In accordance with various embodiments, provision is made of a substrate holding device, wherein the latter may comprise a carrier plate with a recess, the recess extending from an upper side of the carrier plate to a lower side of the carrier plate through the carrier plate, a holding frame, which has a frame opening and a support area, surrounding the frame opening, for holding a substrate in the recess, wherein the holding frame inserted into the recess lies on the carrier plate in sections.

A lithium cobalt oxide sintered body having a bending strength of 100 MPa or more, and a sputtering target formed using the sintered body are provided. In particular, a cylindrical sputtering target for use in rotary sputtering is provided. The sputtering target is useful in forming a cathode material thin film in an all-solid thin film lithium ion secondary battery for use in vehicles, telecommunication equipment and household equipment.

A linear compressor and a method for manufacturing a linear compressor are provided. A piston of a linear compressor may include a surface treatment body made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy; a first surface treatment provided on an outer surface of the surface treatment body by a first vacuum deposition process; and a second surface treatment provided on an outer surface of the first surface treatment by a second vacuum deposition process.

A linear compressor and a method for manufacturing a linear compressor are provided. A piston of a linear compressor may include a surface treatment body made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy; a first surface treatment provided on an outer surface of the surface treatment body by a first vacuum deposition process; and a second surface treatment provided on an outer surface of the first surface treatment by a second vacuum deposition process.

A structure of assembly grasp for palladium-alloy tubes and the manufacturing method thereof are described. The structure of assembly grasp for palladium-alloy tubes includes a grasp with a plurality of holes, a plurality of palladium-alloy tubes inserted into the plurality of holes, and an intermetallic compound layer between the palladium-alloy tubes and the inner sidewalls of the plurality of holes.

A structure of assembly grasp for palladium-alloy tubes and the manufacturing method thereof are described. The structure of assembly grasp for palladium-alloy tubes includes a grasp with a plurality of holes, a plurality of palladium-alloy tubes inserted into the plurality of holes, and an intermetallic compound layer between the palladium-alloy tubes and the inner sidewalls of the plurality of holes.

Various embodiments provide Molten Target Sputtering (MTS) methods and devices. The various embodiments may provide increases in the kinetic energy, increases in the energy latency, and/or increases in the flux density of molecules for better crystal formation at low temperature operation. The various embodiment MTS methods and devices may enable the growth of a single crystal Si.sub.1-xGe.sub.x film on a substrate heated to less than about 500° C. The various embodiment MTS methods and devices may provide increases in the kinetic energy, increases in the energy latency, and/or increases in the flux density of molecules without requiring the addition of extra systems.

A magnetron sputtering electrode for use in a rotatable cylindrical magnetron sputtering device, the electrode including a cathode body defining a magnet receiving chamber and a cylindrical target surrounding the cathode body. The target is rotatable about the cathode body. A magnet arrangement is received within the magnet receiving chamber, the magnet arrangement including a plurality of magnets. A shunt is secured to the cathode body and proximate to a side of the magnet arrangement, the shunt extending in a plane substantially parallel to the side of the magnet arrangement. A method of fine-tuning a magnetron sputtering electrode in a rotatable cylindrical magnetron sputtering device is also disclosed.

A film formation apparatus includes a chamber that is a sealed container in which a target formed of a film formation material is placed, and into which the workpiece is carried, a gas discharging unit discharging a gas in the sealed container for a predetermined time period after the workpiece is carried into the chamber to obtain a base pressure, and a sputter gas introducing unit introducing a sputter gas containing oxygen to the interior of the chamber having undergone the discharging and becoming the base pressure. The sputter gas introducing unit decreases an oxygen partial pressure in the sputter gas to be introduced in the chamber in accordance with an increase in the base pressure due to an increase of the film formation material sticking to the interior of the chamber.

A silicon target for sputtering film formation which enables formation of a high-quality silicon-containing thin film by inhibiting dust generation during sputtering film formation is provided. An n-type silicon target material 10 and a metallic backing plate 20 are attached to each other via a bonding layer 40. A conductive layer 30 made of a material having a smaller work function than that of the silicon target material 10 is provided on a surface of the silicon target material 10 on the bonding layer 40 side. That is, the silicon target material 10 is attached to the metallic backing plate 20 via the conductive layer 30 and the bonding layer 40. In a case of single-crystal silicon, a work function of n-type silicon is generally 4.05 eV. A work function of a material of the conductive layer 30 needs to be smaller than 4.05 eV.