Abstract: Improved self-tightening clamp assemblies are designed for application to the adjacent ends of connected pipe sections in spanning relationship to the joint therebetween. The assemblies include a plurality of clamp bodies configured for placement about the adjacent pipe section ends and carrying a plurality of pipe-engaging teeth; a clamping mechanism is operably coupled with the clamp bodies to cause the teeth to grippingly engage the pipe section ends. The teeth are oriented so as to exert an increasing gripping force on the pipe sections ends in the event of relative separation movement between the ends.

Abstract: Improved self-tightening clamp assemblies are provided, which are designed for application to the adjacent ends of connected pipe sections in spanning relationship to the joint therebetween. The assemblies include a plurality of clamp bodies configured for placement about the adjacent pipe section ends and carrying a plurality of pipe-engaging teeth; a clamping mechanism is operably coupled with the clamp bodies to cause the teeth to grippingly engage the pipe section ends. The teeth are oriented so as to exert an increasing gripping force on the pipe sections ends in the event of relative separation movement between the ends.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to our discovery that depositing various film layers in a particular order using a combination of Ion Metal Plasma (IMP) and traditional sputter deposition techniques with specific process conditions results in a barrier layer structure which provides excellent barrier properties and allows for metal/conductor filling of contact sizes down to 0.25 micron and smaller without junction spiking. Specifically, the film layers are deposited on a substrate in the following order: (a) a first layer of a barrier metal (M), deposited by IMP sputter deposition; (b) a second layer of an oxygen-stuffed barrier metal (MOx), an oxygen-stuffed nitride of a barrier metal (MNOx), or a combination thereof; (c) a third layer of a nitride of a barrier metal (MNx), deposited by IMP sputter deposition of the barrier metal in the presence of nitrogen; and (d) a fourth, wetting layer of a barrier metal, deposited by traditional sputter deposition.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to our discovery that depositing various film layers in a particular order using a combination of Ion Metal Plasma (IMP) and traditional sputter deposition techniques with specific process conditions results in a barrier layer structure which provides excellent barrier properties and allows for metal/conductor filling of contact sizes down to 0.25 micron and smaller without junction spiking. Specifically, the film layers are deposited on a substrate in the following order: (a) a first layer of a barrier metal (M), deposited by IMP sputter deposition; (b) a second layer of an oxygen-stuffed barrier metal (MOx), an oxygen-stuffed nitride of a barrier metal (MNOx), or a combination thereof; (c) a third layer of a nitride of a barrier metal (MN.sub.x), deposited by IMP sputter deposition of the barrier metal in the presence of nitrogen; and (d) a fourth, wetting layer of a barrier metal, deposited by traditional sputter deposition.