Composites comprising at least one silicon-oxy-carbide (SOC) layer deposited onto a polymeric matrix substrate to enhance their thermo-oxidative stability are provided. The SOC layer is formed onto the polymeric matrix substrate by atmospheric plasma deposition to produce an thermo-oxidative barrier coating or an adhesion-promoting layer to enable the deposition of a variety of known (or future developed) metallic and/or ceramic materials as oxygen and/or thermal barriers.

A gas branching apparatus that branches and supplies a gas to first to N-th supply targets, includes first to N-th pipes wherein the first to N-th pipes are each branched into first to N-th branch pipes on a downstream end side, and wherein the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are connected in common to the i-th supply target, and the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are provided with valves, respectively, where i denotes each of integers of 1 to N.

A gas branching apparatus that branches and supplies a gas to first to N-th supply targets, includes first to N-th pipes wherein the first to N-th pipes are each branched into first to N-th branch pipes on a downstream end side, and wherein the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are connected in common to the i-th supply target, and the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are provided with valves, respectively, where i denotes each of integers of 1 to N.

A torch for fabricating optical fiber preforms may include a body having a surface and two or more slit-shaped orifices oriented parallel or substantially parallel to each other along the surface. The torch body may further include two or more conduits connected to corresponding orifices. The torch may be used by orienting it relative to a preform substrate, and simultaneously emitting two or more gases from corresponding orifices toward the surface of the preform substrate, such that the gases are involved in a reaction to form a soot.

A torch for fabricating optical fiber preforms may include a body having a surface and two or more slit-shaped orifices oriented parallel or substantially parallel to each other along the surface. The torch body may further include two or more conduits connected to corresponding orifices. The torch may be used by orienting it relative to a preform substrate, and simultaneously emitting two or more gases from corresponding orifices toward the surface of the preform substrate, such that the gases are involved in a reaction to form a soot.

The invention relates to a coating lance for a plasma process, the lance comprising a plasma shaft, a plasma neck, and a plasma head, the plasma shaft comprising a longitudinal channel, which extends in an axial direction along an axis from a first shaft end to a second shaft end, the plasma neck comprising a shaft boss and a head boss and at least one neck channel, which extends from the shaft boss to the head boss, and the shaft boss being arranged on the second shaft end in such a way that the longitudinal channel leads into the at least one neck channel, the plasma head comprising a neck boss, a plasma opening, and at least one head channel, which extends from the neck boss to the plasma opening, and the neck boss of the plasma head being arranged on the head boss of the plasma neck in such a way that the at least one neck channel leads into the head channel. The course of the plasma channel deviates from the axis in such a way that the neck channel leads into the head channel eccentrically with respect to the axis, i.e. at an offset to the axis.

In a method for depositing a layer of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (SiC:H), a gas mixture comprising a reactive gas to inert gas volume ratio of 1:12 to 2:3 is introduced into a reaction chamber of a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus. The reactive gas has a ratio of Si of 50 to 60, C of 3 to 13, and H of 32 to 42 at %. The inert gas comprises i) a first inert gas selected from helium, neon and mixtures; and ii) a second inert gas selected from argon, krypton, xenon and mixtures. The reaction plasma is at a power frequency of 1-16 MHz at a power level of 100 W to 700 W. The resulting layer exhibits a refractive index of not less than 2.4 and a loss of not more than 180 dB/cm at an indicated wavelength within 800 to 900 nm.

In a method for depositing a layer of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (SiC:H), a gas mixture comprising a reactive gas to inert gas volume ratio of 1:12 to 2:3 is introduced into a reaction chamber of a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus. The reactive gas has a ratio of Si of 50 to 60, C of 3 to 13, and H of 32 to 42 at %. The inert gas comprises i) a first inert gas selected from helium, neon and mixtures; and ii) a second inert gas selected from argon, krypton, xenon and mixtures. The reaction plasma is at a power frequency of 1-16 MHz at a power level of 100 W to 700 W. The resulting layer exhibits a refractive index of not less than 2.4 and a loss of not more than 180 dB/cm at an indicated wavelength within 800 to 900 nm.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to substrate support assemblies for retaining a surface of a substrate having one or more devices disposed on the surface without contacting the one or more devices and deforming the substrate, and a system having the same. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly includes an edge ring coupled to a body of the substrate support assembly. A controller is coupled to actuated mechanisms of a plurality of pixels coupled to the body of the substrate support assembly such that portions of pixels corresponding to a portion of the surface of a substrate to be retained are positioned to support the portion without contacting one or more devices disposed on the surface of the substrate to be retained on the support surface.

A gas branching apparatus that branches and supplies a gas to first to N-th supply targets, includes first to N-th pipes wherein the first to N-th pipes are each branched into first to N-th branch pipes on a downstream end side, and wherein the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are connected in common to the i-th supply target, and the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are provided with valves, respectively, where i denotes each of integers of 1 to N.