Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston crown having a crown outer surface forming piston lands alternating axially with piston ring grooves together with the piston lands defining a deposit-sensitive zone. The crown outer surface is smoothed to inhibit deposit formation and/or adhesion within at least a portion of the deposit-sensitive zone to a roughness average (Ra) of 0.0002 millimeters or less, and in a refinement to a mirror finish Ra of 0.000125 or less.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston crown having a crown outer surface forming piston lands alternating axially with piston ring grooves together with the piston lands defining a deposit-sensitive zone. The crown outer surface is smoothed to inhibit deposit formation and/or adhesion within at least a portion of the deposit-sensitive zone to a roughness average (Ra) of 0.0002 millimeters or less, and in a refinement to a mirror finish Ra of 0.000125 or less.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for physical vapor deposition are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for physical vapor deposition (PVD) includes: a linear PVD source to provide a stream of material flux comprising material to be deposited on a substrate; and a substrate support having a support surface to support the substrate at a non-perpendicular angle to the linear PVD source, wherein the substrate support and linear PVD source are movable with respect to each other along an axis that is perpendicular to a plane of the support surface of the substrate support sufficiently to cause the stream of material flux to move over a working surface of the substrate disposed on the substrate support during operation.

Abstract: A method may include generating a plasma in a plasma chamber, the plasma comprising an etchant species and extracting a pulsed ion beam from the plasma chamber and directing the pulsed ion beam to a substrate, where the pulsed ion beam comprises an ON portion and an OFF portion. During the OFF portion the substrate may not be biased with respect to the plasma chamber, and the duration of the OFF portion may be less than a transit time of the etchant species from the plasma chamber to the substrate.

Abstract: A method may include generating a plasma in a plasma chamber, the plasma comprising an etchant species and extracting a pulsed ion beam from the plasma chamber and directing the pulsed ion beam to a substrate, where the pulsed ion beam comprises an ON portion and an OFF portion. During the OFF portion the substrate may not be biased with respect to the plasma chamber, and the duration of the OFF portion may be less than a transit time of the etchant species from the plasma chamber to the substrate.

Abstract: A process for the production of extra fine spherical metal powders by chemical vapor deposition and dissolution techniques, including metal carbonyls, wherein the metal containing process gas is propelled upwardly through a heated reactor.

Abstract: A process for the production of extra fine spherical metal powders by chemical vapor deposition and dissolution techniques, including metal carbonyls, wherein the metal containing process gas is propelled upwardly through a heated reactor. By employing an upward gas flow as opposed to the conventional downward gas flow, a closer approximation of theoretical plug-flow velocity profiles are achieved thusly resulting in a desirably narrower size particle distribution obviating or reducing the need for subsequent classification techniques.

Abstract: A technique for reducing backside particles is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as an apparatus for reducing backside particles. The apparatus may comprise a delivery mechanism configured to supply a cleaning substance to a platen, wherein the platen is housed in a process chamber. The apparatus may also comprise a control unit configured to cause the process chamber to reach a first pressure level, cause the cleaning substance to be supplied to a surface of the platen, and cause the process chamber to reach a second pressure level, thereby removing contaminant particles, together with the cleaning substance, from the surface of the platen.