Abstract: A high precision replication system creates a nearly atomic level replica. The basic building block of the replication system is a substrate with a smooth replication surface which is to be replicated, and a graded transition layer applied to the replication surface. The graded transition layer comprises a binding material that adheres strongly to the replication surface and a release material that adheres to the replication surface with substantially less force than does the binding material. The portion of the transition layer closest to the substrate comprises predominantly the binding material, and the portion of the transition layer farthest from the substrate comprises predominantly the release material. A separation layer is applied to the transition layer, followed by a coating. The coating provides a backing to the separation layer, acting as structural support to the separation layer.

Abstract: For forming a photoluminescence layer on a semiconductor layer, ions are irradiated to a surface portion of a semiconductor layer where a photoluminescence layer is to be formed, and then, the semiconductor layer is immersed in a solution containing hydrofluoric acid, whereby the ion-irradiated and hydrofluoric-acid-treated portion forms a photoluminescence layer.

Abstract: An abrasion wear resistant coated substrate product is described comprising a substrate and an abrasion wear resistant coating material comprising carbon, hydrogen, silicon, and oxygen. The abrasion wear resistant coating material has the properties of Nanoindentation hardness in the range of about 2 to about 5 GPa and a strain to microcracking greater than about 1% and a transparency greater than 85% in the visible spectrum. The coated products of the present invention are suitable for use in optical applications such as ophthalmic lenses or laser bar code scanner windows. In the method for making the products, the substrate is first chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. In the second step, the substrate is inserted into a vacuum chamber, and the air in said chamber is evacuated. In the third step, the substrate surface is bombarded with energetic ions and/or reactive species to assist in the removal of residual hydrocarbons and surface oxides, and to activate the surface.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a metal oxide layer which is selectively permeable to ions of a given class, comprises evacuating a vacuum chamber, evaporating metal particles in the chamber and imparting to the particles kinetic energy which is at 10 eV maximum, introducing oxygen into the chamber with a quantity of oxygen being controlled to deposit a metal oxide on a substrate in the chamber, while the substrate is maintained below 900.degree. C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for coating a titanium based component with diamond-like carbon to reduce the thrombogeneticity of the component. In a preferred embodiment, the titanium based component is a heart valve.According to the present invention, the component is placed in a vacuum chamber and heated to about 600.degree. -650.degree. C. (1112.degree.-1202.degree. F.). Thereafter, silicon is then deposited onto the component, and the component is simultaneously bombarded with a beam of energetic ions to form a metal-silicide bonding layer. The component then is cooled to at least about 100.degree. C. (212.degree. F.), preferably about 80.degree. C. (176.degree. F.), and a diamond-like carbon precursor is condensed onto the metal-silicide bonding layer. The precursor is simultaneously bombarded with a beam of energetic ions to form a coating of diamond-like carbon.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for modifying surfaces made from metal alloy and/or UHMWPE, preferably surfaces which are frictionally engaged, e.g., in an orthopaedic implant. The methods of the present invention reduce the coefficient of friction of the metal alloy component, reduce the shearing of fibrils from the UHMWPE component, and reduce sub-surface fatigue in the UHMWPE component. The method involves solvent immersion of the UHMWPE component to remove short chains of polyethylene at or near the surface of the component, and to swell and toughen the subsurface of the component. The method also involves firmly coating the surface of the metal alloy component with an adherent layer of diamond-like carbon ("DLC") by creating a metal-silicide interface at the surface of the metal alloy to permit firmer adhesion of DLC.

Abstract: An electro-luminescent material and solid state electro-luminescent device comprising a mixed material layer formed of a mixture of silicon and silicon oxide doped with rare earth ions so as to show intense room-temperature photo- and electro-luminescence is described. The luminescence is due to internal transitions of the rare earth ions. The mixed material layer has an oxygen content ranging from 1 to 65 atomic % and is produced by vapor deposition and rare earth ions implant. A separated implant with elements of the V or III column of the periodic table of elements gives rise to a PN junction. The so obtained structure is then subjected to thermal treatment in the range 400.degree.-1100.degree. C.

Abstract: The adhesion between a polymeric fluorocarbon film and a substrate is improved by providing a thin layer of silicon or a silicide intermediate between the substrate and the polymeric fluorocarbon film, such that a region containing a high density of Si-C bonds is formed.

Abstract: Structures having a controlled three-dimensional geometry are deposited by lectrostatically focused deposition using charged particle beam and gaseous precursors, or polarizable precursors with or without a charged particle beam. At least one apertured electrode is electrically biased with respect to the substrate surface. The resulting electrostatic field and field gradient focuses the charged particle beam or polarizable gaseous precursor molecules, and controls the three-dimensional geometry of the deposited structure. By this method, an array including many deposited structures may be simultaneously deposited on a single substrate. Thus, the disclosed method provides a fact and simple way of fabricating one or more arrays of three-dimensional structures. The method is particularly useful in the fabrication of arrays of sharp-tipped, cone-shaped conductive structures, such as field emitter tips and contacts.

Abstract: An ion beam deposition method is provided for manufacturing a coated substrate with improved abrasion resistance, and improved lifetime. According to the method, the substrate is first chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. In the second step, the substrate is inserted into a vacuum chamber, and the air in said chamber is evacuated. In the third step, the substrate surface is bombarded with energetic ions to assist in the removal of residual hydrocarbons and surface oxides, and to activate the surface. Alter the substrate surface has been sputter-etched, a protective, abrasion-resistant coating is deposited by ion beam deposition. The ion beam-deposited coating may contain one or more layers. Once the chosen thickness of the coating has been achieved, the deposition process on the substrates is terminated, the vacuum chamber pressure is increased to atmospheric pressure, and the coated substrate products having improved abrasion-resistance are removed from the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a low temperature method for making a photovoltaic material. In particular, the present invention describes a low temperature method for the deposition in vacuo of successive layers of materials required for a photovoltaic device. The present invention uses ion beam assisted processes in which a selected silicon containing precursor film is controllably converted to an amorphous silicon and carbon mixture. Ion beams are used to control the hydrogen content and thereby control the electrical conductivity of the material. The present invention further comprises the addition of a dopant and the deposition of the electrical contacts, both by thermal evaporation.

Abstract: The present invention provides for faster and stronger tissue-implant bonding by treating a ceramic implant with an ion beam to modify the surface of the ceramic. The surface modification can give the ceramic improved ion-exchange properties depending upon the particular ceramic and the type of ions used. In a preferred embodiment, a bioactive ceramic orthopaedic, dental, or soft tissue implant is bombarded with a beam of cations. When implanted in the body, the surface modification causes an increase in the release of critical ions, such as calcium or phosphorus, from the surface of the ceramic implant, and thereby accelerates implant-tissue bond formation.

Abstract: Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances.

Abstract: A barrier coating against oxygen and water vapor penetration for a plastic packaging film comprising two oxides, one of which is SiO.sub.2 while the other is Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. The barrier is a single layer of mixed oxides in which the concentration of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 increases continuously from 20% by weight to 80% by weight while the concentration of SiO.sub.2 decreases continuously from 80% by weight to 20% by weight as the thickness of the mixed oxide layer increases from the surface of the plastic film. The plastic film is preferably polyethylene terephthalate or polyphenylene oxide and the barrier coating is transparent.

Abstract: A process for forming an adherent diamond-like carbon coating on a workpiece of suitable material such as an aluminum alloy is disclosed. The workpiece is successively immersed in different plasma atmospheres and subjected to short duration, high voltage, negative electrical potential pulses or constant negative electrical potentials or the like so as to clean the surface of oxygen atoms, implant carbon atoms into the surface of the alloy to form carbide compounds while codepositing a carbonaceous layer on the surface, bombard and remove the carbonaceous layer, and to thereafter deposit a generally amorphous hydrogen-containing carbon layer on the surface of the article.

Abstract: An applicator with a surface having a first wetting angle and a first surface area, which surface area has grafted thereto a layer of ion-producing gas plasma having a second wetting angle and a second surface are, wherein the second wetting angle is less than the first wetting angle and the second surface area is greater than the first surface area.

Abstract: A reactive ionized cluster beam deposition method according to this invention is embodied by utilizing two vacuum subregions partitioned by a partition wall formed with an opening. A closed heating crucible and an ionization accelerating unit are disposed in one vacuum subregion partitioned by the partition wall. A substrate is also disposed in the other vacuum subregion, and at the same time a reactive gas is introduced thereinto. Degrees of vacuums in the two vacuum subregions partitioned by the partition wall are equal to or different from each other. Particularly, a gas concentration in the latter vacuum subregion is enhanced. Then, the ionized cluster beams formed in the former vacuum subregion are introduced into the latter vacuum subregion via the opening of the partition wall and react to the reactive gas within the latter vacuum subregion. The ionized cluster beams reacting to the reactive gas impinge on the substrate, thereby forming the deposited film on the substrate surface.

Abstract: A method for enhancing the bond energy of reaction bonded surfaces in which polished (10) and cleaned surfaces (12) are bombarded with oxygen ions, fluorine ions or a mixture of oxygen and fluorine ions (14) to activate these surfaces. The activated surfaces are then cleaned to remove particulates (15) and then contacted (16) at room temperature to make a reaction bond therebetween. The reaction bond may be heated (18) to further increase the bond energy. The bond energy of oxygen ion bombarded surfaces can have two times the bond energy of surfaces subject to a conventional bonding process. The addition of fluorine ions to the oxygen ions used to activate the surfaces can further increase the bond energy between the contacted surfaces by at least another factor of 2.

Abstract: Deposition of a hard film of Ti--Si--N composite material on a substrate is carried out by using a source of evaporation possessing a composition of Ti.sub.a Si.sub.b (wherein "a" and "b" stand for atomic percentages respectively falling in the ranges of 75 at %.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.85 at % and 15 at %.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.25 at %, providing a+b=100 at %). Deposition is effected by a sputtering process or ion plating process in an atmosphere of an inert gas containing a nitrogen-containing reaction gas while controlling the feed rate of the reaction gas into a chamber in such a manner that the partial pressure of nitrogen is kept constant or varied continuously or stepwise.

Abstract: A magnetic storage medium is composed of a non-wettable substrate upon which a transient liquid metal layer is deposited and maintained as a distribution of discontinuous liquid features. An intermediate metal layer is subsequently deposited in-situ in an atmosphere comprising oxygen and at least one inert gas. A magnetic layer is then deposited on the intermediate metal layer. The surface topology and magnetic characteristics of the medium are controlled by adjusting the thickness of the TLM layer and the conditions under which the TLM layer, intermediate metal layer, and magnetic layer are deposited.

Abstract: Process for forming diamond-like carbon coatings on metal surfaces to produce increased resistance to penetration, abrasion, and corrosion. A Ni/P coating is formed on an uncoated metal workpiece by-electroless deposition. While the workpiece is heated to harden the Ni/P coating, a vaporized stream of silicon is directed onto the Ni/P coating and the stream of silicon over the Ni/P coating is bombarded with an ion beam such that a NiSi.sub.2 layer is formed at the interface of the Ni/P coating and silicon and a silicon overlayer is formed over the NiSi.sub.2 layer. A vaporized stream of carbon-containing precursor molecules is directed onto the silicon overlayer such that a film of the precursor molecules condenses on the silicon overlayer. The film of precursor molecules is bombarded with an ion beam sufficiently to form a layer of diamond-like carbon on the silicon overlayer. A Ni/B solution or Ni/SiC solution can be used instead of the Ni/P solution, and germanium can be used instead of silicon.

Abstract: The present invention is a surface modification process which provides a means of rapidly heating a thin layer of a polymer surface or a thin coating of material on a coated substrate and various surfaces produced by such a process.

Abstract: An ion beam deposition process for selective area deposition on a polarized substrate uses a potential applied to the substrate which allows the ionized particles to reach into selected areas for film deposition. Areas of the substrate to be left uncoated are held at a potential that repells the ionized particles.

Abstract: A material growing by deposition is exposed to a low energy beam of ionized dopant. The ion beam energy is sufficient to implant the dopant in the growing surface of the material. This doping method will work well for any dopant that is substantially immobile in the material at the temperature necessary for deposition growth.

Abstract: A method of preparing the fitting surface of a dental ceramic body for subsequent bonding to a tooth with, for example, glass polyalkenoate and resin based cements, including the step of depositing, by a vapour phase deposition technique, directly onto the fitting surface of the ceramic body a strongly adherent coating of an inorganic substance such as tin oxide at a thickness ideally less than 2 microns, the coating being reactive with the cement to provide a durable chemical bond therewith which is not subject to chemical degradation in the oral environment and which will not compromise the aesthetics of the associated dental restoration.

Abstract: A single or multilayer ceramic or ceramic-like coating process is provided which can be applied to heat sensitive substrates such as electronic devices. The process includes the steps of coating the substrate with a solution comprising a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin diluted in a solvent and then evaporating the solvent, thereby depositing a preceramic coating on the substrate. The preceramic coating is then ceramified to a silicon dioxide-containing ceramic by heating the preceramic coating to a temperature of between about 40.degree. to about 400.degree. C. in the presence of ozone which enhances the rate at which the ceramification proceeds and permits the ceramification of the coating to proceed at low temperatures. Additional layers of ceramic materials may be deposited over the initial layer and act as passivating and/or barrier protective layers.

Abstract: A slidable ceramic member includes a base of a sintered ceramic material which is a compound including silicon (Si) as a constituent element, the base having a sliding surface, and a coated layer covering the sliding surface of the base, the coated layer comprising a compound of elements, such as barium (Ba) and calcium (Ca), belonging to group IIa of the periodic table, silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). The slidable ceramic member is used as a slidable component of a heat engine such as a cylinder liner or a piston ring which is subjected to repeated thermal stresses. Such a slidable ceramic member is manufactured by placing powder of a fluoride including elements belonging to group IIa of the periodic table on a surface of a base, and heating the base while rubbing the powder against the surface of the base, whereby the silicon (Si) contained in the base and the group-IIa elements contained in the powder can react with each other, thereby forming a slidable layer on the surface of the base.

Abstract: An amorphous thin film as a solid lubricant having a low coefficient of friction. It is composed of silicon (Si), oxygen (O), carbon (C), and hydrogen (H), and has a composition defined by the formula: Si.sub.x (O.sub.m, C.sub.n, H.sub.l-m-n).sub.1-x where, x=0.03-0.02, m=0.05-0.5, =0.1-0.9, and 0.6.ltoreq.m+n.ltoreq.0.95. This thin film exhibits extremely low friction stably from the beginning of sliding. It has superior wear resistance owing to its high hardness.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing substrates for depositing diamond thin films is disclosed.In the method, a hydrocarbon gas is discharge-decomposed, products generated by the discharge decomposition are accelerated to implant them in a surface layer of a substrate made of a material other than diamond and, thereby, the surface layer having bondings of carbon atoms and atoms compositing the substrate. Desirably, the substrate thus manufactured is subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature ranging from 800.degree. to 1,200.degree. C.

Abstract: A process to improve the surface properties of products made, at least in part, from silicone rubber is disclosed. The products find uses in industrial and medical device applications, such as drug-pump seals and valves, membranes, mammary prostheses, artificial heart diaphragms, pacemaker lead insulation and the like. The process is designed to change the silicone rubber's surface to one that is characterized by low friction, being antithrombotic, inkable, more wear resistant and deformable, and also being hydro-compatible. The process includes subjecting the product's silicone rubber surface to ion bombardment with gaseous ions that diffuse out with doses and at energy levels at least about 3E14 ions/cm.sup.2 at 80 keV.

Abstract: There is provided a process for improving the resistance to corrosion of stainless steel by ion plating process, the process comprising coating a component-adjusted stainless steel having an Mn/S ratio of less than 100 as substrate with a Ti-layer for surface preparation, coating directly the resulting Ti-layer or indirectly a TiC-layer, which has been coated onto the Ti-layer in advance as intermediate, with a TiN-layer in a total thickness of 1 to 3 .mu.m.The TiN-coated stainless steel according to the present invention may be widely used as corrosion-resistant metallic materials for preparing articles which can be employed under wet conditions such as tableware.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of producing a mirror for electromagnetic radiations of short wavelengths, the method including forming a film on a substrate having a surface roughness smaller than 5 .ANG. by bombardment with a metal, which is at least partly in the form of cluster ions, in a vacuum chamber under the conditions that the accelerating voltage applied to the accelerating electrode is of 3-7 kV, the temperature of the substrate is kept at 0.degree.-60.degree. C., the pressure in the vacuum chamber is kept below 1.times.10.sup.-7 Torr, and the film is formed at a rate of 0.5-5 .ANG./s until it becomes 50-1000 .ANG. thick. A mirror form in accordance with this method has a high reflectivity which has never been achieved by conventional methods.

Abstract: The invention is a method of forming a multiple layer dielectric for use in a hot-film laminar separation sensor 21. The multiple layer dielectric substrate is formed by depositing a first layer 22 of a thermoplastic polymer such as on an electrically conductive substrate such as the metal surface 23 of a model 24 to be tested under cryogenic conditions and high Reynolds numbers. Next, a second dielectric layer 26 of fused silica is formed on the first dielectric layer 22 of thermoplastic polymer. A resistive metal film is deposited on selected areas of the multiple layer dielectric substrate to form one or more hot-film sensor elements 27 to which aluminum electrical circuits 28 deposited upon the multiple layered dielectric substrate are connected.