Abstract: A component for a substrate processing chamber comprises a structure having a textured coating with surface grains. The component is evaluated by directing a beam of electrons onto the textured coating of the component to cause at least some of the electrons to be backscattered. The backscattered electrons are detected and a signal image is generated. The component is selected when the signal image exhibits surface grains sized from about 0.1 to about 5 micron. In one version, the component is also selected when the grains are substantially flower shaped.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method for improving fill and electrical performance of metals deposited on patterned dielectric layers. Apertures such as vias and trenches in the patterned dielectric layer are etched to enhance filling and then cleaned in the same chamber to reduce metal oxides within the aperture.

Abstract: A process for coating a substrate is provided which includes the following steps: (a) applying a waterborne base coat composition to a surface of the substrate; (b) applying infrared radiation at a power density of 1.5–30.0 kW/m2 and a first air stream simultaneously to the base coat composition such that a pre-dried base coat is formed upon the surface of the substrate; and (c) applying a second air stream in the absence of infrared radiation to the base coat composition such that a dried base coat is formed upon the surface of the substrate. Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed including continuous, batch, and semi-batch processes, which may include additional process steps, such as subsequent application of a topcoat. The process may be used to coat a variety of metal and polymeric substrates, for example, those associated with the body of a motor vehicle.

Abstract: Low dielectric constant porous materials with improved elastic modulus and material hardness. The process of making such porous materials involves providing a porous dielectric material and plasma curing the porous dielectric material with a fluorine-free plasma gas to produce a fluorine-free plasma cured porous dielectric material. Fluorine-free plasma curing of the porous dielectric material yields a material with improved modulus and material hardness, and with comparable dielectric constant. The improvement in elastic modulus is typically greater than or about 50%, and more typically greater than or about 100%. The improvement in material hardness is typically greater than or about 50%. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Abstract: This invention pertains to transfer of a solid target material onto a substrate by vaporizing the material by irradiating it with intense light of a resonant vibrational mode of the material and depositing the vaporized material on a substrate in a solid form.

Abstract: In order to produce a fusible interfacing, dots of a hot-melt polymer are deposited on the right side of an interfacing support selected from textile and nonwoven supports and the wrong side of the interfacing support undergoes electron bombardment. The dots of hot-melt polymer are based on at least one functionalized polymer comprising functional groups that can react with free radicals generated by the action of an electron bombardment and/or which are themselves generators of free radicals under the action of an electron bombardment. The penetration depth of the electrons into the polymer dots is adjusted to obtain self-crosslinking of said functionalized polymer over a limited thickness e with respect to the mean thickness E of the polymer dots. The functional groups preferably comprise functions containing an ethylenically unsaturated bond, for example of the acrylate, methacrylate, allyl, acrylamide, vinylether, styrene, maleic or fumaric type.

Abstract: Ion beam-deposited, nitrogen-doped C:H films having substantially lower resistivities than undoped ion beam-deposited C:H films and suitable for use as hard, abrasion-resistant overcoat layers for magnetic recording media, such as hard disks, are formed by supplying a mixture of hydrocarbon and nitrogen gases to an ion beam generator. Nitrogen atom content of the films is controlled to within from about 5 to about 25 at. % by appropriate selection of the ratio of hydrocarbon gas flow to nitrogen gas flow. The resultant IBD i-C:HN films exhibit a reduced tendency for charge build-up thereon during hard disk operation by virtue of their lower resistivity vis-à-vis conventional a-C:H materials.

Abstract: A paint and method are divulged for protecting the silver film of mirrors. The paint in its preferred embodiment includes a metal carboxylate which will contribute metal ions, namely stannous octoate for the contribution of stannous(II) ions in an amount of 0.5% or greater by weight. Alternate methods of the invention utilize an additional coating over the paint, such as an acrylic, epoxy or blend thereof which is UV curable. In another form of the paint, copper octoate is utilized in a minimum amount of 0.5% by weight for contribution of copper(II) ions.

Abstract: A method for structuring a surface includes, by an assigned modification device, creating a latent structure of at least a first layer of the surface, which has a polymer therein, so as to form hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions for producing a printing form for offset printing, by selectively applying a gaseous, readily volatile solvent as a modifying agent to at least one locally limited region of the surface over at least one exposure time interval. A device for performing the method, a printing form exposer, a printing unit and a printing machine including the surface-structuring device according to the invention, are also provided.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously fabricating a phase separated organic film and microstructures with liquid crystal having desired alignment is disclosed. The method includes the step of preparing a mixture of liquid crystal material, prepolymer, and polarization-sensitive material. The mixture is disposed on a substrate and a combination of UV or visible light or heat treatment is applied while simultaneously inducing phase separation so as to form a layer or microstructure of appropriately aligned liquid crystal material adjacent the substrate.

Abstract: A method for depositing a low dielectric constant film having an improved hardness and elastic modulus is provided. In one aspect, the method comprises depositing a low dielectric constant film having silicon, carbon, and hydrogen, and then treating the deposited film with a plasma of helium, hydrogen, or a mixture thereof at conditions sufficient to increase the hardness of the film.

Abstract: In a plasma processing method making use of a plasma processing gas of a reactant gas and an inert gas, it is aimed at enhancing an efficiency of use of high-frequency power and a reactant gas to increase a processing rate. The plasma processing method comprises supplying high frequency power to an electrode 2 opposed to a substrate 6 to thereby generate plasma between the electrode 2 and the substrate 6 on the basis of a plasma processing gas comprising a reactant gas and an inert gas to perform film formation, etching, surface treatment or the like on the substrate 6, pressure P(Torr) of the plasma processing gas being set to satisfy the following relationship 2×10?7(Torr/Hz)×f(Hz)?P(Torr)?500(Torr) where f(Hz) is a frequency of high frequency power.

Abstract: A method of forming a titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer on a substrate id described. The titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer is formed by providing a substrate to a process chamber and treating the substrate with a silicon-containing gas. A titanium nitride layer is formed on the treated substrate and exposed to a silicon-containing gas. The titanium nitride (TiN) layer reacts with the silicon-containing gas to form the titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer. The formation of the titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer is compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes. In one integrated circuit fabrication process, the titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer may be used as a diffusion barrier for a tungsten (W) metallization process.

Abstract: A method for treating a non-planar surface of an object by employing a plasma treatment apparatus in which a microwave dielectric has a non-planar surface corresponding to the surface of the object. A method for forming an optical part is also provided.

Abstract: Powder of a simple substance or a combination of a plurality of carbides of metals belonging to the IVa, Va and Via families in the Periodic Table is mixed with a ferrous-family metal powder or non-ferrous metal powder having the same composition as the treatment target (2) as a simple substance or a combination of a plurality of metals, and this is compressed and molded, and incompletely sintered to form an electrode (12) serving as a discharge processing electrode; and said device is provided with a switching unit which alters electrical conditions at the time when the base member of the treatment target (2) is directly subjected to a discharging surface treatment and the electrical conditions at the time when a coating film (13) that has been formed is subjected to a discharging surface treatment according to the characteristics of the treatment target material.

Abstract: Low dielectric constant porous materials with improved elastic modulus and hardness. The process of making such porous materials involves providing a porous dielectric material and plasma curing the porous dielectric material to produce a plasma cured porous dielectric material. Plasma curing of the porous dielectric material yields a material with improved modulus and hardness. The improvement in elastic modulus is typically greater than or about 50%, more typically greater than or about 100%, and more typically greater than or about 200%. The improvement in hardness is typically greater than or about 50%. The plasma cured porous dielectric material can optionally be post-plasma treated. The post-plasma treatment of the plasma cured porous dielectric material reduces the dielectric constant of the material while maintaining an improved elastic modulus and hardness as compared to the plasma cured porous dielectric material.

Abstract: A method of encapsulating an integrated-circuit component supported on a substrate comprises depositing on the component a thermally curable liquid organic matrix in sufficient quantity to form a layer covering the component. The liquid matrix layer is irradiated by laser radiation having a wavelength between about 600 and 1000 nanometers. The liquid matrix includes one or more additive materials that are strongly absorbing for the wavelength of the laser radiation. The liquid matrix layer is irradiated with the laser radiation for a time period sufficient to cure the matrix layer.

Abstract: The method for the fabrication of nano scale temperature sensors and nano scale heaters using focused ion beam (FIB) techniques. The process used to deposit metal nano strips to form a sensor is ion beam assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The FIB Ga+ ion beam can be used to decompose W(CO)6 molecules to deposit a tungsten nano-strip on a suitable substrate. The same substrate can also be used for Pt nano-strip deposition. The precursors for the Pt can be trimethyl platinum (CH3)3Pt in the present case. Because of the Ga+ beam used in the deposition, both Pt and W nano-strips can contain a certain percentage of Ga impurities, which we denoted as Pt(Ga) and W(Ga) respectively. Our characterization of the response of this Pt(Ga)/W(Ga) nano scale junction indicates it has a temperature coefficient of approximately 5.4 mV/° C. This is a factor of approximately 130 larger than the conventional K-type thermocouples.

Abstract: The fabrication of an overcoat layer starts with a low energy ion beam to avoid magnetic layer implantation problems, followed by higher deposition energies where the higher energy atoms are implanted into the previously formed lower energy overcoat layer, rather than the magnetic layer. The energy gradient ion beam deposition process therefore results in a thin overcoat layer that is denser than a comparable layer formed by low energy magnetron sputtering, and which overcoat layer provides good mechanical and corrosion protection to the magnetic layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a process and apparatus for epitaxial deposition of a material, e.g., a layer of MgO, onto a substrate such as a flexible metal substrate, using dual ion beams for the ion beam assisted deposition whereby thick layers can be deposited without degradation of the desired properties by the material. The ability to deposit thicker layers without loss of properties provides a significantly broader deposition window for the process.