A method is provided for fabricating a component material for a battery cell. The method comprises the steps of: providing a partially-fabricated battery cell, the partially-fabricated battery cell comprising a substrate having a planar deposition surface consisting of a first face of the substrate and a first battery component layer provided on the planar deposition surface, the substrate having a plurality of further surfaces, the planar deposition surface and the plurality of further surfaces defining the body of the substrate therebetween; wherein: the first battery component layer contains charge-carrying metal species and has an exposed surface; one or more electrically conductive or semi-conductive pathways extend through at least a portion of the substrate, each of the one or more pathways connecting the planar deposition surface to one of the plurality of further surfaces; and the partially-fabricated battery cell is held in position within a deposition chamber by a holding structure and each site of connection between one of the one or more pathways and the holding structure is electrically insulating; the method further comprising the step of depositing a second battery component layer on the first battery component layer, wherein the depositing comprises forming a plasma within the deposition chamber.

A multilayer electrode on a substrate (10) comprising titanium (20) and titanium-rich titanium nitride (30) and titanium-poor titanium nitride (40), particularly suitable for the application to thermoplastic substrates, in particular for the purpose of the impedance measurement in aqueous biological media, and method for the production thereof.

The invention relates to a method for producing a semi-transparent motor vehicle design element (3), comprising the following steps:

A providing a dimensionally stable, at least partially light-permeable substrate (1) which is heat-resistant for a temperature of at least 60° C., the substrate (1) having a front side (1a) and a rear side (1b),

B introducing the substrate (1) into a vacuum chamber (2) and applying a first metallic semi-transparent layer (L1) by means of a PVD process to the substrate (1) according to step a) which is situated in the vacuum chamber (2), and

C applying a light-impermeable cover layer (LD) to the front or rear side (1a, 1b) of the substrate (1), the light-impermeable cover layer (LD) containing at least one light-permeable opening (8) for reproducing at least one graphical symbol (SYM),

steps B and C being carried out such that light (LSQ) passing through the at least one opening (8) in the light-impermeable cover layer (LD) from the rear side (1b) towards the front side (1a) of the substrate (1) is incident on the first metallic semi-transparent layer (L1) and at least partially passes outwards through the first metallic semi-transparent layer (L1) in order to project the at least one graphical symbol (SYM) represented by the at least one opening (8).

An antimicrobial sheet may have a copper film formed on at least one side of a resin or polymer film. The copper film contains one or more copper oxides and a non-oxide copper. The content of the non-oxide copper in the copper film is less than the content of the copper that forms the copper oxide(s) and is 0.04 g/m.sup.2 or less.

Multilayer metallo-dielectric energy control coatings are disclosed in which one or more layers are formed from a hydrogenated metal nitride dielectric, which may be hydrogenated during or after dielectric deposition. Properties of the multilayer coating may be configured by appropriately tuning the hydrogen concentration (and/or the spatial profile thereof) in one or more hydrogenated metal nitride dielectric layers. One or more metal layers of the multilayer coating may be formed on a hydrogenated nitride dielectric layer, thereby facilitating adhesion of the metal with a low percolation threshold and enabling the formation of thin metal layers that exhibit substantial transparency in the visible spectrum. Optical properties of the coating may be tuned through modulation of metal-dielectric interface roughness and dispersion of metal nanoparticles in the dielectric layer. Electrical busbars and micro-nano electrical grids may be integrated with one or more metal layers to provide functionality such as de-icing and defogging.

An apparatus for laser deposition with a reactive gas includes a source, a target, and a substrate. The source emits a plasma jet of the reactive gas. The target generates a plasma plume of a deposition material when a laser beam ablates the target. The substrate collects a film resulting from a chemical reaction between the deposition material from the plasma plume and the reactive gas from the plasma jet. Correspondingly, a method for laser deposition with a reactive gas includes steps of emitting a plasma jet of the reactive gas, ablating a target with a laser beam, and collecting a film on a substrate. The plasma jet emits from an orifice of a source. Ablating the target generates a plasma plume of a deposition material. The film results from a chemical reaction between the deposition material from the plasma plume and the reactive gas from the plasma jet.

A physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber and a method of operation thereof are disclosed. Chambers and methods are described that provide a chamber comprising an upper shield with two holes that are positioned to permit alternate sputtering from two targets. A process for improving reflectivity from a multilayer stack is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a superconductive rare-earth metal oxyhydride material and a method for producing the material. The method comprising the steps of: —first the formation on a substrate of a layer of an oxygen free rare-earth metal hydride with a predetermined thickness using a physical vapor deposition process; and —second exposing the rare-earth metal hydride layer to oxidative agent for oxidation where the oxygen reacts with the rare-earth metal hydride that results with obtaining rare-earth metal oxyhydride, the oxidation being below a predetermined limit defined by a measured transparency being less than 10%.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle headlamp (8) comprising a vehicle headlamp housing (9), an at least sectionally transparent cover pane (10) that closes the vehicle headlamp housing (9), a light source (11) that is accommodated in the vehicle headlamp housing (9) and serves for radiating light through the cover pane (10), and at least one motor vehicle design element (3) that is accommodated in the vehicle headlamp housing (9), wherein the at least one motor vehicle design element (3) comprises a dimensionally stable substrate (1) with at least one coated side.

The invention relates to a device and a method for producing layers whose layer thickness distribution can be adjusted in coating systems with horizontally rotating substrate. A very homogeneous or a specific non-homogeneous distribution can be adjusted. The particle loading is also significantly reduced. The service life is significantly higher compared to other methods. Forming of parasitic coatings is reduced.