The present invention provides an apparatus for the deposition of thin films on a substrate, including large substrates, held preferably face-down, in a cartridge containing a liquid solution with at least a chemical precursor which, upon being subject to a uniform microwave field transmitted through a microwave-transparent window, leads to the formation of a thin film on the substrate. The present invention also provides a system for launching microwaves and controlling the process for film deposition on the substrate. The present invention also provides a process for obtaining a film of uniform thickness and characteristics on a substrate or for incorporating controlled non-uniformity. The present invention also provides an apparatus and method for film deposition on a series of substrates in a continuous batch process.

The present invention relates to a photoelectric film and a fabrication method thereof, and in particular, to a layered polycrystalline lead selenide (PbSe) film and a fabrication method thereof. The fabrication method mainly includes: (1) fabricating a dense PbSe layer on a substrate through chemical bath deposition (CBD); (2) fabricating a loose plumbonacrite (Pb.sub.10O(OH).sub.6(CO.sub.3).sub.6) layer on the dense PbSe layer through CBD; (3) placing a sample with the dense PbSe layer and the Pb.sub.10O(OH).sub.6(CO.sub.3).sub.6 layer in a selenium ion-containing solution to allow an ion exchange reaction to finally form the layered polycrystalline PbSe film. The fabrication method has the advantages of simple process, low cost, and high controllability. The PbSe film fabricated by the method is composed of a lower dense polycrystalline cubic PbSe layer and an upper loose polycrystalline cubic PbSe layer, which can be widely used in the fabrication of components in the field of photoelectric conversion or thermoelectric conversion, such as infrared (IR) sensors, solar cells, laser emitters, and thermoelectric converters.

The present invention relates to a baking tray (20) or baking grid, in particular a baking tray (20) for a cooking appliance (1), having a non-stick and/or non-wetting coating (12) obtainable by a process characterised by the following steps, a) providing a baking tray (20) or baking grid having a surface, in particular having an upper surface (7a) and a bottom surface (7b), b) preferably, pretreating of the surface (7a, 7b) of the baking tray (20) or baking grid at least partially, in particular completely, for providing a surface having a roughness being suitable for applying a non-stick and/or non-wetting coating (12) by mechanical treatment, physical treatment or chemical treatment, in particular by sandblasting and/or laser treatment and/or a surface activation treatment, particularly a plasma treatment, and/or an enamelling process to form a ground layer (13), c) applying the non-stick and/or non-wetting coating (12) to the pretreated surface (7a, 7b) of the baking tray (20) or baking grid or a surface (14a) of the ground layer (13), wherein the non-stick and/or non-wetting coating (12) comprises at least one layer (17) that is obtained by a sol-gel process from a first composition comprising a silica sol and a silane. The invention further relates to a cooking appliance (1), in particular a domestic oven comprising such a baking tray (20) or baking grid and a method for manufacturing such a baking tray (20) or baking grid.

A sol-gel method for producing an anti-corrosion coating consisting of at least one layer of an oxide on a metal substrate. A non-aqueous solution of a precursor of the oxide is prepared and deposited on one surface at least of the metal substrate in order to cover said surface at least partially with a film comprising the precursor of the oxide. Hydrolysis-condensation of the precursor of the oxide is carried out by exposing the film to a humid atmosphere in order to form an oxide network in the film. Then, a treatment for stabilizing the film on the surface of the substrate is carried out, followed by a heat treatment of the surface of the metal substrate in order to crystallize the network of oxide and form the anti-corrosion coating.

A methods and systems are disclosed for coating a large oven cavity. A method of coating an oven includes spraying a coating at room temperature onto a plurality of surfaces in the oven cavity in one or more layers and manipulating the oven to position the plurality of surfaces while spraying in various embodiments. An article includes an oven having a cavity, where the cavity has a surface with a volume of about 3 ft.sup.3 to about 7 ft.sup.3, and a coating on the surface of the cavity, the coating including a sol-gel ceramic.

A method for fabricating quantum dots according to the present disclosure includes (a) synthesizing InP cores based on an aminophosphine type phosphorus (P) precursor, (b) size-sorting the InP cores, and (c) forming at least two shells on the size-sorted InP cores. In this instance, the size-sorting includes precipitating the InP cores with an addition of a dispersive solvent and a nondispersive solvent to the InP cores and separating the InP cores using a centrifugal separator, wherein the InP cores are separated in a descending order by size by performing iteration with a gradual increase in an amount of the nondispersive solvent.

Nanostructured coating materials, methods of their production, and methods of use in a variety of applications are described. The nanostructured materials described herein include one or more 2.sup.+ and/or 3.sup.+ metal ion(s), optionally in a ternary phase, on a substrate.

The present disclosure provides methods for forming sol-gels, sol-gel films and substrates, such as vehicle components, having a sol-gel film disposed thereon. At least one method of forming a sol-gel includes mixing a metal alkoxide, an acid stabilizer, and an organic solvent to form a first mixture having about 10 wt % or less water content based on the total weight of the first mixture. The method includes mixing an organosilane with the first mixture to form a second mixture having about 10 wt % or less water content based on the total weight of the second mixture.

A method of colorizing stainless steel strip involves the continuous surface treatment of stainless steel strip with aqueous suspensions of rare earth oxide nano or micro particles or aqueous rare earth nitrate solutions of nano or micro particles. The surface treatment can be applied by roll coating, spraying or other conventional application techniques. The coated strip is then continuously annealed. The surface treatment can provide a variety of colors. It also improves corrosion resistance of the processed stainless steel strip. Steel strip treated in this manner is suitable for a variety of applications in the building systems, automotive and appliance markets.

A method of colorizing stainless steel strip involves the continuous surface treatment of stainless steel strip with aqueous suspensions of rare earth oxide nano or micro particles or aqueous rare earth nitrate solutions of nano or micro particles. The surface treatment can be applied by roll coating, spraying or other conventional application techniques. The coated strip is then continuously annealed. The surface treatment can provide a variety of colors. It also improves corrosion resistance of the processed stainless steel strip. Steel strip treated in this manner is suitable for a variety of applications in the building systems, automotive and appliance markets.