Abstract: Work piece processing is performed by pulsed discharges between an anode (2) and a magnetron sputtering cathode (1) in solid-gas plasmas using a chamber (2) containing the work piece (7). A system (12) maintains a vacuum in the chamber and another system (14) provides sputtering and reactive gases. The pulses are produced in a plasma pulser circuit including the anode and the cathode, the discharges creating gas and partially ionized solid plasma blobs (3) moving or spreading from a region at a surface of the cathode towards the work piece and the anode. A pulsed current comprising biasing pulses arises between the second electrodes. Biasing discharges are produced between the anode and the work piece when said plasma blobs have spread to regions at the anode and at the work piece so that the pulsed current is the current of these biasing discharges.

Abstract: In a simple method and device for producing plasma flows of a metal and/or a gas electric discharges are periodically produced between the anode and a metal magnetron sputtering cathode in crossed electric and magnetic fields in a chamber having a low pressure of a gas. The discharges are produced so that each discharge comprises a first period with a low electrical current passing between the anode and cathode for producing a metal vapor by magnetron sputtering, and a second period with a high electrical current passing between the anode and cathode for producing an ionization of gas and the produced metal vapor. Instead of the first period a constant current discharge can be used. Intensive gas or metal plasma flows can be produced without forming contracted arc discharges. The selfsputtering phenomenon can be used.

Abstract: In a simple method and device for producing plasma flows of a metal and/or a gas electric discharges are periodically produced between the anode and a metal magnetron sputtering cathode in crossed electric and magnetic fields in a chamber having a low pressure of a gas. The discharges are produced so that each discharge comprises a first period with a low electrical current passing between the anode and cathode for producing a metal vapor by magnetron sputtering, and a second period with a high electrical current passing between the anode and cathode for producing an ionization of gas and the produced metal vapor. Instead of the first period a constant current discharge can be used. Intensive gas or metal plasma flows can be produced without forming contracted arc discharges. The selfsputtering phenomenon can be used.

Abstract: Work piece processing is performed by pulsed discharges between an anode (2) and a magnetron sputtering cathode (1) in solid-gas plasmas using a chamber (2) containing the work piece (7). A system (12) maintains a vacuum in the chamber and another system (14) provides sputtering and reactive gases. The pulses are produced in a plasma pulser circuit including the anode and the cathode, the discharges creating gas and partially ionized solid plasma blobs (3) moving or spreading from a region at a surface of the cathode towards the work piece and the anode. A pulsed current comprising biasing pulses arises between the second electrodes. Biasing discharges are produced between the anode and the work piece when said plasma blobs have spread to regions at the anode and at the work piece so that the pulsed current is the current of these biasing discharges.

Abstract: Work piece processing is performed by pulsed discharges between an anode (2) and a magnetron sputtering cathode (1) in solid-gas plasmas using a chamber (2) containing the work piece (7). A system (12) maintains a vacuum in the chamber and another system (14) provides sputtering and reactive gases. The pulses are produced in a plasma pulser circuit including the anode and the cathode, the discharges creating gas and partially ionized solid plasma blobs (3) moving or spreading from a region at a surface of the cathode towards the work piece and the anode. A potential is applied to the work piece so that a pulsed current comprising biasing pulses arises between the second electrodes. In particular biasing discharges are produced between the anode and the work piece when said plasma blobs have spread to regions at the anode and at the work piece so that the pulsed current is the current of these biasing discharges.

Abstract: A method is provided to progressively load and further process data in a hierarchical lock-free structure. The method includes generally four steps: (a) defining the hierarchical lock-free structure, (b) loading the data into the hierarchical lock-free structure; (c) processing the loaded data, and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) such that progressively more data are loaded and become available for processing. The hierarchical lock-free structure includes a first level of data including data segments, wherein each of the data segments forms a second level of data. The structure is such that each of the data segments in the second level of data becomes available for further processing when the data segment is referenced in the first level of data. Thus, during the loading step (b), a reference is set in the first level of data to each of the data segments in the second level of data as the data segment is loaded.

Abstract: In plasma activated chemical vapour deposition a plasma decomposition unit is used that is arranged in or connected to a vacuum vessel having a relatively low pressure or vacuum, to which an operating gas is provided. Periodically repeated voltage pulses are applied between the anode and the cathode of the plasma decomposition unit in such a manner that pulsed electric discharges are produced between the cathode and the surrounding anode of the plasma decomposition unit. The anode is arranged in a special way so that at least a portion thereof will obtain only an electrically conductive coating or substantially no coating when operating the unit. For that purpose, the anode includes a portion located in the direct vicinity of the free surface of the cathode. The portion is a flange or edge portion which is located or extends over margins of the free surface of the cathode.

Abstract: A composite, carbon based material that can be used for enhancing the dynamic stiffness of objects, in the case where it for instance is applied as a coating, comprises at least one layer of substantially parallel carbon pillars. The pillars extend from the bottom surface up to the top surface of the layer, substantially perpendicularly to said surfaces, have substantially hexagonal or pentagonal cross-sections and a relatively weak conical shape, their cross-section widening from their bottom ends to their top ends. The carbon based pillars can typically have a cross-sectional dimension in the range of 50-200 ?m such as about 100 ?m and have heights in the range of 50 ?m-2 mm. The pillars can be seen as built from macro-sized aggregates that have at least one dimension in the nano range, e.g. in the range of 10-800 run, and include carbon, oxygen and hydrogen and in most cases also nitrogen.

Abstract: A device for magnetically enhanced sputtering and plasma deposition includes a plasma source unit and a work piece processing unit in which an anode space and a processing chamber are located in direct communication with each other. Sputtering and reactive gases are provided through an inlet of the processing chamber holding the work piece. Pulsed electric discharges are produced between the magnetron sputtering cathode and the anode, including walls of the anode space. A stationary magnetic mirror trap is provided in the combined vessel by an anode coil surrounding the anode space and another coil mounted at the processing chamber remote from the cathode. A plasma can then flow into the processing chamber suitable for reactive deposition on three-dimensional and large work pieces. A chemisorption filter including filter plates is arranged in the anode space for preventing penetration of the reactive gas into the region at the cathode.

Abstract: In producing discharges in a load element such as a magnetron sputtering device, electric pulses are provided from different electric pulse sources, e.g. three or more electric pulse sources. The pulse sources are controlled by a control and monitoring unit to give the element electric pulses different heights and start and end times. The element electric pulses are summed, such as by connecting the pulse sources in parallel to the load, to form resulting, relatively long electric pulses. Each of the resulting electric pulses can have a portion that has a substantially constant level and then the substantially constant level is formed from at least two element electric pulses having the same pulse height. The resulting electric pulses are applied to electrodes in the load. The element electric pulses can have the same polarity such as being half a period of a sinusoid oscillation of a single frequency.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to catalysts of formula (III) [M(P(Ra)(Rb)N(Rc)(Rd))2Xn]mYp that selectively convert morphine/codeine to hydromorphone/hydrocodone, and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to catalysts of formula (III) [M(P(Ra)(Rb)N(Rc)(Rd))2Xn]mYp that selectively convert morphine/codeine to hydromorphone/hydrocodone, and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: Work piece processing is performed by pulsed discharges between an anode (2) and a magnetron sputtering cathode (1) in solid-gas plasmas using a chamber (2) containing the work piece (7). A system (12) maintains a vacuum in the chamber and another system (14) provides sputtering and reactive gases. The pulses are produced in a plasma pulser circuit including the anode and the cathode, the discharges creating gas and partially ionized solid plasma blobs (3) moving or spreading from a region at a surface of the cathode towards the work piece and the anode. A potential is applied to the work piece so that a pulsed current comprising biasing pulses arises between the second electrodes. In particular biasing discharges are produced between the anode and the work piece when said plasma blobs have spread to regions at the anode and at the work piece so that the pulsed current is the current of these biasing discharges.

Abstract: In a simple method and device for producing plasma flows of a metal and/or a gas electric discharges are periodically produced between the anode and a metal magnetron sputtering cathode in crossed electric and magnetic fields in a chamber having a low pressure of a gas. The discharges are produced so that each discharge comprises a first period with a low electrical current passing between the anode and cathode for producing a metal vapor by magnetron sputtering, and a second period with a high electrical current passing between the anode and cathode for producing an ionization of gas and the produced metal vapor. Instead of the first period a constant current discharge can be used. Intensive gas or metal plasma flows can be produced without forming contracted arc discharges. The selfsputtering phenomenon can be used.

Abstract: When using pulsed highly ionized magnetic sputtering for reactive deposition the pressure of the reactive gas in the area of the electrodes is drastically reduced by designing the anode electrode as a tube (3) having an opening facing the surface of the cathode (7) and an opposite opening facing the process chamber (11). The work piece (13) is placed in the process chamber which is connected (31) to a vacuum system and to which the reactive gas is supplied (29). The sputtering non-reactive gas is supplied (23) in the region of the cathode. Inside the anode tube the ions are guided by a stationary magnetic field generated by at least one coil (27) wound around the anode, the generated magnetic field thus being substantially parallel to the axis of the anode tube. The anode tube can be separated from the process chamber by a restraining device such as a diaphragm (41) having a suitably sized aperture or a suitably adapted magnetic field arranged at the connection of the anode with the process chamber.

Abstract: In magnetically enhanced sputtering, pulses are applied having a very high instantaneous power, of the order of at least 0.1 kW-1 MW. In such sputtering regions exist in which electrons are trapped by the magnetic field generated by magnets cooperating with the electric field between the anode (part of the wall enclosing the chamber in which sputtering is performed) and the cathode (which at the same time is the target, from which material is to be sputtered). An ionization of the gas in the chamber will then for lower applied power occur preferably in those regions causing a non-uniform erosion of the target. For very high power in the pulses or power density in the pulses the gas in these regions, and in regions adjacent thereto, will enter another state of complete ionization, which considered in energy terms is located above the unwanted state of an electric arc which is formed for a lower supplied power.