The present invention provides a UV antireflective coating stack for ophthalmic lenses. The antireflective coating stack is deposited by sputtering, which lowers the reflectivity of the antireflective stack in the UV range and maintains low reflectivity in the visible range. The antireflective coating stack offers improved thermo-mechanical performance as compared to evaporation-based UV antireflective stacks.

The present invention provides a UV antireflective coating stack for ophthalmic lenses. The antireflective coating stack is deposited by sputtering, which lowers the reflectivity of the antireflective stack in the UV range and maintains low reflectivity in the visible range. The antireflective coating stack offers improved thermo-mechanical performance as compared to evaporation-based UV antireflective stacks.

A method of preparing a self-aligned via on a semiconductor workpiece includes using an integrated sequence of processing steps executed on a common manufacturing platform hosting a plurality of processing modules including one or more film-forming modules, one or more etching modules, and one or more transfer modules. The integrated sequence of processing steps include receiving the workpiece into the common manufacturing platform, the workpiece having a pattern of metal features in a dielectric layer wherein exposed surfaces of the metal features and exposed surfaces of the dielectric layer together define an upper planar surface; selectively etching the metal features to form a recess pattern by recessing the exposed surfaces of the metal features beneath the exposed surfaces of the dielectric layer using one of the one or more etching modules; and depositing an etch stop layer over the recess pattern using one of the one or more film-forming modules.

Provided is a sputtering target containing 0.05 at % or more of Bi, and having a total content of metal oxides of from 10 vol % to 70 vol %, the balance containing at least Ru.

A transparent conductor includes a transparent substrate, a first metal oxide layer, a metal layer containing a silver alloy, a third metal oxide layer, and a second metal oxide layer in the order presented. The first metal oxide layer is composed of a metal oxide which is different from ITO, the second metal oxide layer contains ITO, and the work function of the surface of the second metal oxide layer opposite to the metal layer side is 4.5 eV or higher.

The present invention provides a novel method for producing a laminate to be used as a light-transmissive electrode layer and an N-type semiconductor layer of a wet or solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell comprising a light-transmissive electrode layer, an N-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer, and a facing electrode in this order. In said method, a member to be used as the light-transmissive electrode layer is cathode-polarized in a treatment solution containing a Ti component so as to form a titanium oxide layer to be used as the N-type semiconductor layer on said member.

The present invention provides a novel method for producing a laminate to be used as a light-transmissive electrode layer and an N-type semiconductor layer of a wet or solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell comprising a light-transmissive electrode layer, an N-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer, and a facing electrode in this order. In said method, a member to be used as the light-transmissive electrode layer is cathode-polarized in a treatment solution containing a Ti component so as to form a titanium oxide layer to be used as the N-type semiconductor layer on said member.

A laminate including a glass plate and a coating layer, wherein the coating layer includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, titanium oxide, alumina, niobium oxide, zirconia, indium tin oxide, silicon oxide, magnesium fluoride, and calcium fluoride, wherein a ratio (dc/dg) of a thickness dc of the coating layer to a thickness dg of the glass plate is in a range of 0.05×10.sup.−3 to 1.2×10.sup.−3, and wherein a radius of curvature r1 of the laminate with negating of self-weight deflection is 10 m to 150 m.

A thin film laminate comprises a metal layer consisting of a metal, and a thin film laminated on the surface of the metal layer, wherein a first direction is defined as one direction parallel to the surface of the metal layer, and a second direction is defined as one direction parallel to the surface of the metal layer and crossing the first direction; and the metal layer contains a plurality of first metal grains consisting of the metal and extending in the first direction on the surface of the metal layer, and a plurality of second metal grains consisting of the metal and extending in the second direction on the surface of the metal layer.

A thin film laminate comprises a metal layer consisting of a metal, and a thin film laminated on the surface of the metal layer, wherein a first direction is defined as one direction parallel to the surface of the metal layer, and a second direction is defined as one direction parallel to the surface of the metal layer and crossing the first direction; and the metal layer contains a plurality of first metal grains consisting of the metal and extending in the first direction on the surface of the metal layer, and a plurality of second metal grains consisting of the metal and extending in the second direction on the surface of the metal layer.