A structure including a metal nitride layer is formed on a workpiece by pre-conditioning a chamber that includes a metal target by flowing nitrogen gas and an inert gas at a first flow rate ratio into the chamber and igniting a plasma in the chamber before placing the workpiece in the chamber, evacuating the chamber after the preconditioning, placing the workpiece on a workpiece support in the chamber after the preconditioning, and performing physical vapor deposition of a metal nitride layer on the workpiece in the chamber by flowing nitrogen gas and the inert gas at a second flow rate ratio into the chamber and igniting a plasma in the chamber. The second flow rate ratio is less than the first flow rate ratio.

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.

A method of forming a metal oxide includes providing a reactive deposition atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of greater than about 20 percent in a chamber including a substrate therein. A pulsed DC signal is applied to a sputtering target comprising a metal, to sputter metal particles therefrom. A doping element may be supplied from a doping source (such as an alloyed metal target) in the reaction chamber. An electrically conductive metal oxide film comprising an oxide of the metal is deposited on the substrate responsive to a reaction between the metal particles and the reactive deposition atmosphere. Related devices are also discussed.

A sputtering target for an insulating oxide film, the sputtering target including a sintered body including a lanthanum oxide and at least one selected from the group consisting of a beryllium oxide, a magnesium oxide, a calcium oxide, a strontium oxide, and a barium oxide, wherein lanthanum has highest molar ratio among elements other than oxygen contained in the sintered body.

A coated steel component is provided. The coated steel component includes a substrate composed of a steel sheet which can be supplied to a hot-forming process. The coated steel component also possesses a non-metallic coating on the basis of silicon, in a layered structure. The layered structure includes three functional layers having the composition SiOxNyCz, wherein x lies between 30 and 70%, y lies between 0 and 35%, and z lies between 0 and 50%.

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.0.6 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.

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.

There is provided a barrier film including a barrier layer having two opposing major surfaces, a first organic layer in direct contact with one of the opposing major surfaces of the barrier layer; a second organic layer in direct contact with the other of the opposing major surfaces of the barrier layer; and a substrate in direct contact with the first organic layer or the second organic layer; wherein the barrier layer comprises buckling deformations with average spacing smaller than average spacing of the buckling deformations in the first or second organic layer.

A film forming apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a chamber; an exhaust unit configured to reduce the pressure in the chamber to a predetermined vacuum level; a holder disposed in the chamber and configured to hold a film forming target member on which a film is to be formed; a supply unit configured to supply a film forming material containing silicon to a surface of the film forming target member; and a heat source configured to perform heating at the predetermined vacuum level to melt the supplied film forming material.

In various aspects of the disclosure, a method of operating a process group that performs at least a first reactive coating process and a second reactive coating process may comprise: coating of a substrate by means of the first reactive coating process and by means of the second reactive coating process; closed-loop control of the process group by means of a first manipulated variable of the first coating process and a second manipulated variable of the second coating process and using a correction element; wherein the correction element relates the first manipulated variable and the second manipulated variable to one another in such a way that their control values are different from one another.