A cutting tool comprises a substrate and an AlTiN layer, the AlTiN layer including a first major surface and a second major surface, the AlTiN layer including a first region having a distance of 0 nm or more and 30 nm or less from the first major surface and having a maximum oxygen content ratio of more than 0 atomic % and less than 5 atomic %, a second region having a distance of more than 30 nm and 100 nm or less from the first major surface and having a maximum oxygen content ratio of 5 atomic % or more and 30 atomic % or less, and a third region having a distance of more than 100 nm and 150 nm or less from the first major surface and having a maximum oxygen content ratio of more than 0 atomic % and less than 5 atomic %.

A protective layer is formed over a copper seed layer on a semiconductor substrate prior to electroplating. The protective layer is capable of protecting the copper seed layer from oxidation and from dissolution in an electrolyte during initial phases of electroplating. The protective layer, in some embodiments, prevents the copper seed layer from contacting atmosphere, and from being oxidized by atmospheric oxygen and/or moisture. The protective layer contains a metal that is less noble than copper (e.g., cobalt), where the metal can be in an oxidized form that is readily soluble in a plating liquid. In one embodiment a protective cobalt layer is formed by depositing cobalt metal by chemical vapor deposition over copper seed layer without exposing the copper seed layer to atmosphere, followed by subsequent oxidation of cobalt to cobalt oxide that occurs after the substrate is exposed to atmosphere. The resulting protective layer is dissolved during electroplating.

Treatment solutions and methods for treating a substrate including forming a first layer on a surface of the substrate, providing a process gas to the one or more plasma sources, the process gas includes a gas mixture of a reactive gas species and an inert gas species; forming a plasma under vacuum in the one or more plasma sources; and exposing the substrate to the plasma under vacuum to treat the first layer on the surface of the substrate.

A method comprises discharging from a metal vaporization device a vapor of a metal or a metal precursor to a chemical vapor infiltration device where the chemical vapor infiltration device is in fluid communication with the metal vaporization device. The chemical vapor infiltration device contains a preform containing ceramic fibers. The preform is infiltrated with a metallic coating or a coating of a metallic precursor along with a ceramic precursor coating. The metallic coating and/or the metallic precursor coating and the ceramic precursor coating are applied sequentially or simultaneously.

A film formation method includes: providing a substrate including a first region in which a first material is exposed and a second region in which a second material different from the first material is exposed; forming an intermediate film selectively in the second region from the first region and the second region by supplying a processing gas to the substrate; forming a self-assembled monolayer in the first region and the second region after forming the intermediate film; removing the intermediate film and the self-assembled monolayer from the second region by heating the substrate to sublimate the intermediate film; and forming, after sublimation of the intermediate film, a target film selectively in the second region from the first region and the second region in a state in which the self-assembled monolayer is left in the first region.

A method includes placing a first charged metal dot on a first position of a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A first charged region is formed on a second position of the surface of the semiconductor substrate. A precursor gas is flowed along a first direction from the first position toward the second position on the semiconductor substrate, thereby forming a first carbon nanotube (CNT) on the semiconductor substrate. A dielectric layer is deposited to cover the first CNT and the semiconductor substrate. A second charged metal dot is placed on a third position of a surface of the dielectric layer. A second charged region is formed on a fourth position of the surface of the dielectric layer. The precursor gas is flowed along a second direction from the third position toward the fourth position on the semiconductor substrate, thereby forming a second CNT on the first CNT.

The present invention is to provide: a method for producing a novel hexagonal boron nitride thin film suitable for industrial use such as application to electronics, in which a hexagonal boron nitride thin film having a large area, a uniform thickness of 1 nm or more, with few grain boundaries can be produced inexpensively; and a hexagonal boron nitride thin film. The hexagonal boron nitride thin film according to the present invention is characterized by having a thickness of 1 nm or more, and an average value of the full width at half maximum of the E.sub.2g peak obtained from Raman spectrum of 9 to 20 cm.sup.−1.

A method is described for protecting a silver surface against tarnishing. This involves depositing a layer of a silver-copper alloy on a substrate, which may be a silver substrate. The alloy comprises between 0.1 wt % and 10 wt % of copper relative to the total weight of the alloy. At least one layer of a metal oxide or a nitride having a thickness in a range of 1 nm to 200 nm is deposited on the alloy to protect against tarnishing. The presence of copper in the silver-copper alloy enhances the alloy's adhesion without altering the silver color.

The present disclosure relates to efficient heat exchanger components, such as pipe apparatuses including the same. Methods of fabricating heat exchange components are also disclosed. A condensing apparatus can include a condenser surface having a substrate and one or more layers of graphene. The substrate can be formed of nickel and a nickel-graphene surface composite layer can be formed. The substrate-graphene composite can be highly durable, hydrophobic, and resistant to fouling. Dropwise condensation can be induced.

Proton conductive membrane includes a proton selective layer of 80-100% carbon with sp2 hybridization having a thickness of 0.3-100 nm, with 0-20% of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sp3 carbon; wherein the sp2 carbon is in a form of graphene-like material; the proton selective layer having a plurality of pores formed by any of 7, 8, 9 or 10 sp2 carbon cycles or a combination thereof, with the pores having an effective diameter of up to 0.6 nm; an ionomeric polymer layer on the proton selective layer. Total thickness of the proton conductive membrane is less than 50 microns. The ionomeric polymer is PFSA (perfluorinated sulfonic acid), PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) or PVA (poly vinyl alcohol) with iodide or bromide counterion dissolved inside. The graphene-like material is CVD graphene or reduced graphene oxide (rGO). A D to G Raman band ratio of the membrane is more than 0.1.