Abstract: A method for producing hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is disclosed and use of same for selectively breaking C—H or Si—H bonds without breaking other bonds are disclosed. A hydrogen plasma is maintained and protons are extracted with an electric field to accelerate them to an appropriate kinetic energy. The protons enter into a drift zone to collide with molecular hydrogen in gas phase. The cascades of collisions produce a high flux of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen with a flux many times larger than the flux of protons extracted from the hydrogen plasma. The nominal flux ratio of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen to proton is controlled by the hydrogen pressure in the drift zone, and by the length of the drift zone. The extraction energy of the protons is shared by these hyperthermal molecules so that average energy of the hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is controlled by extraction energy of the protons and the nominal flux ratio.

Abstract: Method for growing multilayer polymer based hetexjunction devices which uses selective breaking of C—H or Si—H bonds without breaking other bonds leading to fast curing for the production of layered polymer devices having polymer heterojunctions deposited by the common solution-based deposition methods.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method of producing a photovoltaic solar cell with stoichiometric p-type copper indium gallium diselenide (CuInxGa1-xSe2) (abbreviated CIGS) as its absorber layer and II-IV semiconductor layers as the n-type layers with electrodeposition of all these layers. The method comprises a sequence of novel procedures and electrodeposition conditions with an ionic liquid approach to overcome the technical challenges in the field for low-cost and large-area production of CIGS solar cells with the following innovative advantages over the prior art: (a) low-cost and large-area electrodeposition of CIGS in one pot with no requirement of post-deposition thermal sintering or selenization; (b) low-cost and large-area electrodeposition of n-type II-VI semiconductors for the completion of the CIGS solar cell production; and (c) low-cost and large-area deposition of a buffer layer of CdS or other compounds with a simple chemical bath method.

Abstract: Methods for removing hydrogen from molecules are disclosed. In one embodiment, hydrogen-containing molecules are deposited on a solid substrate and are bombarded with hydrogen projectile particles. The particles may have energies of 5-100 eV, or more preferably 10-50 eV. The hydrogen projectile particles remove hydrogen atoms from the deposited molecules while they are on the substrate, without removing other atoms from the molecules. Dangling bonds are created by the loss of hydrogen and can be used to cross-link the molecules. The resulting product can be a nanometer-thick dense film.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a decorative hard coating comprises zirconium-aluminium oxycarbonitride. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a decorative hard coating comprises an underlayer and an overlayer, wherein the underlayer comprises metal-rich oxycarbonitride, and the overlayer comprises aluminium in some form. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of making a metallic white decorative coating comprises providing a substrate and forming a layer of zirconium-aluminium oxycarbonitride over the substrate. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of making a metallic white decorative coating comprises providing a substrate, forming a layer of metal-rich oxycarbonitride over the substrate, and forming a layer of aluminium or aluminium-rich oxycarbonitride over the layer of metal-rich oxycarbonitride.

Abstract: Methods for removing hydrogen from molecules are disclosed. In one embodiment, hydrogen-containing molecules are deposited on a solid substrate and are bombarded with hydrogen projectile particles. The particles may have energies of 5-100 eV, or more preferably 10-50 eV. The hydrogen projectile particles remove hydrogen atoms from the deposited molecules while they are on the substrate, without removing other atoms from the molecules. Dangling bonds are created by the loss of hydrogen and can be used to cross-link the molecules. The resulting product can be a nanometer-thick dense film.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for nucleation and growth of diamond by hot-filament DC plasma deposition. The apparatus uses a resistively heated filament array for dissociating hydrogen in the reactant gas. For two sided diamond growth, configurations of substrate-hot filament-grid-hot filament-substrate or substrate-hot filament-hot filament-substrate configuration are used. For the latter configuration, two independent arrays of filaments serve as both hot filament and grid, and AC or DC plasma is maintained between the filament arrays. For this and the other electrode configurations, the grid electrode is positively biased with respect to the hot filaments to maintain a plasma. The plasma potential gradient across the grid and the hot-filament draws ions from the plasma towards the filaments. To further increase deposition rates, the filament array is biased negatively with respect to the substrate holder so that a DC plasma is also maintained between the substrate and filament array.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for nucleation and growth of diamond by hot-filament DC plasma deposition. The apparatus uses a resistively heated filament array for dissociating hydrogen in the reactant gas. For two sided diamond growth, configurations of substrate-hot filament-grid-hot filament-substrate or substrate-hot filament-hot filament-substrate configuration are used. For the latter configuration, two independent arrays of filaments serve as both hot filament and grid, and AC or DC plasma is maintained between the filament arrays. For this and the other electrode configurations, the grid electrode is positively biased with respect to the hot filaments to maintain a plasma. The plasma potential gradient across the grid and the hot-filament draws ions from the plasma towards the filaments. To further increase deposition rates, the filament array is biased negatively with respect to the substrate holder so that a DC plasma is also maintained between the substrate and filament array.