Abstract: A process of applying an inorganic coating to an electrically conducting body, in particular a metallic workpiece, is characterized with respect to a precisely controllable temperature variation with short temperature changes in an economical and energy-saving operation in that the body first undergoes a preparation. Thereafter, if need be, the body is degreased and/or chemically pretreated and/or blasted. Subsequently, a coating medium is applied to at least the surface region of the body being coated. Then, at least the surface region of the body being coated is heated by induction to a reaction temperature before and/or while and/or after applying the coating medium. Finally, the coating medium is fully reacted to a coating, whereupon the body undergoes a cooling.

Abstract: Plasma assisted polymerization and deposition of a very thin inner surface coating in a plastic or metal container without an undesirable increase in container surface temperature is provided to change the surface properties of the internal plastic surface of a container by reaction of the surface with a reactive gas which has been energized to produce a plasma or the surface is activated by a plasma of reactive gas so that it becomes receptive to a further surface reaction.

Abstract: A process for forming a refractory metal thin film on a substrate by subjecting a gaseous mixture containing a halide of a refractory metal and the hydrogen gas to a plasma chemical vapor deposition, comprising the step of adjusting a mixing ratio of the halide of the refractory metal to the hydrogen gas to a relatively small value at an initial stage of the process and, subsequent to the initial stage of the process, adjusting the mixing ratio of the halide of the refractory metal to the hydrogen gas to a relatively large value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a CVD apparatus for highly textured diamond film formation and a method for forming a highly textured diamond film on the surface of a silicone substrate by generating a high density plasma so that each diamond film grain can have the same orientation as the substrate. The present inventors developed an improved chemical vapor deposition apparatus and a method for highly textured diamond film formation, on the ground that the nucleation density having a heteroepitaxy relation with a silicone substrate can be increased by modifying the substrate support and by generating a high density plasma right on the substrate while subjecting the whole substrate to the plasma. In accordance with the present invention, a diamond film which is close to a single crystal and has a heteroepitaxy relation with the crystalline orientation of a substrate can be formed in a simple manner.

Abstract: A method of forming a layer of silicon on a surface comprises the steps of depositing silicon on the surface by a physical deposition process such as electron beam evaporation and, during said deposition process, subjecting the forming film to ionic bombardment. The resultant silicon film has stresses which are considerably reduced compared to a film produced by an ordinary physical deposition process. This method is particularly well adapted to the formation of relatively thick silicon layers (.gtoreq.1 .mu.m) on a layer (or stack of layers) of silica, to serve as an etching mask in a subsequent deep etching of the silica by reactive ion etching.

Abstract: A method of coating optical substrates with anti-reflection (AR) coatings is described. The thickness and composition of the coating is determined by minimizing the product of the Fresnel reflection coefficients for a coating with the angular- and wavelength-dependent sensitivity of the human visual system to minimize the perceived reflectance for the coated article. A compact chamber is evacuated and flushed with chemically inert gas such as argon or nitrogen. One or more molecular precursors are deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to form AR films. Single-layer AR coatings based on fluoropolymer films of controlled thickness, as well as organic, organosilicon, and/or inorganic multilayers are described. Also provided is a method for monitoring film growth optically, using a polarized, light-emitting diode, a polarizing optical filter, and a photodiode.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for making a titanium nitride (TiN) layer, comprising the step of: forming the TiN layer out of a source materials; and exposing the TiN layer using the hydrogen and nitrogen plasma gases. Accordingly, the present invention has an effect that resistivity of the TiN layer decreases by eliminating the impurities therein and by decreasing the porosity thereof, and that the electrical stability of the TiN layer increases.

Abstract: A thin film disk and a method for producing the disk having an overcoat with two thickness regions. The thicker overcoat region can be used as a start/stop or loading zone and the thinner overcoat region can be used over the data recording area. This provides increased wear resistance while allowing improved magnetic performance through a reduction in the thickness of the overcoat over the data recording area. The dual thickness regions can be formed using different embodiments of the method. One method sputter deposits a relatively thick layer of overcoat material over the entire disk surface, masks off the portion of the disk for the thick layer, etches the unmasked area to reduce or eliminate the overcoat from the unmasked area, then deposits a second relatively thin layer of overcoat material over the entire surface.

Abstract: A barrier-coated polyester film comprises a polyethylene terphthalate substrate, a primer composition containing a vinyl polymer wherein at least 75% of the polymer repeat units contain side groups having hydroxyl moieties, and a waterborne, inorganic barrier coating. The primer coating facilitates the application and binding of the subsequently applied waterborne barrier coating composition to the substrate.

Abstract: In one aspect, a deposition method comprises the following steps: a) forming a layer on a semiconductive substrate, the layer comprising predominately an inorganic material, the layer also comprising incorporated carbon; b) generating a plasma adjacent the layer from a component gas, the component gas comprising Ar, and c) utilizing the plasma to remove the carbon from the layer.

Abstract: An abrasion-resistant dielectric composite product is described comprising a substrate and an abrasion wear resistant coating material comprising carbon, hydrogen, silicon, and oxygen and a dielectric material. An improved method is provided for the deposition of highly durable and abrasion-resistant multilayer dielectric antireflective coatings and reflective colored mirror coatings onto plastic lenses such as ophthalmic lenses, safety lenses, sunglass lenses, and sports optics. An adhesion-enhancing polymer layer may be deposited onto the plastic substrate prior to deposition of the abrasion-resistant first coating layer. The multilayer dielectric coating structure consists of a transparent, highly abrasion-resistant first coating, and a second dielectric coating composed of at least one layer of dielectric material.

Abstract: A silica coated substrate comprises a substrate having a zinc containing surface. A plasma polymerized coating is adhered to the surface. The coating consists essentially of silicon and oxygen and contains minimal amounts of carbon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for repairing black dot defects connected to a circuit pattern in photomasks such as a photomask having a patterned chromium film on a glass substrate comprises using an energy source in the form of an energy beam to first sever the connected black dot defect from the chrome pattern forming a space between the defect and the chrome pattern. The remaining severed black dot defect is then removed using the same or different energy beam to remove the remainder of the chrome defect. An apparatus for removing black dot defects and photomasks produced by the method and apparatus of the invention are also provided.

Abstract: A thin film inductive write head has minimal organic insulation material in contact with the encapsulating overcoat. The process for its fabrication includes a reactive ion etching (RIE) process to remove the organic insulative material while still allowing the head top pole piece to be planar. The organic insulation material is removed by RIE down to the head gap layer in the region between the ABS and the coil. The etching is done with the top or second pole piece acting as a mask so that the planarized organic insulation material is still maintained over the portion of the coil that is located between the two pole pieces. Thus the organic insulation material is still present in this region as the planarization layer onto which the ferromagnetic layer for the second pole piece was deposited.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for gloss coating articles or a portion of an article's surface and articles produced from this method. A corrosion-inhibiting polishing base coat is applied in a known fashion, after which a high-gloss layer produced by atomization, preferably magnetron atomization, is applied. Then, a transparent, wear-resistant top coat layer is applied in a known fashion. The articles can also be pretreated, if desired, and given a protective or other layers. By using this method, parts for vehicles, especially vehicle wheels, can be produced in a great variety of colors and with improved qualities.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composite composed of a plastic substrate and a thin, continuous metal-containing layer, characterised in that the metal-containing layer is ductile, adheres firmly to the plastic substrate, has a thickness of <2 .mu.m and is composed of a compound corresponding to the formulaM.sub.a O.sub.b C.sub.x N.sub.y B.sub.zwherein:M means one or more metals from the group comprising Ti, Ta, Nb, Zr and Hf,a=0.025 to 0.9b=0.025 to 0.7x=0.2 to 0.9y=0 to 0.7z=0 to 0.7a+b+x+y+z=1provided that the value of a, starting from the substrate surface, increases from a value approximating zero towards to the layer surface, and at least 50% of the carbon atoms at the base of the layer are bound to other carbon atoms by C--C bonds.

Abstract: A method of forming an electrical contact to a substrate includes, a) placing a substrate having a silicon node to which electrical connection is to be made within a chemical vapor deposition reactor; b) injecting a first titanium organometallic precursor to within the reactor having the substrate positioned therein, and maintaining the reactor at a temperature and a pressure which in combination are effective to deposit a first layer comprising titanium nitride onto the substrate over the node to a first thickness, the first layer of titanium nitride having incorporated carbon from the first titanium organometallic precursor, the first layer and silicon node defaming a contact interface therebetween; c) after depositing the first layer, ceasing to inject the first titanium organometallic precursor into the reactor and first injecting a first component gas into the reactor and generating a first plasma from the first component gas within the reactor against the first layer, the first component gas and first p

Abstract: An ophthalmic lens consisting of a substrate made of organic glass, of an abrasion-resistant coating, of a layer of impact-resistant primer and of an inorganic antireflective coating, wherein the surface of the said substrate is covered with the abrasion-resistant coating and in that the impact-resistant primer layer is inserted between the said abrasion-resistant layer and the anti-reflective coating, wherein the abrasion-resistant coating comprises a hydrolyzate or a mixture of hydrolyzates of a silane compound of formula: ##STR1## in which: R.sup.1 denotes an organic group containing an epoxy group;R.sup.2 is a hydrocarbon radical which has 1 or 2 carbon atoms; andR.sup.3 is a hydrocarbon group which has from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and a is 0 or 1 in value.

Abstract: In a method and an appratus for a thin film growth on a semiconductor crystal substrate, impurities and contaminants absorbed on the inside wall of the reaction vessel are very harmful because these impurities and contaminants will deteriorate the quality of the thin film. A method and an apparatus by which the quantity of these impurities and contaminants absorbed on the inside wall of the reaction vessel can be restrained and removed easily are disclosed in this invention, wherein a semiconductor crystal substrate is mounted in the reaction vessel, and the wall of the reation vessel is cooled forcibly by a coolant while the substrate is under heating procedure to grow a thin film on the substrate by supplying the raw material gas into the reaction vessel. And the temperature of the wall of the reaction vessel during the procedure except the thin film growth is kept higher temperature than the temprature of the wall of the reaction vessel during the thin film growth procedure.

Abstract: Provided are pyrolytic chemical vapor deposition techniques for producing thin silicone-like films by way of processes that eliminate electron impact, ion bombardment, and UV irradiation events. To form a silicone film on a surface of a structure in accordance with the invention, the structure surface is exposed to a substantially electrically neutral reactive gaseous phase that includes organosilicon molecular fragments, while the structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the reactive gaseous phase. An organosilicon compound is exposed to a pyrolyzing environment, where the conditions of the pyrolyzing environment are characterized as producing, in the vicinity of the structure surface, a substantially electrically neutral reactive gaseous phase that includes organosilicon molecular fragments. The structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the pyrolyzing environment.

Abstract: A thermal barrier coating may be applied by depositing a MCrAIY bond coat onto a superalloy substrate, wherein M stands for Ni, Co, Fe, or a mixture of Ni and Co. Undesired oxides and contaminants are removed from the MCrAIY bond coat with an ionized gas stream cleaning process, such as a reverse transfer arc process. An adherent aluminum oxide scale is formed on the MCrAIY bond coat and a ceramic layer is deposited on the aluminum oxide scale by physical vapor deposition to form a columnar structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a combination read/write thin film magnetic head wherein the width of a gap layer is the same as the track width Tw, and a shielding magnetic layer of a soft magnetic material is formed on both sides of the gap layer so that blots of a record magnetic field out of the track width Tw can be absorbed by the shielding magnetic layer, and write fringing can be prevented. Particularly, when the saturation magnetic flux density and thickness of the shielding magnetic layer are appropriately adjusted, it is possible to suppress write fringing, and at the same time maintain reproduced output at a high level.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a non-single crystalline semiconductor layer including an intrinsic or substantially instrinsic silicon which contains hydrogen or halogen and is formed on a substrate in a reaction chamber which may have a substrate holder. Sodium is removed from the inside of the reaction chamber and/or the surface of the substrate holder to remove sodium therefrom so that the concentration of sodium in the semiconductor layer is preferably 5.times.10.sup.18 atoms/cm.sup.3 or less.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method for preparing a silver complex diffusion transfer reversal material comprising a grained and anodized aluminum foil as support and a photosensitive silver halide emulsion coating, characterized in that said grained and anodized aluminum foil is corona treated in a corona station comprising a roller and at least one electrode, that has been coated with a dielectric coating before said foil is coated by a photosensitive layer.

Abstract: An improved method of reducing the level of contaminants (e.g., fluorine) absorbed in films deposited within a substrate processing chamber. A seasoning layer is deposited within the substrate processing chamber to cover contaminants that may be absorbed within walls or insulation areas of the chamber interior. The deposited seasoning layer is more stable than prior art seasoning layers and is thus less likely to release the absorbed contaminants into the substrate processing chamber during the subsequent deposition of films. In a preferred embodiment, the seasoning layer is formed from a mixed frequency PECVD process in which the low frequency RF signal is supplied at a high power level to increase ion bombardment and enhance film stability. The increased bombardment favors the formation of stable SiF bonds between silicon and fluorine atoms in the lattice structure of the film rather than unstable SiF.sub.2 or other bonds. When residual fluorine atoms (e.g.

Abstract: The leading edge of a lower pole is constituted by a protruded central parallel portion, opposite end parallel portions, and slanted portions coupling the central parallel portion and the opposite end parallel portions. The width T.sub.wc of the central parallel portion is set to 10 to 25% of the total width T.sub.wa of the lower pole. The thickness P1' of the opposite end portion is set in the range from 1/3 or thicker to 2/3 or thinner than the thickness P19 of the central parallel portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing unnecessary matter formed on an edge portion of a substrate without damaging a middle area of a top face of the substrate is provided. The substrate is supported on a stage which is in contact only with a bottom face of the substrate. An activated gas supply device is located opposed to the stage and includes a ring-shaped electrode and a cover electrode surrounding the ring-shaped electrode. The cover electrode includes a gas outlet formed therethrough. Activated species and excited molecules formed from an atmospheric plasma are blown against the edge portion of the substrate through the gas outlet. The activated species and excited molecules and unnecessary matter removed form the edge portion of the substrate through reaction with the activated species and excited molecules, is exhausted along a side face of the edge portion of the substrate and away from the middle area through an exhausting device.

Abstract: A wafer is subjected to a plasma process, using plasma generated while a process gas is fed into a process room, and a plus DC voltage is applied to an electrostatic chuck in order to attract and hold the wafer on the electrostatic chuck by an electrostatic force. A minus DC voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck while nitrogen gas is fed into the process room in order to cause DC discharge after the processed wafer is separated from the electrostatic chuck and before a next wafer is attracted and held on the electrostatic chuck. By doing so, plus electric charge in the gas is attracted to the electrostatic chuck, so that the surface of the electrostatic chuck is charged with plus electric charge, thereby preventing its attracting function from being deteriorated.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of treating foam for improving wettability. The method includes treating foam with reactive species which interact to produce reaction products. The reaction products are then removed from foam. Finally, after removing reaction products the foam is treated with reactive species which interact to produce additional reaction products.

Abstract: A titanium/titanium nitride film stack can be formed with reduced amounts of impurity by depositing onto a substrate a film of titanium using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of titanium tetrachloride and hydrogen. This film is then subjected to a hydrogen/argon plasma which significantly reduces the chlorine content of the titanium film. The titanium film can then be subjected to an ammonia plasma which will form a thin layer of titanium nitride which is then coated with a thick layer of titanium nitride using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of titanium tetrachloride and ammonia. The hydrogen/argon anneal significantly reduces the chlorine content of the titanium film and thus the chlorine content at the titanium substrate interface, particularly when the substrate contains aluminum. This enhances the overall reliability of the formed product.

Abstract: A method for plating substrates with 24 K gold. The method includes precleaning the substrate; applying a paint base coat electrostatically; curing the base coat; plating the gold by vacuum metallization; applying a clear paint top coat; and curing the top coat. The method is applicable to metals, including zinc, and plastics, including polycarbonate.

Abstract: To promote the characteristic of an interface between a gate insulating film and a semiconductor and control the threshold voltage, in forming the insulating film, a surface on which the insulating film is to be formed is previously exposed to activated oxygen and thereafter, the insulating film is formed on the surface, or in steps of manufacturing a thin film transistor, the insulating film is formed with monosilane, dinitrogen monoxide and oxygen as raw materials.

Abstract: A rf plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process is presented, wherein a precursor gas stream having a high helium content produces hard, wear resistant, hermetically sealing, high refractive index Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) coatings on numerous substrates at deposition rates of at least 0.4 .mu.m/hr. Internal pressures of 1 to 10 Torr and radio frequencies no higher than 100 kHz are employed. The process may be applied to both batch and linear production methods. Linear products such as optical fibers, capillary tubing, wires, and sheets can be coated in-line while minimizing the introduction of flaws on their surfaces and minimizing exacerbation of any pre-existing flaws. The effects of surface flaws can be minimized further by introducing a helium etch of the substrate surface prior to exposure to the DLC coating precursor gas mixture.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a microstructure having a top face and a bottom face, at least one hole or cavity therein extending from the top face to the bottom face, and a polymer membrane which extends over a bottom opening of said hole or cavity, which method comprises the steps of: providing a substrate body having said top and bottom faces, optionally forming at least part of said at least one hole or cavity in the substrate body, providing a membrane support at the bottom face opening of said at least one hole or cavity, depositing a layer of polymer material onto the bottom face of said substrate body against said membrane support, if required, completing the formation of the at least one hole or cavity, and, if not done in this step, selectively removing said membrane support to bare said polymer membrane over the bottom opening of the at least one hole or cavity.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cleaning processing method in which an object to be processed is mounted on a susceptor in a process chamber of a CVD apparatus, a TiCl.sub.4 gas, a H.sub.2 gas, and a Ar gas are introduced, a Ti film is formed on a surface of the object to be processed in a region of a plasma generated, the object to be processed is conveyed out of the process chamber, supply of the H.sub.2 gas and the Ar gas is thereafter stopped without generating a plasma, and the TiCl.sub.4 gas is introduced by means of a carrier gas, to remove unnecessary Ti films sticking to the inside of the film forming apparatus.

Abstract: A coated porous substrate composed of a hydrophobic polymer which is substantially uniformly coated with a hydrophilic polymeric material. The substrate may be a sheet-like material, examples of which are foams, fibers, and fibrous webs. The fibrous webs desirably will be nonwoven webs. The coating on the substrate is durable to an aqueous medium at a temperature in a range of from about 10.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C. and does not significantly suppress the surface tension of an aqueous medium with which the coated substrate may come in contact. The hydrophobic polymer may be a polyolefin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The hydrophilic polymeric material with which the polymer fibers are coated may be a polysaccharide or a modified polysaccharide. Also provided is a method of preparing a coated porous substrate which involves providing a porous substrate composed of a hydrophobic polymer. At least a portion of the substrate then is exposed to a field of reactive species.

Abstract: A method for reducing particles (235) during a semiconductor process. A semiconductor substrate (230) is placed into a processing chamber (210). A processing pressure (108) is applied within the chamber (212). A processing power (102) is applied to the chamber. A grid power (104,106) for removing particles (235) is applied to the chamber (212). The processing power (102) is removed. The grid power (106) is removed after the processing power (102).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming substantially hydrogen free DLC layers, wherein DLC layer of thickness about 1 to 100 nanometers is deposited over a sample substrate or a field emitter array and subsequently exposed to etching plasma comprising fluorine gas, wherein during the latter step, hydrogen contained in the substrate is eliminated by chemical etching reaction with fluorine, wherein steps to form the hydrogen free DLC layer can be repeated to obtain a predetermined thickness of a DLC film.

Abstract: A method of fabricating nanometric structures on a substrate by dry etching includes setting the substrate at a temperature at which condensation of etching gas products of etching gas decomposed, recombined and reacted, or products of reactions between the etching gas and substrate material starts to occur, forming condensates at specific locations on the substrate. The condensates form an etching mask for the dry etching process.

Abstract: In processing an object by irradiating it with laser light, a laser irradiation chamber is evacuated to a pressure value suitable for the intended laser light processing and the laser light processing is performed with the pressure in the chamber kept constant at the above value. Further, electrodes are provided in the laser irradiation chamber, and the inside of the chamber is cleaned by introducing an etching gas into the chamber during or immediately before the laser light irradiation and rendering the etching gas active.

Abstract: A plasma-polymerized anti-fogging film is formed by polymerization-depositing a high molecular polymerized DMDAS film on a substrate to provide the substrate surface with anti-fogging capability. The plasma polymerization deposition process is performed by using diacetoxy silane monomer that contains bi-carboxylate O.dbd.C--O-- functional group as the reactant monomer with an introduction of a suitable amount of oxygen to cause the polymerization reaction. The reactant monomer and the oxygen are introduced into a vacuum deposition apparatus and a high energy plasma is generated between electrodes of the vacuum deposition apparatus to cause the polymerization reaction on the substrate to form thereon the high molecular polymerized DMDAS anti-fogging film.

Abstract: Thin film capacitors are formed by a multi-level dry processing method that includes simultaneous ablation of via openings through both the dielectric and the metal electrode layers of a capacitor. Preferably, the dielectric films are formed of barium strontium titanate and the metal electrode layers are formed of platinum. The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the use of strong etchants to sequentially form separate via openings through the electrode and dielectric layers, prevents the potential for delamination of the respective layers during wet etching and the possible undesirable effects of etching solutions on substrate materials.

Abstract: A method for preparing a circuitized organic substrate for the subsequent deposition of an adhesive thereon is provided. The method comprises exposing the circuitized substrate to a plasma formed from a gas mixture comprising a fluorine-containing entity. Preferably, the gas mixture used to form the plasma also comprises oxygen. It has been determined that treatment of the circuitized substrate with a plasma formed from a gas mixture comprising at least 20% by volume of the fluorine-containing entity and, preferably, up to about 80% by volume of oxygen reduces the spread of an adhesive deposited on the surface of the organic substrate. It has also been determined that such treatment does not adversely affect the subsequent bonding of wires to the wire bond sites that are present on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for producing a color filter, which comprises the steps of:providing a glass base equipped with black matrices;etching the glass base using the black matrices as a mask to form pixel holes in the base; and thenapplying inks into the pixel holes to form colored pixels of different colors.

Abstract: A process for chemical vapor deposition of blanket tungsten thin films on titanium nitride proceeds by hydrogen reduction of tungsten hexafluoride at temperatures of 200 to 500.degree. C. Tungsten film nucleation is preferably facilitated by partial removal of the oxidized surface of titanium nitride or titanium nitride coated substrates by a sputter cleaning process prior to the tungsten CVD. The process differs in part from other processes in that deposition proceeds rapidly on titanium nitride without a significant nucleation period without the addition of other chemical compounds such as silane. The sputter cleaning process preferably takes place in an inert vacuum environment that protects the substrate from atmosphere and oxygen until the tungsten CVD step occurs.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a substrate, in particular, the front face of a thermal ink jet printing device, to improve subsequent thin film deposition in a single chamber plasma processing system containing fluorine-containing deposits, involves treating the substrate with a hydrogen plasma. A front face coating for a thermal ink jet device may be formed by a method involving (1) treating a substrate of the thermal ink jet device with a hydrogen plasma; (2) optionally coating the cleaned substrate with an amorphous carbon layer; and (3) coating the substrate or amorphous carbon layer with a fluoropolymer layer.

Abstract: A process for coating a tungsten carbide base material substrate with CVD diamond film includes carburization and gas-assisted vaporization of cobalt from the surface with simultaneous recrystallization of surface grains of tungsten carbide to change their stoichiometry for improved adherence.Also disclosed is a WC-Co cutting tool having a relatively fine WC grain size and coated with adherent CVD diamond.

Abstract: A catheter has an electrically conductive material coated, deposited, or otherwise formed directly on the outer surface of the catheter. Preferably, an outer electrode is formed by ion-beam assisted deposition using a preselected metal for efficient vaporization onto the designated surface region of the catheter body. Alternatively, the electrically conductive coating may be formed by sputtering the metal onto that region of the catheter, vacuum deposition, spraying, or printing the electrically conductive material onto the entire surface region. Portions of the coating may be removed by directing a laser beam onto the outer surface of the catheter and ablating such portions.

Abstract: Proposed is a cured silicone rubber article such as a push button switch covering member having a protective coating layer of a urethane resin-based coating composition having excellent wear resistance against rubbing and capable of giving a dry and rigid touch feeling to the finger tip of the operator of the key tops. The coated silicone rubber article is obtained by subjecting a cured base body of a silicone rubber, prior to the coating with a urethane resin-based coating composition, first to a low temperature plasma treatment and then to a coating treatment with a specific primer composition which is a mixture of an epoxy group-containing organosilane compound and an amino group-containing organosilane compound in a molar mixing ratio in the range from 1:2 to 1:5.

Abstract: An ion beam deposition method is provided for manufacturing a coated substrate with improved wear-resistance, and improved lifetime. The substrate is first chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. Secondly, the substrate is inserted into a vacuum chamber onto a substrate holder, and the air therein is evacuated via pump. Then the substrate surface is bombarded with energetic ions from an ion beam source supplied from inert or reactive gas inlets to assist in removing residual hydrocarbons and surface oxides, and activating the surface. After sputter-etching the surface, a protective, wear-resistant coating is deposited by plasma ion beam deposition where a portion of the precursor gases are introduced into the ion beam downstream of the ion source, and hydrogen is introduced directly into the ion source plasma chamber. The plasma ion beam-deposited coating may contain one or more layers.