The present invention relates to a method for producing a photochromic oxy-hydride material as well as a photochromic component. The method comprising the steps of: —first the formation on a substrate of a layer of an essentially oxygen free rare earth metal hydride with a predetermined thickness using a physical vapor deposition process; and—second exposing the metal hydride layer to oxygen where the oxygen reacts with the metal hydride, said second step being performed in an environment having a water content defined by a water amount in air at sea level pressure with RH between >0% and 100% RH for temperatures between 0° C. and 40° C., preferably 25° Celsius.

Processes for surface treatment of a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, a method can include placing the workpiece on a workpiece support in a processing chamber. The method can include admitting a process gas into the processing chamber. The process gas can include an ozone gas. The method can include exposing the silicon nitride layer and the low-k dielectric layer to the process gas to modify a surface wetting angle of the silicon nitride layer.

Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from high levels of defectivity. The defects may be manifest as pin holes or spots where the electrochromic transition is impaired. This is unacceptable for many applications such as electrochromic architectural glass. Improved electrochromic devices with low defectivity can be fabricated by depositing certain layered components of the electrochromic device in a single integrated deposition system. While these layers are being deposited and/or treated on a substrate, for example a glass window, the substrate never leaves a controlled ambient environment, for example a low pressure controlled atmosphere having very low levels of particles. These layers may be deposited using physical vapor deposition.

A film forming apparatus comprising: a processing container for accommodating a plurality of substrates, a substrate holder provided in the processing container and configured to hold the substrates such that the plurality of substrates are arranged along a circumferential direction; a rotating and revolving mechanism configured to rotate the plurality of substrates on the substrate holder and revolve the plurality of substrates on the substrate holder along the circumferential direction; and a sputtered particle emitting mechanism configured to emit sputtered particles to the plurality of substrates held by the substrate holder. Sputtering film formation is performed by emitting the sputtered particles from the sputtered particle emitting mechanism while rotating and revolving the plurality of substrates held by the substrate holder using the rotating and revolving mechanism.

A method of manufacturing by magnetron cathode sputtering an electrolyte film for use in solid oxide cells (SOC). This method comprises the steps consisting of heating a substrate to a temperature ranging from 200° C. to 1200° C.; followed by subjecting the substrate to at least two treatment cycles, each treatment cycle comprising: 1) depositing one layer of a metal precursor on the substrate by magnetron cathode sputtering of a target made up of the metal precursor, the sputtering being carried out under elemental sputtering conditions; followed by 2) oxidation-crystallisation of the metal precursor forming the layer deposited on the substrate in the presence of oxygen to obtain the transformation of the metal precursor into the electrolyte material; and in that the substrate is kept at a temperature ranging from 200° C. to 1200° C. for the entire duration of each treatment cycle.

A method for preparing bismuth oxide nanowire films by heating in an upside down position includes: washing a substrate, and fixing the substrate to a substrate support in a magnetron sputtering system in a position where an electrically conductive surface of the substrate faces downwards; placing a bismuth target, which is adhered to a copper backing plate, on a sputtering head in the magnetron sputtering system; performing direct current magnetron sputtering to form a bismuth film on the electrically conductive surface of the substrate; and regulating a heating temperature to maintain the bismuth film in a semi-molten state, and providing a predetermined oxygen gas concentration to form the bismuth oxide nanowire film.

A method may produce a ceramic part with a mother-of-pearl effect, in particular for watchmaking. Such methods may include: forming a ceramic body; depositing a layer of an oxy-nitride component of the OxNy type on at least a portion of the ceramic body; and oxidizing at least a portion of the oxy-nitride layer, preferably by heating.

A vacuum processing apparatus includes: a stage on which a substrate is placed; and a shutter configured to be able to move between a shielding position at which the stage is covered and a retracted position that is retracted from the shielding position, wherein the shutter arranged at the shielding position forms a processing space between the shutter and the stage, and includes: a gas supplier configured to supply a gas into the processing space; and a gas exhauster provided closer to a center side of the processing space than the gas supplier and configured to exhaust the gas from the processing space.

A process for protecting a part made of a hafnium-free nickel-based single-crystal superalloy against corrosion and oxidation includes manufacturing a part made of a hafnium-free nickel-based single-crystal superalloy, depositing successively on the part, a first layer including hafnium, then a mixed layer of stacked layers of an undercoat of an alloy having 10 atomic % or more of aluminum and a second layer including hafnium or a mixed layer of an alloy of aluminum and hafnium, and then a third layer including hafnium, and diffusing and performing an oxidation treatment so as to obtain a hafnium-doped alumina layer.

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.