layer while the developer is spin coated. The first position is located on an opposite side of the central region with respect to the second position.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing system for monitoring a weight of a fluid dispensed by a fluid dispenser. A first monitoring device determines a first flow characteristic, for example, pressure, of the pressurized fluid flowing through the fluid dispenser; and a second monitoring device determines a second flow characteristic, for example, viscosity, of the pressurized fluid flowing through the fluid dispenser. A monitor control produces an output representing a weight of the fluid dispensed by the fluid dispenser as a function of the first and second flow characteristics. The monitor control also stores values relating to a size of an orifice through which the pressurized fluid is dispensed and a density of the pressurized fluid. The weight value is determined as a function of the orifice size and the density values. The present invention also includes a method of monitoring a weight of a fluid being dispensed by a fluid dispenser.

Abstract: A method of applying decoration onto an article, the method comprising the steps consisting in: placing backing coated in a sublimable ink in contact with a face of the article; and heating the backing with the help of heating means to cause the ink to sublime and be transferred onto the article, while cooling the opposite face of the article with the help of cooling means.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium comprises steps of: (a) preparing a sol solution containing gel particles; (b) treating the sol solution to remove gel particles having a size greater than a predetermined maximum size; (c) providing a non-magnetic substrate for a magnetic recording medium, the substrate including a surface; and (d) applying a layer of the treated sol solution to the surface of the substrate; (e) converting the layer of treated sol solution to a layer of sol-gel having a hardness less than that of the surface of the substrate, an exposed surface of the layer of sol-gel having very low surface micro-waviness and substantially no defects in the form of protrusions or bumps; (f) forming a pattern in the exposed surface of the layer of sol-gel; (g) converting the layer of sol-gel to a glass or glass-like layer having a density and hardness substantially comparable to that of the surface of the substrate, while preserving the pattern formed in an exposed surface of the g

Abstract: A method for manufacturing reinforced oriented strand boards includes steps of injecting melamine-formaldehyde resin or phenol-formaldehyde resin in finished oriented stand boards, of heating and pressing them to let the resin harden. As strands of woods of the originally oriented strand boards cannot completely closely bonded together, with many gaps remained, so injected resin can fill up those gaps and filtrate and wrap the strand woods to make the whole oriented strand boards having reinforced strength and fire-resistant property as well.

Abstract: Methods are provided for removing edge beads from spin-on films. A spin-on film is removed from a region of a surface of a spin-coated substrate adjacent to an edge of the surface by spinning the spin-coated substrate, expanding a fluid through a nozzle to form a cryogenic aerosol stream, and directing the cryogenic aerosol stream against the spin-on film in the region as the substrate spins. In another aspect of the invention, a film is formed on a surface of a substrate by dispensing a liquid composition onto the surface, spinning the substrate to distribute the liquid composition to form a substantially uniform film on the surface, expanding a fluid through a nozzle to form a cryogenic aerosol stream, and directing the cryogenic aerosol stream against the film in a region of the surface adjacent to an edge of the surface as the substrate spins. The film may include an alkoxysilane and a low volatility solvent. The fluid may consists essentially of liquid carbon dioxide.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method, having the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals, B) loading the printer with ink-receptive elements having a support having thereon a continuous, coextensive porous ink-receptive layer, C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition comprising an aqueous-dispersible polyester having contained therein a water-insoluble dye, and D) printing on the ink-receptive element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: Methods of dispensing process liquid to provide a uniform layer of the liquid on a surface are disclosed in accordance with the present invention. The methods include dispensing a process liquid on the surface and rotating the surface at a first speed to distribute an effective amount of the process liquid to substantially wet the surface. The method further includes rotating the surface at a second speed to distribute an effective amount of the process liquid to produce a layer of the process liquid on the surface. In a preferred embodiment for dispensing photoresist onto the surface of a semiconductor wafer, the method includes rotating the wafer at the first speed prior to dispensing the photoresist onto the surface. The preferred method further includes decelerating the wafer from the first to the second speed during the dispensing of the photoresist and terminating the dispensing process after the second speed is reached.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a temperature of a microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include a substrate support configured to engage and support the microelectronic substrate. The apparatus can further include a temperature controller having one or more thermal links coupled directly with the substrate when the substrate is supported by the substrate support. The thermal links can maintain thermal contact with the substrate when the substrate is either stationary or mobile relative to the temperature controller. The temperature controller can heat or cool different portions of the substrate at different rates with one or more of several heat transfer devices, including liquid jets, gas jets, resistive electrical elements and/or thermoelectric elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of using steam to achieve simultaneous impregnation and drying of lignocellulosic material to improve the strength of lignocellulosic material and to reduce the number of serial processing steps. The steam may be either indigenously generated by way of a heated press or heated nip, or the steam may be externally applied.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of using steam to achieve simultaneous impregnation and drying of lignocellulosic material to improve the strength of lignocellulosic material and to reduce the number of serial processing steps. The steam may be either indigenously generated by way of a heated press or heated nip, or the steam may be externally applied.

Abstract: A method for highly hydrophilifying the surface of an article by photoexcitation of a semiconductor photocatalyst and maintaining the hydrophilicity is disclosed. A layer containing a photocatalyst is formed on a substrate. Onto the surface of the layer are fixed a hydroxyl group upon photoexcitation of the photocatalyst and a physically adsorbed water molecule in the vicinity of the hydroxyl group upon photoexcitation of the photocatalyst. Thus, the surface is highly hydrophilified. Further, this surface, simultaneously with the hydrophilification, exhibits higher hydrophobicity.

Abstract: A method of on-line coating a coat film on the inner wall of a reaction tube in a hydrocarbon pyrolysis reactor for preventing the formation and the deposit of coke on the inner walls. This method comprises the steps of vapor depositing a mixed solution of a metal alkoxide and a chromic compound on the inner walls concurrently with introducing a carrier at a flow rate of 1-5000 kg/hr/coil at a temperature of 600-900° C. under a pressure of 0-3 kg/cm2 to form a buffer layer on the inner walls; and vapor depositing a metal alkoxide as a barrier on the buffer layer; and vapor depositing an alkali metal/alkaline earth metal compound alone or mixed with metal alkoxide as a decoking layer on the barrier. A decoking layer may further be provided on the diffusion barrier.