An apparatus for removing paint from a metallic component. The apparatus includes an electrolytic cell in which the metallic component is an anode, and a DC power supply capable of producing a plasma causing the paint from the metallic component to disintegrate. A method of depainting a metallic component includes providing an electrolytic cell with the metallic component to be depainted acting as an anode. A DC power supply connected to the cathode and anode is activated to produce a plasma causing the paint from the metallic component to disintegrate. Another method of method of depainting a metallic component includes providing an aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium citrate, and potassium oxalate as an electrolyte, a cathode and a pained metallic component as an anode. A DC power supply connected to the cathode and anode produces a plasma causing the paint from the painted metallic component to disintegrate.

A fluoride ion cleaning system is provided. The system includes a retort including an interior sized to receive at least one component therein. The at least one component has a target area defined thereon. The system also includes a gas distribution system. The gas distribution system includes a manifold configured to provide reaction gas within the interior, a flow modulator configured to agitate the reaction gas within the interior, and at least one nozzle in flow communication with the flow modulator. The at least one nozzle is adapted to define an agitated flow of reaction gas at the target area of the at least one component.

A fluoride ion cleaning system is provided. The system includes a retort including an interior sized to receive at least one component therein. The at least one component has a target area defined thereon. The system also includes a gas distribution system. The gas distribution system includes a manifold configured to provide reaction gas within the interior, a flow modulator configured to agitate the reaction gas within the interior, and at least one nozzle in flow communication with the flow modulator. The at least one nozzle is adapted to define an agitated flow of reaction gas at the target area of the at least one component.

Provided is a composition for removing iron sulfide, containing, as an active ingredient, an ,-unsaturated aldehyde represented by the following general formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, provided that R.sup.1 may be connected to R.sup.2 or R.sup.3, to constitute an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; and that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are not a hydrogen atom at the same time.

Atomic layer etching (ALE) processes are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods comprise at least one etch cycle in which the substrate is alternately and sequentially exposed to a first vapor phase non-metal halide reactant and a second vapor phase halide reactant. In some embodiments both the first and second reactants are chloride reactants. In some embodiments the first reactant is fluorinating gas and the second reactant is a chlorinating gas. In some embodiments a thermal ALE cycle is used in which the substrate is not contacted with a plasma reactant.

Atomic layer etching (ALE) processes are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods comprise at least one etch cycle in which the substrate is alternately and sequentially exposed to a first vapor phase non-metal halide reactant and a second vapor phase halide reactant. In some embodiments both the first and second reactants are chloride reactants. In some embodiments the first reactant is fluorinating gas and the second reactant is a chlorinating gas. In some embodiments a thermal ALE cycle is used in which the substrate is not contacted with a plasma reactant.

In a mask blank having a structure in which a light-semitransmissive film and a light-shielding film are laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate, the light-semitransmissive film is made of a material that can be dry-etched with an etching gas containing a fluorine-based gas, the light-shielding film is made of a material that contains tantalum and one or more elements selected from hafnium and zirconium and contains no oxygen except in a surface layer thereof, an etching stopper film is provided between the light-semitransmissive film and the light-shielding film, and the etching stopper film is made of a material that contains chromium with an oxygen content of 20 at % or less.

In a mask blank having a structure in which a light-semitransmissive film and a light-shielding film are laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate, the light-semitransmissive film is made of a material that can be dry-etched with an etching gas containing a fluorine-based gas, the light-shielding film is made of a material that contains tantalum and one or more elements selected from hafnium and zirconium and contains no oxygen except in a surface layer thereof, an etching stopper film is provided between the light-semitransmissive film and the light-shielding film, and the etching stopper film is made of a material that contains chromium with an oxygen content of 20 at % or less.

In a coating pretreatment facility using microbubbles, an arrangement is made to make it possible to form the facility compact and to reduce the initial cost and the running cost of the facility. A preliminary cleansing water supplying passage 33 is provided for supplying cleansing waters W1, W2 used in cleansing of a coating subject article B in flushing sections 3, 4 following a degreasing section 2 as preliminary cleansing water W3 for use in preliminary cleansing of the coating subject article B in a preliminary cleansing section 1. A microbubble generator device 34 is provided for causing the preliminary cleansing water W3 used in the preliminary cleansing of the coating subject article B in the preliminary cleansing section 1 to contain microbubbles.

A cleaning device includes at least: a main body including a vapor cleaning chamber configured to perform vapor-cleaning on a workpiece and a dipping cleaning chamber configured to perform dip-cleaning on the workpiece; and a condenser provided on the vapor cleaning chamber to be capable of switching between a communication state and a non-communication state with the vapor cleaning chamber via a vapor inlet port, and configured to condense vapor taken in from the vapor inlet port, in which the condenser includes: a condenser casing in which the vapor inlet port is formed; a cooling pipe through which a coolant flows; and a holding member that holds the cooling pipe to detachably house the cooling pipe in the condenser casing.