Abstract: Cohesive assemblies comprising carbon are prepared by obtaining carbon in the form of powder, particles, flakes, or loose agglomerates, dispersing the carbon in a liquid halogen by mechanical mixing and/or sonication, and substantially removing the liquid halogen, typically by evaporation, whereby the cohesive assembly of carbon is formed. The method is especially suitable for preparing free-standing, monolithic assemblies of carbon nanotubes in the form of films, wafers, or discs, having high carbon packing density and low electrical resistivity. The assemblies have various potential applications, such as electrodes in batteries or supercapacitors or as electromagnetic interference shielding materials.

Abstract: Cohesive assemblies comprising carbon are prepared by obtaining carbon in the form of powder, particles, flakes, or loose agglomerates, dispersing the carbon in a liquid halogen by mechanical mixing and/or sonication, and substantially removing the liquid halogen, typically by evaporation, whereby the cohesive assembly of carbon is formed. The method is especially suitable for preparing free-standing, monolithic assemblies of carbon nanotubes in the form of films, wafers, or discs, having high carbon packing density and low electrical resistivity. The assemblies have various potential applications, such as electrodes in batteries or supercapacitors or as electromagnetic interference shielding materials.

Abstract: A photomask assembly is disclosed having a photomask substrate and a composite pellicle frame that includes both a metallic frame component and a scavenger component. The metallic frame component has a cross-sectional thickness of at least 100 micrometers in all directions, and the volume percentage of the scavenger component relative to the overall volume of the composite frame is in the range of 0.1 to 95%. The scavenger component has a gas permeability to oxygen or nitrogen greater than about 10 ml·mm/cm2·min·MPa, an average pore size between 0.001 and 10 micrometers, and a pore surface area greater than 10 m2/g. This configuration enables the pellicle frame to have sufficient strength to withstand stresses encountered during normal use, yet also to have the capability of scavenging impurity molecules from the space adjacent to the photomask substrate.

Abstract: A new method is disclosed for producing thin plates by sintering a thin gel plate (e.g., silica) made using a sol-gel process, which substantially eliminates warpage of the plate during the sintering step. Sintering a sol-gel based silica plate to a dense glass typically causes significant shrinkage, and this can cause the plate to curl, especially around its edges. This phenomenon is referred to as warpage. In the method of the invention, the sintering step is performed while the gel plate is mounted on a support surface, separated by a thin layer of refractory powder. At the high sintering temperature, the powder partially fuses and sticks to both the gel plate and the support surface, which prevents non-uniform stresses in the gel plate from warping the plate.

Abstract: A new method is disclosed for producing thin plates by sintering a thin gel plate (e.g., silica) made using a sol-gel process, which substantially eliminates warpage of the plate during the sintering step. Sintering a sol-gel based silica plate to a dense glass typically causes significant shrinkage, and this can cause the plate to curl, especially around its edges. This phenomenon is referred to as warpage. In the method of the invention, the sintering step is performed while the gel plate is mounted on a support surface, separated by a thin layer of refractory powder. At the high sintering temperature, the powder partially fuses and sticks to both the gel plate and the support surface, which prevents non-uniform stresses in the gel plate from warping the plate.