A MgO layer is formed using a process flow wherein a Mg layer is deposited at a temperature <200° C. on a substrate, and then an anneal between 200° C. and 900° C., and preferably from 200° C. and 400° C., is performed so that a Mg vapor pressure >10.sup.−6 Torr is reached and a substantial portion of the Mg layer sublimes and leaves a Mg monolayer. After an oxidation between −223° C. and 900° C., a MgO monolayer is produced where the Mg:O ratio is exactly 1:1 thereby avoiding underoxidized or overoxidized states associated with film defects. The process flow may be repeated one or more times to yield a desired thickness and resistance x area value when the MgO is a tunnel barrier or Hk enhancing layer. Moreover, a doping element (M) may be added during Mg deposition to modify the conductivity and band structure in the resulting MgMO layer.

Methods and apparatus for lowering resistivity of a metal line, including: depositing a first metal layer atop a second metal layer to under conditions sufficient to increase a grain size of a metal of the first metal layer; etching the first metal layer to form a metal line with a first line edge roughness and to expose a portion of the second metal layer; removing impurities from the metal line by a hydrogen treatment process; and annealing the metal line at a pressure between 760 Torr and 76,000 Torr to reduce the first line edge roughness.

A laminated film includes an insulating substrate resin film and a resistance layer in order in a thickness direction. The resistance layer includes chromium nitride. A temperature coefficient of resistance of the resistance layer is 400 ppm/ C. or more and 200 ppm/ C. or less.

The invention is directed at sputter targets including 50 atomic % or more molybdenum, a second metal element of niobium or vanadium, and a third metal element selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, niobium, vanadium, and tantalum, wherein the third metal element is different from the second metal element, and deposited films prepared by the sputter targets. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the sputter target includes a phase that is rich in molybdenum, a phase that is rich in the second metal element, and a phase that is rich in the third metal element.

The invention includes miniature dots, miniature disks or miniature cylinders and methods of making the same by dispersing a particle in or on a dissolvable, meltable or etchable layer on a substrate, a portion of the particle exposed above a surface of the dissolvable, meltable or etchable layer; depositing a mask on the particles and the dissolvable substrate; removing the particles from the layer; etching an array of nanoholes in the substrate; depositing one or more metallic layers into the nanoholes to form an array of dots, disks or cylinders; and dissolving the dissolvable layer with a solvent to expose the dots, disks or cylinders. The dots, disks or cylinders can be included with two sets of microelectrodes for ultrahigh speed rotation of miniature motors, and/or can be designed with a magnetic configuration into miniature motors for uniform rotation speeds and prescribed angular displacement. The invention also includes modified diatom frustules, and miniature motors containing modified diatom frustules.

A method for manufacturing a discontinuous vacuum-metalized thin film includes the following steps: step 1: coating a corona surface of a flexible thin film (1) with a longitudinal discontinuous stripping layer; step 2: coating the corona surface and the stripping layer with a metal layer (3); and step 3: removing the stripping layer and the metal layer (3) on the stripping layer to obtain a discontinuous vacuum-metalized thin film. A method for manufacturing a discontinuous vacuum-metalized wire, a discontinuous vacuum-metalized thin film and a discontinuous vacuum-metalized wire are further disclosed.

Various embodiments herein relate to electrochromic devices, methods of fabricating electrochromic devices, and apparatus for fabricating electrochromic devices. In a number of cases, the electrochromic device may be fabricated to include a particular counter electrode material. The counter electrode material may include a base anodically coloring material. The counter electrode material may further include one or more halogens. The counter electrode material may also include one or more additives.

Vacuum-treating a substrate or manufacturing a vacuum-treated substrate, including the steps: exposing a substrate in a vacuum chamber to a plasma environment, the plasma environment including a first plasma of a material deposition source and a second plasma of a non-deposition source; operating the plasma environment repeatedly between a first and a second state, the first state being defined by: a higher plasma supply power to the first plasma causing a higher material deposition rate and a lower plasma supply power delivered to the second plasma, the second state being defined by: a lower plasma supply power to the first plasma, compared with the higher plasma supply power to the first plasma and causing a lower material deposition rate and a higher plasma supply power to the second plasma, compared with the lower plasma supply power to the second plasma. Also, a vacuum deposition apparatus adapted to perform the method.

There is provided a method of forming a silicon film, which includes: a film forming step of forming the silicon film on a base, the silicon film having a film thickness thicker than a desired film thickness; and an etching step of reducing the film thickness of the silicon film by supplying an etching gas containing bromine or iodine to the silicon film.

The present invention relates to an information storage medium and a method for long-term storage of information comprising the steps of: providing a ceramic substrate; coating the ceramic substrate with a layer of a second material different from the material of the ceramic substrate, the layer having a thickness no greater than 10 m; tempering the coated ceramic substrate to form a writable plate or disc; encoding information on the writable plate or disc by using a laser and/or a focused particle beam to manipulate localized areas of the writable plate or disc.