Abstract: Polishing pads having varying protrusions and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a polishing pad includes a polishing pad substrate; a first protrusion on the polishing pad substrate, the first protrusion including a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, and a first hardness of the central region being greater than a second hardness of the peripheral region; and a first groove adjacent a first side of the first protrusion.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing copolymer includes mixing and reacting a polyester, an aliphatic polyol or an aliphatic polyol oligomer, and a first catalyst in a first region of a screw to form a polyester polyol, and side-feeding a lactone or a lactam to a second region of the screw to copolymerize the lactone or a lactam and the polyester polyol to form a copolymer, wherein the first region and the second region are continuous connecting regions.

Abstract: A molecular probe includes a detector molecule specific to a target molecule, and at least one label linked covalently or non-covalently to the detector molecule. The label includes a catalyst for generating electrons and/or mediators from a solution. The catalyst includes a nanomaterial, an enzyme, a metal, and/or a metal complex. The mediators can accumulate in the solution for a period of time. The detector molecule and the target molecule interact with each other by a protein based or nucleotide sequence based interaction. The mediators participate in a chemical reaction that generates a signal that may be a change in optical, electromagnetic, thermodynamic or mechanical properties. Generation efficiency of the mediators is enhanced by providing an energy to the solution. The molecular probe may be used with a molecular detection assay performed on a surface. A method for assaying the target molecule using the molecular probe is also provided.

Abstract: A molecular probe includes a detector molecule specific to a target molecule, and at least one label linked covalently or non-covalently to the detector molecule. The label includes a catalyst for generating electrons and/or mediators from a solution. The catalyst includes a nanomaterial, an enzyme, a metal, and/or a metal complex. The mediators can accumulate in the solution for a period of time. The detector molecule and the target molecule interact with each other by a protein based or nucleotide sequence based interaction. The mediators participate in a chemical reaction that generates a signal that may be a change in optical, electromagnetic, thermodynamic or mechanical properties. Generation efficiency of the mediators is enhanced by providing an energy to the solution. The molecular probe may be used with a molecular detection assay performed on a surface. A method for assaying the target molecule using the molecular probe is also provided.

Abstract: A reaction system comprises at least one additive and at least one reaction base-plane for augmenting chemical reaction, photoelectrochemical reaction, photochemical reaction or electrochemical reaction. The reaction system further comprises at least one reaction substrate carried out to the chemical reaction, the photoelectrochemical reaction, the photochemical reaction or the electrochemical reaction with the at least one additive and the at least one reaction base-plane. The at least one additive is a kind of reaction enhancer added in the reaction system to improve, augment or accumulate the effeteness of at least one reaction result.