A method of manufacturing an item, notably a culinary item, includes: providing a support in the form of a preform; preparing a sol-gel composition; hydrolyzing the sol-gel precursor, followed by a condensation reaction; applying onto at least one support surface of the preform at least one layer of the sol-gel composition to form a sol-gel coating layer; and thermally treating the sol-gel coating layer to solidify the coating layer. Further, before thermally treating the sol-gel coating, the method includes pre-densifying the coated preform and stamping the preform to produce a final form of the culinary item.

A method of manufacturing an item, notably a culinary item, includes: providing a support in the form of a preform; preparing a sol-gel composition; hydrolyzing the sol-gel precursor, followed by a condensation reaction; applying onto at least one support surface of the preform at least one layer of the sol-gel composition to form a sol-gel coating layer; and thermally treating the sol-gel coating layer to solidify the coating layer. Further, before thermally treating the sol-gel coating, the method includes pre-densifying the coated preform and stamping the preform to produce a final form of the culinary item.

A method for forming a crystalline metal layer on a three-dimensional (3D) substrate is provided. The method includes applying crystal growth ink to a surface of the 3D substrate, wherein the crystal growth ink includes a metal ionic precursor and a structuring liquid; and exposing the 3D substrate to plasma irradiation from plasma in a vacuum chamber to cause the growing of a crystalline metal layer on the 3D substrate, wherein the exposure is based on a set of predefined exposure parameters.

A method for forming a crystalline metal layer on a three-dimensional (3D) substrate is provided. The method includes applying crystal growth ink to a surface of the 3D substrate, wherein the crystal growth ink includes a metal ionic precursor and a structuring liquid; and exposing the 3D substrate to plasma irradiation from plasma in a vacuum chamber to cause the growing of a crystalline metal layer on the 3D substrate, wherein the exposure is based on a set of predefined exposure parameters.

A method of fabricating an interposer includes: providing a carrier substrate; forming a unit redistribution layer on the carrier substrate, the unit redistribution layer including a conductive via plug and a conductive redistribution line; and removing the carrier substrate from the unit redistribution layer. The formation of the unit redistribution layer includes: forming a first photosensitive pattern layer including a first via hole pattern; forming a second photosensitive pattern layer including a second via hole pattern and a redistribution pattern on the first photosensitive pattern layer; at least partially filling insides of the first via hole pattern, the second via hole pattern, and the redistribution pattern with a conductive material; and performing planarization to make a top surface of the unit redistribution layer flat. According to the method, no undercut occurs under a conductive structure and there are no bubbles between adjacent conductive structures, thus device reliability is enhanced and pattern accuracy is realized.

A method of fabricating an interposer includes: providing a carrier substrate; forming a unit redistribution layer on the carrier substrate, the unit redistribution layer including a conductive via plug and a conductive redistribution line; and removing the carrier substrate from the unit redistribution layer. The formation of the unit redistribution layer includes: forming a first photosensitive pattern layer including a first via hole pattern; forming a second photosensitive pattern layer including a second via hole pattern and a redistribution pattern on the first photosensitive pattern layer; at least partially filling insides of the first via hole pattern, the second via hole pattern, and the redistribution pattern with a conductive material; and performing planarization to make a top surface of the unit redistribution layer flat. According to the method, no undercut occurs under a conductive structure and there are no bubbles between adjacent conductive structures, thus device reliability is enhanced and pattern accuracy is realized.

The present disclosure relates to a method of making an electrochemically active material, which comprises metal nanostructures encapsulated in LaF.sub.3 shells. The electrochemically active material may be included in an electrode of an F-shuttle battery that includes a liquid electrolyte, which, optionally, allows the F-shuttle batteries to operate at room temperature.

Techniques are described for fabricating multilayer structures having arrays of conducting elements or apertures in a conductive grid which can be used to form frequency selective surfaces (FSSs), antenna arrays and the like on flexible substrates. Fabrication techniques can include use of a polymer mask or direct dielectric molding. In embodiments utilizing a polymer mask, a temporary 3D polymeric relief pattern is formed on a substrate and used as a mask or stencil to form the desired pattern elements. In an additive process, the conductive material is deposited over the masked surface. Deposition can be followed by mask removal. In the subtractive process, the conductive layer can be deposited prior to formation of the polymer mask, and the exposed parts of the underlying conductive layer can be etched. Other embodiments utilize dielectric molding in which the molded structure itself becomes an integral and permanent part of the FSS structure.

Articles and methods involving protected electrode structures are generally provided. In some embodiments, a protected electrode structure includes an electrode comprising an alkali metal and a protective structure directly adjacent the electrode. In some embodiments, the protective structure comprises elemental carbon and intercalated ions. In some embodiments, the protective structure is a composite protective structure. The composite structure may comprise an alloy comprising an alkali metal, an oxide of an alkali metal, and/or a fluoride salt of an alkali metal.

Provided is a metal matrix nanocomposite comprising: (a) a metal or metal alloy as a matrix material; and (b) multiple graphene sheets that are dispersed in said matrix material, wherein said multiple graphene sheets are substantially aligned to be parallel to one another and are in an amount from 0.1% to 95% by volume based on the total nanocomposite volume; wherein the multiple graphene sheets contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets selected from pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof and wherein the chemically functionalized graphene is not graphene oxide. The metal matrix exhibits a combination of exceptional tensile strength, modulus, thermal conductivity, and/or electrical conductivity.