Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for treatment of a surface of a metallic material component, the method comprising the steps: electro-spark treating the surface of the metallic component by means of an electro-spark electrode, wherein the metallic material is a basically ferritic, perlitic and/or austenitic steel and the method creates a thin layer with martensitic microstructures at the surface of the metallic material component. Serpentines and quartz can be incorporated by an additional step as well as the surface randomly structured by this.

Abstract: A ferritic stainless steel sheet exhibiting small increase in strength after aging heat treatment in the present invention contains, by mass %, C: 0.020% or less, Cr: 10.0% to 25.0%, N: 0.020% or less, Sn: 0.010% to 0.50%, and one or more of Ti: 0.60% or less, Nb: 0.60% or less, V: 0.60% or less, and Zr: 0.60% or less so as to satisfy the following Equation (1), in which the difference between stress ?1 (N/mm2) after prestrain imparting tensile deformation with 7.5% of strain, and upper yield stress ?2 (N/mm2) when the steel sheet is subjected to heat treatment at 200° C. for 30 minutes and then to tension again after the tensile deformation is 8 or less. (Ti/48+V/51+Zr/91+Nb/93)/(C/12+N/14)?1.

Abstract: This invention relates to a cold-rolled sheet that is annealed and pre-coated for the fabrication of press hardened parts, composed of a steel substrate for heat treatment with a carbon content C0 between 0.07% and 0.5%, whereby this content is expressed by weight, and a metal pre-coating on at least the two principal faces of the steel substrate, characterized in that the substrate comprises a decarburized area on the surface of each of the two principal faces, whereby the depth p50% of the decarburized area is between 6 and 30 micrometers, whereby p50% is the depth at which the carbon content is equal to 50% of the content C0, and in that the sheet does not contain a layer of iron oxide between the substrate and the metal pre-coating.

Abstract: A method for producing a structural and/or safety-related motor vehicle component having at least one hot-formed and press-hardened part constructed from high-strength steel includes the steps of partially heat-treating a region of the motor vehicle component by heating the region to a heat-up temperature in a temperature range between 500° C. and 900° C.; maintaining the heat-up temperature for a duration of a holding time; and cooling down from the heat-up temperature in one or more phases. A body component constructed as a structural and/or safety-related motor vehicle component from a steel sheet blank that has been hot-formed and press-hardened includes joining flanges and/or coupling locations and/or safety-related parts, wherein the joining flanges, coupling locations and/or safety-related parts are partially heat-treated in several steps with the disclosed method.

Abstract: A hardfacing process includes depositing a clad layer having a thickness greater than about 1 mm (0.04 in) on a surface of the component by arc welding, and creating a heat affected zone directly below the clad layer due to the depositing. The heat affected zone may be a region of the component where a lowest hardness is more than 40% lower than a base hardness of the component below the heat affected zone. The method may also include heat treating the component after the deposition such that the lowest hardness in the heat affected zone is restored to within about 15% of the base hardness of the component.

Abstract: A dual hardness steel article comprises a first air hardenable steel alloy having a first hardness metallurgically bonded to a second air hardenable steel alloy having a second hardness. A method of manufacturing a dual hard steel article comprises providing a first air hardenable steel alloy part comprising a first mating surface and having a first part hardness, and providing a second air hardenable steel alloy part comprising a second mating surface and having a second part hardness. The first air hardenable steel alloy part is metallurgically secured to the second air hardenable steel alloy part to form a metallurgically secured assembly, and the metallurgically secured assembly is hot rolled to provide a metallurgical bond between the first mating surface and the second mating surface.

Abstract: There is provided a thick steel plate having good multipass weld joint CTOD characteristics for low to medium heat input and a method for manufacturing the thick steel plate. A steel plate containing, on a mass percent basis, C: 0.03% to 0.12%, Si: 0.5% or less, Mn: 1.0% to 2.0%, P: 0.015% or less, S: 0.0005% to 0.0050%, Al: 0.005% to 0.060%, Ni: 0.5% to 2.0%, Ti: 0.005% to 0.030%, N: 0.0015% to 0.0065%, O: 0.0010% to 0.0050%, Ca: 0.0005% to 0.0060%, and optionally one or two or more of Cu and the like, wherein Ti/N, Ceq, Pcm, and ACR are in particular ranges, a base material of the plate has an effective grain size of 20 ?m or less at half the thickness of the plate, and the plate contains a particular number of complex inclusions at ¼ and ½ of the thickness of the plate, the complex inclusions being composed of a sulfide containing Ca and Mn and an oxide containing Al and having an equivalent circular diameter of 0.1 ?m or more.

Abstract: A method for treating sheet metal is disclosed. An amorphous mass containing an alloying element is applied onto a first area of a surface of the metal sheet. A second area of the surface is kept free of the amorphous mass. The amorphous mass and at least the first area of the metal sheet are heated in order to alloy the alloying element into the first area of the metal sheet while the second area remains unalloyed.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for direct smelting metalliferous material is disclosed. The invention concentrates injection of solid feed materials comprising metalliferous material and carbonaceous material into a direct smelting vessel during the course of the process into a relatively small region within a metal layer in a molten bath in the vessel in order to generate a substantial upward movement of molten material and gas from the metal layer into a region in the vessel that is above the molten bath. In particular, the invention injects the solid food materials with sufficient momentum and/or velocity via an opposed pair of lances that are oriented within the vessel and arranged to form overlapping plumes of injected material in the molten bath.

Abstract: The present application is generally directed to separation and recovery of rare earths using biomass, liposomes, and/or other materials. In some embodiments, a composition comprising rare earths is exposed to biomass, where some of the rare earths are transferred to the biomass, e.g., via absorption. The composition may then be separated from the biomass. A solution may be exposed to the biomass, such that some of the rare earths are released from the biomass into the solution, thereby enriching the solution in one or more rare earths, relative to other rare earths in the biomass. The solution and the biomass may then be separated, and the rare earths recovered from the solution. In some cases, this process may be repeated with different solutions, e.g., having differences in pH or ionic concentration, which may result in different solutions enriched in various rare earths. In addition, in some embodiments, similar processes may be used to separate the rare earths from thorium and uranium.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to freefall methods and apparatuses for preparation of amorphous BMG feedstock and sheet material. In certain aspects, the disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for contactless formation of BMG feedstock and sheet material via a drop-tower. In certain embodiments, the methods comprise releasing droplets of molten amorphous alloy into a cooled, pressurized chamber of a drop-tower, wherein the droplets traverse the chamber through freefall to thereby form BMG feedstock or sheet material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a Mo-containing master alloy that is radiolucent. In accordance with the present invention, two elements may be used to reduce the density of a Mo-containing master alloy enough to make the master alloy radiolucent, aluminum or titanium. Aluminum is required in the particular titanium alloy in the same weight ratio as Mo and cannot be used to decrease the master alloy density without skewing the ratio. Since the master alloy is being added to a titanium melt, much more titanium can be used to reduce the master alloy density.

Abstract: A multicaloric alloy material combines two isostructural compounds, the first compound being MnNiSi and the second compound being either MnFeGe or CoFeGe, each such compound having extremely different magnetic and thermo-structural properties. The resulting alloy material (MnNiSi)1-x(MnFeGe)x or (MnNiSi)1-x(CoFeGe)x possesses extraordinary magnetocaloric and/or barocaloric properties with an acute sensitivity to applied pressure and no appreciable magnetic hysteresis losses.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a hard weld overlay which can be resistant to cracking. The alloys can be able to resist cracking through prevention of the precipitation and/or growth of embrittling carbide, borides, or borocarbides along the grain boundaries at elevated temperatures. By controlling the thermodynamics of the boride and carbide phases, it is possible to create an alloy which forms hard wear resistant phases that are not present along the grain boundaries of the matrix.

Abstract: An article and method of forming the article are disclosed. The article has a surface comprising a nanostructured ferritic alloy. The surface includes a plurality of nanofeatures that include complex oxides of yttrium and titanium disposed in an iron-bearing alloy matrix. The iron-bearing alloy matrix at the surface includes about 5 weight percent to about 30 weight percent of chromium, and about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of molybdenum. Further, a concentration of a chi phase or a sigma phase in the nanostructured ferritic alloy at the surface is less than about 5 volume percent. The method generally includes the steps of milling, thermo-mechanically consolidating, annealing, and then cooling at a rate that hinders the formation of chi and sigma phases in the nanostructured ferritic alloy at the surface.

Abstract: A hot-rolled steel sheet includes a specified chemical composition and includes a steel structure represented by an area ratio of ferrite being 5% to 50%, an area ratio of bainite composed of an aggregate of bainitic ferrite whose grain average misorientation is 0.4° to 3° being 50% to 90%, and a total area ratio of martensite, pearlite, and retained austenite being 5% or less.

Abstract: A hot-rolled steel sheet is provided having high strength and excellent toughness and ductility includes a composition that contains, on a mass percent basis, 0.04% or more and 0.15% or less of C, 0.01% or more and 0.55% or less of Si, 1.0% or more and 3.0% or less of Mn, 0.03% or less P, 0.01% or less S, 0.003% or more and 0.1% or less of Al, 0.006% or less N, 0.035% or more and 0.1% or less Nb, 0.001% or more and 0.1% or less of V, 0.001% or more and 0.1% or less Ti, and the balance being Fe and incidental impurities, in which the hot-rolled steel sheet includes a microstructure in which the proportion of precipitated Nb to the total amount of Nb is 35% or more and 80% or less, the volume fraction of tempered martensite and/or tempered bainite having a lath interval of 0.2 ?m or more and 1.6 ?m or less is 95% or more at a position 1.0 mm from a surface of the sheet in the thickness direction, and the volume fraction of ferrite having a lath interval of 0.2 ?m or more and 1.

Abstract: A cold-rolled flat steel product for deep drawing applications is disclosed, composed of a steel which, in addition to Fe and unavoidable impurities (in % by weight) contains C: 0.008%-0.1%, Al: 6.5%-12%, Nb: 0.1%-0.2%, Ti: 0.15-0.5%, P: <0.1%, S: <0.03%, N: <0.1% and optionally one or more elements from the group of “Mn, Si, REM, Mo, Cr, Zr, V, W, Co, Ni, B, Cu, Ca, N”, provided that Mn: <1%, REM: <0.2%, Si: <2%, Zr: <1%, V: <1%, W: <1%, Mo: <1%, Cr: <3%, Co: <1%, Ni: <2%, B: <0.1%, Cu: <3%, Ca: <0.015%. The ratio is 2.5 ?% Ti/% Nb ?1.5, %Ti=Ti content and % Nb=Nb content. For production of such a flat steel product, a steel of appropriate composition is cast to give a pre-product, which is then hot-rolled to hot strip at a hot rolling end temperature of 820-1000° C. The latter is subsequently wound at a winding temperature of up to 750° C., after winding annealed at an annealing temperature of >650-1200° C.

Abstract: The invention refers to development of chemical composition of perlite-class structural steels hardened by thermal treatment—through-surface hardening (TSH). The technical result is to obtain low and specified hardenability 3rd generation LH (SH) steels with a finer austenite grain ##11-13 GOST5639 (ASTM), even more stable preset hardenability (DI) with a substantially smaller To obtain a finer austenite grain and more stable hardenability—DI, with a substantially smaller deviation range and hardened layer depth directly obtained on parts subjected to TSH, as well as the possibility of machining thinner, smaller and other parts with the through-surface and through-thickness hardening. To achieve the technical result, structural steel was proposed for through-surface hardening with the following components ratio, weight %: carbon—0.15-1.2; manganese—not more than 1.8; silicon—not more than 1.8; chrome—not more than 1.8; nickel—not more than 1.8; molybdenum—not more than 0.5; tungsten—not more than 1.

Abstract: A steel alloy and process for producing a hot formed component. The process includes providing a steel alloy sheet having a chemical composition (wt %) within a range of 0.3-0.85 C, 1.0-6.0 Mn, 1.0-4.0 Si+Al and the remainder being tramp elements and impurities. The steel alloy sheet is heated to within a temperature range between 700-900° C. for a time between 1-180 seconds and hot formed. Thereafter, the hot formed sheet is cooled to ambient temperature. Then, cooled hot formed sheet is tempered at a temperature between 200-600° C. for a time between 20-3000 seconds and cooled again to ambient temperature. The tempered and cooled sheet has a tensile strength between 1400-2400 MPa and at least 10% elongation to failure, and/or a product of tensile strength times percent elongation to failure of at least 16000 MPa·%.

Abstract: A method for producing a Ti—6Al—4V article, includes providing a work piece of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy having a beta-transus temperature; subjecting the work piece to a beta solution heat treatment process in a furnace with a vacuum at a temperature above the beta transus; quenching the work piece in the furnace using high pressure inert gas following the subjecting of the work piece in the beta solution heat treatment process; and subjecting the work piece to an overage heat treatment process in the furnace with a vacuum to overage the work piece following the quenching of the work piece. The work piece can be a bolt blank that is further manufactured into a titanium bolt with pre-machined wave form threads and wave form rolling process utilized to manufacture threads into the bolt blank.

Abstract: A high-strength galvanized steel sheet whose base steel is a high-strength steel sheet contains Si, Mn, and B and has good coating adhesiveness. A base steel sheet containing Si, Mn, and B is oxidized at a heating temperature of steel sheet T that satisfies the formula, and then subjected to reduction-annealing and galvanizing T?58.65×[Si]+29440×[B]?13.59×[O2]+548.1 [Si]: amount of Si in the steel on a mass percent basis [B]: amount of B in the steel on a mass percent basis [O2]: O2 concentration on a volume percent basis in an atmosphere at oxidizing treatment.

Abstract: High strength hot dip galvanised complex phase steel strip, in mass percent, of the following elements: 0.13-0.19% C, 1.70-2.50% Mn, max 0.15% Si, 0.40-1.00% Al, 0.05-0.25% Cr, 0.01-0.05% Nb, max 0.10% P, max 0.004% Ca, max 0.05% S, max 0.007% N; and optionally at least one of the following elements: max 0.50% Ti, max 0.40% V, max 0.50% Mo, max 0.50% Ni, max 0.50% Cu, max 0.005% B, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities; wherein 0.40%<Al+Si<1.05% and Mn+Cr>1.90%; and having a complex phase microstructure, in volume percent, including 8-12% retained austenite, 20-50% bainite, less than 10% martensite, the remainder being ferrite; method of producing same.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a galvanized steel sheet includes a two-stage temperature raising process which includes: primary heating the sheet from 200° C. to an intermediate temperature of 500 to 800° C. at a primary average heating rate of 5 to 50° C./second at an excess air ratio of 1.10 to 1.20 maintained up to the intermediate temperature; secondary heating the sheet from the intermediate temperature to an annealing temperature of 730 to 900° C. at a secondary average heating rate of 0.1 to 10° C./second at an excess air ratio of less than 1.10 maintained up to the annealing temperature; holding the sheet to the annealing temperature for 10 to 500 seconds; cooling the sheet to 450 to 550° C. at an average cooling rate of 1 to 30° C./second; and subjecting the sheet to a galvanizing process and, optionally, an alloying process.

Abstract: An aluminum coating to be deposited on a substrate having a first coefficient of thermal expansion has an aluminum matrix, and particles of a material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion incorporated into the matrix. The particles bond sufficiently well to the aluminum matrix to carry a portion of the mechanical load.

Abstract: A thermal barrier coating is applied to a turbine engine component having a substrate. The thermal barrier coating has a first layer which has a strain tolerant columnar microstructure at an interface with the substrate for spallation resistance and a second layer which is porous conduction and radiation thermally resistant at an outer surface of the thermal barrier coating.

Abstract: A method for treating sheet metal is disclosed in which a material containing at least one alloying element is applied onto a first area of at least one surface of the metal sheet. A second area of the surface is kept free of the material. The metal sheet is subsequently heat treated in order to diffuse the alloying element into the first area of the metal sheet. The temperature of the first area is lower than the melting temperature of the metal sheet during the diffusion.

Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] The present invention provides a DLC (diamond like carbon) film coating and a coated valve lifter, wherein the DLC film can be formed at a film forming rate comparable with that achieved in the case of forming the DLC coating film by the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method and has good durability comparable with that obtained in the case of forming the DLC film coating by the sputtering film forming method. [Solution] The DLC film coating includes an intermediate layer 3 deposited on the surface of a base substrate and a DLC layer 4 deposited on the intermediate layer 3. The intermediate layer 3 is formed of metal carbide or metal capable of forming a hard surface and the DLC layer 4 is formed by adding a common metal element to that contained in the intermediate layer 3 thereto while inert gas containing hydrocarbon gas is being introduced.

Abstract: A tool hard film that is to be disposed as coating on a surface of a tool, the tool hard film being a TiCrMoWV oxycarbide, oxynitride, or oxycarbonitride having a phase with a NaCl-type crystal structure as a main phase, the oxycarbide, oxynitride, or oxycarbonitride having fine crystals due to introduction of oxygen.

Abstract: A gas barrier laminate of the present invention includes a biaxially-oriented polypropylene base and an aluminum oxide thin film formed on one surface of the biaxially-oriented polypropylene base. The biaxially-oriented polypropylene base has a plane orientation factor ?P ranging from 0.005 to 0.020 according to phase-contrast measurement. Further, the gas barrier laminate of the present invention includes a biaxially-oriented polypropylene base and an aluminum oxide thin film formed on one surface of the biaxially-oriented polypropylene base. The biaxially-oriented polypropylene base has a molecular chain whose orientation angle measured by phase-contrast measurement ranges from 50° to 90° or from ?50° to ?90° relative to an MD direction.

Abstract: A layered structure is provided with a substrate including a first uneven surface on a top surface; a first coat layer having a predetermined color pattern and disposed on a top surface of the substrate; and a first material transfer layer having a predetermined inked pattern and disposed on a top surface of the first coat layer. A CNC machine is used to render the top surface of the substrate colorful.

Abstract: A method of applying a protective coating to an article comprises the steps of a) depositing aluminum in a surface region of an article, and b) depositing chromium is the surface region of the article subsequent to step a), whereby at least a portion of the chromium replaces at least a portion of the aluminum. Another method and an article are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for depositing a cobalt layer in features formed on a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of depositing a cobalt layer atop a substrate includes: (a) providing a substrate to a substrate support that is rotatable between two processing positions; (b) exposing the substrate to a cobalt containing precursor at a first processing position to deposit a cobalt layer atop the substrate, wherein the substrate at the first processing position is at a first temperature; (c) rotating the substrate to a second processing position; and (d) annealing the substrate at the second processing position to remove contaminants from the cobalt layer, wherein the substrate at the second processing position is at a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

Abstract: A coating that resists wear; first, at least one DLC layer with a high degree of hardness is applied to a component and then a gradient layer, whose density decreases in the direction toward the surface, is applied to this DLC layer. By means of the hardness progression that this produces in the gradient layer, the gradient layer functions as a run-in layer in applications with sliding surfaces.

Abstract: A carbon film formation method according to an exemplary embodiment includes supplying an aromatic hydrocarbon gas having a methyl group into a processing chamber that accommodates a workpiece; generating plasma of a noble gas in a plasma generating chamber that is isolated from the processing chamber by a shielding unit; supplying particles in the plasma into the processing chamber through an opening in the shielding unit; and irradiating the particles to the aromatic hydrocarbon gas to form a carbon film having a ?-conjugated ring structure or a ?-conjugated chain structure on the workpiece.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing an In(III) N,N?-diisopropylacetamidinate precursor including cooling a mixture comprised of diisopropylcarbodiimide and diethyl ether to approximately ?30° C., adding methyllithium drop-wise into the mixture, allowing the mixture to warm to room temperature, adding indium(III) chloride as a solid to the mixture to produce a white solid, dissolving the white solid in pentane to form a clear and colorless solution, filtering the mixture over a celite plug, and evaporating the solution under reduced pressure to obtain a solid In(III) N,N?-diisopropylacetamidinate precursor. This precursor has been further used to develop a novel atomic layer deposition technique for indium sulfide by dosing a reactor with the precursor, purging with nitrogen, dosing with dilute hydrogen sulfide, purging again with nitrogen, and repeating these steps to increase growth.

Abstract: The hardness of zinc sulfide is increased by adding selective elements within a specified range to the crystal lattice of the zinc sulfide. The increased hardness over conventional zinc sulfide does not substantially compromise the optical properties of the zinc sulfide. The zinc sulfide may be used as a protective coating for windows and domes.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes positioning the substrate within a processing zone of a processing chamber and removing an oxide layer from a surface of the substrate by introducing first radicals into the processing zone. The method further includes, after removing the oxide layer, introducing at least one first precursor gas into the processing zone and depositing at least one dielectric layer onto the surface by exposing the at least one first precursor gas to second radicals. After positioning the substrate within the processing zone, the substrate is not removed from the processing chamber until each of removing the oxide layer and depositing the at least one dielectric layer is performed.

Abstract: Provided is a translucent resin member including: an acrylic hard coat layer, a SiOX layer (1.2<X<2), and a Si(1-Y)CYOX layer (0<Y<1, 1.2<X<2) sequentially provided on a polycarbonate (PC) substrate. The acrylic hard coat layer may be UV-cured in the absence of oxygen. The SiOX layer may be formed by deposition. The Si(1-Y)CYOX layer may be formed by plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

Abstract: A method for supplying a process with an enriched carrier gas. A first apparatus and a second apparatus are provided. The first apparatus has a precursor and is configured to bring a carrier gas into contact with the precursor and to enrich the carrier gas with the precursor. The second apparatus has a precursor and is configured to bring a carrier gas into contact with the precursor and to enrich the carrier gas with the precursor. The first apparatus supplies the second apparatus with an enriched carrier gas. The second apparatus supplies the enriched carrier gas for the process. A temperature of the first apparatus is controlled as a function of a quantity of precursor in the second apparatus.

Abstract: A method for coating a substrate surface such as a syringe part by PECVD is provided, the method comprising generating a plasma from a gaseous reactant comprising an organosilicon precursor and optionally an oxidizing gas by providing plasma-forming energy adjacent to the substrate, thus forming a coating on the substrate surface by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The plasma-forming energy is applied in a first phase as a first pulse at a first energy level followed by further treatment in a second phase at a second energy level lower than the first energy level. The lubricity, hydrophobicity and/or barrier properties of the coating are set by setting the ratio of the O2 to the organosilicon precursor in the gaseous reactant, and/or by setting the electric power used for generating the plasma.

Abstract: A laminate includes: a base material having a top surface; an under coat layer formed on at least a part of the top surface of the base material, having a membranous shape or a film shape and containing an organic polymer having an OH group; and an atomic layer deposition film formed in a membranous shape to cover an exposed surface of the under coat layer, the atomic layer deposition film being formed by a precursor as a material thereof. At least a part of the precursor is coupled to the OH group of the organic polymer.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a method for sealing a porous low-k dielectric film. The method includes forming a sealing layer on the porous low-k dielectric film using a cyclic process. The cyclic process includes repeating a sequence of depositing a sealing layer on the porous low-k dielectric film and treating the sealing layer until the sealing layer achieves a predetermined thickness. The treating of each intermediate sealing layer generates more reactive sites on the surface of each intermediate sealing layer, which improves the quality of the resulting sealing layer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering liquid precursor in a substrate processing system include supplying liquid precursor using a first valve in fluid communication with a liquid precursor source; supplying purge gas using a second valve in fluid communication with a purge gas source; arranging a third valve having a first input port in fluid communication with an output port of the first valve and a second input port in fluid communication with an output port of the second valve; arranging an input port of a first divert injector valve in fluid communication with an output port of the third valve; and operating the first valve, the second valve, the third valve and the first divert injector valve in first, second, third and fourth modes.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus for improving a plasma profile during plasma processing of a substrate. According to embodiments, the apparatus includes a tuning ring electrically coupled to a variable capacitor. The capacitance is controlled to control the RF and resulting plasma coupling to the tuning ring. The plasma profile and the resulting deposition film thickness across the substrate are correspondingly controlled by adjusting the capacitance and impedance at the tuning ring.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally include methods for forming porous low k dielectric films. In one embodiment, a method of forming a porous low k dielectric film on a substrate using PECVD and in situ radical curing in a processing chamber is disclosed. The method includes introducing radicals into a processing region of the processing chamber, introducing a gas mixture into the processing region of the processing chamber, forming a plasma in the processing region and depositing the porous low k dielectric film on the substrate.

Abstract: A method optimizing a deposition process for creating an electrically conductive layer with an electron or ion beam-induced deposition system, comprising: selecting at least one deposition specific setting parameter of the system; determining several parameter values of at least one setting parameter defining a first generation parameter value population; depositing a layer for each first generation parameter value population using the deposition system; detecting an electrical characteristic for each layer of each parameter value of said parameter value population; using a genetic algorithm to provide an optimization evaluation of the detected characteristics using a predetermined target characteristic, and using said evaluation determining a further generation parameter value population; repeating said deposition step through said determination step by using the parameter values of a second generation or a further generation, until said target characteristic is reached or the genetic algorithm is concluded

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: Electroless copper plating baths include alternative reducing agents to the conventional reducing agents currently used in the electroless plating industry. The electroless copper baths are stable and deposit a salmon bright copper deposit on substrates. Exclusion of many environmentally unfriendly conventional reducing agents enables environmentally friendly electroless copper plating baths.

Abstract: A coated cutting tool has a substrate and a coating layer. At least one layer of the coating layer is a coarse grain layer with an average layer thickness of 0.2 to 10 ?m and an average grain diameter in excess of 200 nm measured at the direction parallel to the interface of the coating layer. A composition of the layer is represented by (AlaTibMc)X, wherein M represents at least one of Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Y, B and Si, X represents at least one of C, N and O, and a, b and c represents atomic ratios of Al, Ti and M relative to one another such that 0.30?a?0.65, 0.35?0.70, 0?c?0.20 and a+b+c=1.