A shielded sputter deposition system and method, the system including a process module including: a vacuum enclosure configured to receive a moving substrate, sputtering targets disposed in the vacuum enclosure, each sputtering target including a target material, and a peripheral shield disposed between the and substrate and an interstitial space located between adjacent sputtering targets. The peripheral shield may be configured to at least partially block indirect deposition of sputtered target material onto the substrate and to permit direct deposition of the sputtered target material onto the substrate.

A process for producing a chalcogen-containing compound semiconductor includes providing at least one substrate coated with a precursor for the chalcogen-containing compound semiconductor in a process chamber; heat treating the at least one coated substrate in the process chamber, wherein during a heat treatment, a gas atmosphere comprising at least one gaseous chalcogen compound is provided in the process chamber; removing the gas atmosphere present after the heat treatment of the at least one coated substrate as a waste gas from the process chamber; cooling the waste gas in a gas processor, wherein a plurality of gaseous chalcogen compounds-present in the waste gas after the heat treatment of the at least one coated substrate are separated in time and space from one another from the waste gas by respective conversion into a liquid or solid form. Further provided is a device designed to carry out the process.

The invention relates to a substrate coated with a coating consisting of molybdenum (Mo), sulfur (S), tantalum (Ta) and oxygen (O) atoms present in the form of one or several compound(s) selected from among the compounds of formula (I):

Mo.sub.wS.sub.xTa.sub.yO.sub.z(I) wherein w is equal to 0 or 1; x varies from 0 to 2; y varies from 0 to 1 and z varies from 0 to 3; said coating comprising at least 5% at of oxygen and said coating having a dense compact microstructure.

In one embodiment, a physical vapor deposition device includes a phase change material sputtering target includes a primary matrix and at least one additional phase. The primary matrix includes at least one element from Group VI of the periodic table excluding oxygen and one or more elements from Group IV or Group V of the periodic table. The additional phase is substantially homogenously dispersed in the primary matrix.

The current disclosure relates to highly homogeneous glass sputter targets with a large aspect ratio and a high relative density. The glass sputter targets have properties that are desirable for forming thin films by physical vapor deposition processes such as sputtering.

A sputtering target and a method for fabricating an electronic device using the same are provided. A sputtering target may include a carbon-doped GeSbTe alloy, wherein, for the carbon-doped GeSbTe alloy, an average grain diameter of a GeSbTe alloy after sintering is in a range of 0.5 ?m to 5 ?m, and a first ratio of an average grain diameter of carbon after the sintering is Y (?m) to the average grain diameter of the GeSbTe alloy after the sintering may be in a range of greater than 0.5 and equal to or less than 1.5. Alternatively, for the carbon-doped GeSbTe alloy, a condition of Y=X?(Z/100) may be satisfied, where an average grain diameter of a GeSbTe alloy after sintering is X (?m), an average grain diameter of carbon after the sintering is Y (?m), and a content of carbon is Z (at %).

The present invention relates to methods for fabricating a laterally-limited two-dimensional structure through template synthesis. The methods of the invention are useful in forming homogenous and heterogeneous layered materials. The invention also provides structures and devices formed by the method of the present invention and uses thereof.

There is provided a solid electrolyte including at least one layer with no nitrogen and which includes Li.sub.xPO.sub.yS.sub.z, with 0<z3, 2.1x2.4, and 1y4. A battery including the electrolyte, and a method for producing the electrolyte, are also provided.

A gas-sensing element includes a gas-sensing surface of transition metal-doped metal oxide semiconductor of a first metal (particularly tin oxide) over a body of the metal oxide semiconductor. The gas-sensing element includes an auxiliary component of: (1) internally-disposed second metal (particularly copper, gold or silver) disposed in the gas-sensing element between the body and the gas-sensing surface, or (2) a metal chalcogenide (particularly sulfide or sulphide) disposed at the gas-sensing surface or internally disposed in the gas-sensing element between the body and the gas-sensing surface that stabilizes the second metal at the gas-sensing surface.

A method for forming a high purity, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) sputtering target is disclosed. The method includes sealing precursor materials for forming the bulk material in a reaction vessel. The precursor materials include copper, at least one chalcogen selected from selenium, sulfur, and tellurium, and at least one element from group IIIA of the periodic table, which may be selected from gallium, indium, and aluminum. The sealed reaction vessel is heated to a temperature at which the precursor materials react to form the bulk material. The bulk material is cooled in the vessel to a temperature below the solidification temperature of the bulk material and opened to release the formed bulk material. A sputtering target formed by the method can have an oxygen content of 10 ppm by weight, or less.