Abstract: H2O heating methods, devices, and systems are disclosed, wherein the method of heating H2O includes immersing the combustion of H2 with O2 in flowing H2O such that H2O from the combustion diffuses into the flowing H2O, and thus supplements and heats the flowing H2O. Extended systems are also disclosed that source heated H2O for use, inter alia, in electric power generation driven by turbines or pistons, mobile vehicle locomotion driven by turbines or pistons, environmental heating, environmental cleaning, cooking of materials, recycling of materials, cutting of materials, and drilling of materials. In addition, portable implementations of the method are disclosed.

Abstract: A system includes a knot tying device for tying a filament in a knot around an article and a filament delivery device from which is drawn the filament. The filament delivery device may be in the form of a cartridge having a housing sized and arranged to be releasably attached to the knot tying device where the housing has an opening through which pre-cut or loosely coupled lengths of the filament can be drawn. The knot tying device includes a shuttle attachable to the filament where the shuttle is caused to be moved during a knot tying process around an article to be tied and a device for at least pulling the filament away from the article at appropriate times during the knot tying process.

Abstract: A system includes a knot tying device for tying a filament in a knot around an article and a filament delivery device from which is drawn the filament. The filament delivery device may be in the form of a cartridge having a housing sized and arranged to be releasably attached to the knot tying device where the housing has an opening through which pre-cut or loosely coupled lengths of the filament can be drawn. The knot tying device includes a shuttle attachable to the filament where the shuttle is caused to be moved during a knot tying process around an article to be tied and a device for at least pulling the filament away from the article at appropriate times during the knot tying process.

Abstract: A hydrogen/oxygen combustion system of direct steam generation of motive flow, with the capacity to regulate and control temperature and pressure conditions, enabling the use of spontaneously generated motive flow in turbine-driven power generating system applications. Steam is generated directly by the combustion reaction between hydrogen and oxygen gas fuel stocks, temperature-regulated by the injection of water into the body of super-heated steam generated by such a reaction. Motive body temperature is controlled by the absorption of heat inherent in the vaporization of water-injectate; regulation of temperature is a function of the ratio of water to feed-stock gas, injected into the motive body. Motive body pressure is regulated by controlling the total flow of gas fuel stocks and water into the combustion chamber of the steam-generating engine. Exhaust steam is compressed and ported to the next engine, or from a final stage to the condenser for recovery.

Abstract: This is a method for masking a structure 12 for patterning micron and submicron features, the method comprises: forming at least one monolayer 32 of adsorbed molecules on the structure; prenucleating portions 46,48 of the adsorbed layer by exposing the portions corresponding to a desired pattern 36 of an energy source 42; and selectively forming build-up layers 66,68 over the prenucleated portions to form a mask over the structure to be patterned. Other methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Generally, and in one form of the invention, a method is presented for the photo-stimulated etching of a CaF2 surface 12, comprising the steps of exposing the CaF2 surface 12 to an ambient species 16, exciting the CaF2 surface 12 and/or the ambient species 16 by photo-stimulation sufficiently to allow reaction of the CaF2 surface 12 with the ambient species 16 to form CaF2 ambient species products, and removing the ambient species 16 and the CaF2 ambient species products from the CaF2 surface 12. Other devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of cleaning and treating a device, including those of the micromechanical (10) and semiconductor type. The surface of a device, such as the landing electrode (22) of a digital micromirror device (10), is first cleaned with a supercritical fluid (SCF) in a chamber (50) to remove soluble chemical compounds, and then maintained in the SCF chamber until and during the subsequent passivation step. Passivants including PFDA and PFPE are suitable for the present invention. By maintaining the device in the SCF chamber, and without exposing the device to, for instance, the ambient of a clean room, organic and inorganic contaminants cannot be deposited upon the cleaned surface prior to the passivation step. The present invention derives technical advantages by providing an improved passivated surface that is suited to extend the useful operation life of devices, including those of the micromechanical type, reducing stiction forces between contacting elements such as a mirror and its landing electrode.

Abstract: A method of removing inorganic contamination from substantially the surface of a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising the steps of: reacting the inorganic contamination with at least one conversion agent, thereby converting the inorganic contamination; removing the converted inorganic contamination by subjecting it to at least one solvent agent, the solvent agent is included in a first supercritical fluid (preferably supercritical CO.sub.2); and wherein the converted inorganic contamination is more highly soluble in the solvent agent than the inorganic contamination.

Abstract: A method of removing inorganic contamination (contamination 104 of FIGS. 2a-2b) from a layer (layer 102) overlying a substrate (substrate 100), the method comprising the steps of: removing the layer overlying the substrate with at least one removal agent; reacting the inorganic contamination with at least one conversion agent, thereby converting the inorganic contamination; removing the converted inorganic contamination by subjecting it to at least one solvent agent, the solvent agent included in a first supercritical fluid; and wherein the converted inorganic contamination is more highly soluble in the solvent agent than the inorganic contamination.

Abstract: Generally, and in one form of the invention, a method is presented for the photo-stimulated removal of reacted metal contamination 16 from a surface 11, comprising the steps of: covering the surface with a liquid ambient 14; exciting the reacted metal contamination 16 and/or the liquid ambient 14 by photo-stimulation sufficiently to allow reaction of the reacted metal contaminantion 16 with the liquid ambient 14 to form metal products; and removing the liquid ambient 14 and the metal products from the surface 11. Other methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrostatic decontamination method and decontamination device (10) is disclosed for decontaminating the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The decontamination device (10) includes particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles. Decontamination device (10) also includes substrate biasing device (12) for creating a charge accumulation layer (14) at the top of semiconductor substrate (16) so that the charge accumulation layer (14) has the same charge sign as the ionized particles. In addition, the invention analytically characterizes particles using contaminating particle isolator (44) which contains a particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles.

Abstract: An electrostatic decontamination method and decontamination device (10) is disclosed for decontaminating the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The decontamination device (10) includes particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles. Decontamination device (10) also includes substrate biasing device (12) for creating a charge accumulation layer (14) at the top of semiconductor substrate (16) so that the charge accumulation layer (14) has the same charge sign as the ionized particles. In addition, the invention analytically characterizes particles using contaminating particle isolator (44) which contains a particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles.

Abstract: The described embodiments of the present invention provide a trench etching technique having a high level of control over the sidewall profile of the trench and a high degree of selectivity to the etch mask. The described embodiments are for etching silicon and tungsten, but the invention is suitable for etching a wide variety of materials. A silicon etchant such as HBr, the combination of HBr/SF.sub.6, BCl.sub.3, SICl.sub.4 or other etchant is combined with a passivant such as carbon monoxide or nitrogen. The passivant gases include an interactive .pi. bonding system and/or paired electrons not involved in bonding. These passivant gases create a weak adductive bond to the dangling bonds or radicals generated during etching. The passivant gases also create a weak adductive bond to the sides of the trench being etched and are not removed due to the oblique angle of the sidewalls relative to the reactive ion flux vector corresponding to the trench etch.

Abstract: Novel methods of forming capacitors containing high dielectric materials are disclosed. Capacitors are made by forming a layer of conductive metal nitride (e.g. ruthenium nitride, 28), then forming a layer of a high dielectric constant material (e.g. barium strontium titanate, 30) on the metal nitride layer, then forming a layer of a non-metal containing electrically conductive compound (e.g. ruthenium oxide, 32) on the layer of high dielectric constant material. Typically, the high dielectric constant material is a transition metal oxide, a titanate, a titanate doped with one or more rare earth elements, a titanate doped with one or more alkaline earth metals, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the conductive compound is ruthenium nitride, ruthenium dioxide, tin nitride, tin oxide, titanium nitride, titanium monoxide, or combinations thereof. The conductive compound may be doped to increase its electrical conductivity.

Abstract: A method of unsticking contacting elements (11, 17) of a micro-mechanical device (30). The device is exposed to either a low surface tension liquid with a surfactant (32) or to a supercritical fluid (62) so as to avoid damage to fragile components of the device (30). The exposure conditions are controlled so as to provide optimum results without damage to the device.

Abstract: An anisotropic liquid phase photochemical etch is performed by submersing a substrate 30 (e.g. copper) in a liquid 34 containing an etchant (e.g. hydrochloric acid) and a passivant (e.g. iodine), the passivant forming an insoluble passivation layer 36 (e.g. Cul) on the surface, preventing the etchant from etching the surface. The passivant and its concentration are chosen such that the passivation layer 36 has a solubility which is substantially increased when it is illuminated with radiation 38 (e.g. visible/ultraviolet light). Portions of the surface are then illuminated with radiation 38, whereby the passivation layer 36 is removed from those illuminated portions of the surface, allowing the etch to proceed there. Portions of the surface not illuminated are not etched, resulting in an anisotropic etch. Preferably, an etch mask 32 is used to create the unilluminated areas. This etch mask 32 may be formed on the surface or it may be interposed between the surface and the radiation source.

Abstract: A dry etch for metals such as copper using .pi.-acids in an energetic environment such as a plasma, laser, or afterglow reactor (102) or by using ligands forming volatiles at low temperature within a pulsed energetic environment.

Abstract: A mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) substrate 30 is immersed in a liquid 34 (e.g. 0.1 molar concentration hydrochloric acid) and illuminated with collimated radiation 24 (e.g. collimated visible/ultraviolet radiation) produced by a radiation source 20 (e.g. a 150 Watt mercury xenon arc lamp). A window 26 which is substantially transparent to the collimated radiation 24 allows the radiated energy to reach the MCT substrate 30. An etch mask 32 may be positioned between the radiation source 20 and the substrate 30. The MCT substrate 30 and liquid 34 may be maintained at a nominal temperature (e.g. 25.degree. C.). Without illumination, the MCT is not appreciably etched by the liquid. Upon illumination the etch rate is substantially increased. A further aspect is the addition of a passivant (e.g. iodine) to the liquid which forms a substantially insoluble passivation layer 36 on the substrate which is removed or partially removed by the radiation 24.

Abstract: This is a method for forming patterned features. The method comprises: forming a single layer of resist 12 on a substrate 10, the layer 12 having a thickness; patterning the resist by selective exposure to a first energy source 16 to modify the developing properties of portions of the resist, leaving an amount of the thickness unexposed; and developing the resist. This is also a device which comprises: a substrate; a layer of resist over the substrate; and an energy absorbing dye in the resist. Other methods and structures are also disclosed.

Abstract: A barium strontium titanate substrate 34 immersed in a liquid ambient (e.g. 12 molar concentration hydrochloric acid 30) and illuminated with radiation (e.g. collimated visible/ultraviolet radiation 24) produced by a radiation source (e.g. a 200 Watt mercury xenon arc lamp 20). A window 26 which is substantially transparent to the collimated radiation 24 allows the radiated energy to reach the titanate substrate 34. An etch mask 32 may be positioned between the radiation source 20 and the substrate 34. The titanate substrate 34 and liquid ambient 30 are maintained at a nominal temperature (e.g. 25.degree. C.). Without illumination, the titanate is not appreciably etched by the liquid ambient. Upon illumination, however, the etch rate is substantially increased.