In a first aspect of a present inventive subject matter, a multilayer structure includes a base with a surface and an electrically-conductive metal oxide film that is positioned directly or via another layer on the base. At least a part of the surface of the base contains as a major component at least one selected from the group of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, magnesium, magnesium alloy, and stainless steel. The electrically-conductive metal oxide film is 30 nm or more in thickness. The multilayer structure is electrically-conductive and has a contact resistance that is 100 mΩcm.sup.2 or less.

A method for forming a layer of alumina on the surface of a metal alloy substrate including aluminium, includes depositing a first aluminium layer on a surface of the metallic substrate, depositing a second layer by vapour-phase deposition on the first layer, the second layer comprising aluminium, a halogen and oxygen, and heat treatment of the substrate coated with the first and second layers under oxidising atmosphere in order to form the layer of alumina at the surface of the metallic substrate.

A method of making a nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is described. The method involves contacting a substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent and a Pd(II) compound. The substrate is heated, and no hydrogen gas or an additional reducing agent is required to reduce the Pd(II) to form the deposited thin film. The nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is capable of detecting compounds such as hydrazine in an aqueous sample with a 10 nM limit of detection.

A method of making a nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is described. The method involves contacting a substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent and a Pd(II) compound. The substrate is heated, and no hydrogen gas or an additional reducing agent is required to reduce the Pd(II) to form the deposited thin film. The nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is capable of detecting compounds such as hydrazine in an aqueous sample with a 10 nM limit of detection.

A first aspect of the invention relates to a carbon-nanotube-based composite coating, comprising a layer of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that comprise metal oxide claddings sheathing them. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing such CNT-based composite coatings using chemical vapour deposition (CVD).

An object of the disclosure is to provide a semiconductor device with low-loss and suppressed leakage current, which is particularly useful for power devices. A semiconductor device including a semiconductor layer, a dielectric film provided on the semiconductor layer and having an opening and provided over a distance of at least 0.25 μm from the opening, and an electrode layer provided over a part or all of the dielectric film from the inside of the opening, wherein the dielectric film has a thickness of less than 50 nm from the opening to a distance of 0.25 μm, and has relative permittivity of 5 or less.

Various embodiments include an exemplary design of an apparatus and related process to reduce or eliminate de-gassing from a liquid precursor during dispensing of the liquid precursor under vacuum. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a liquid-flow controller configured to be coupled to a liquid-supply vessel containing the liquid precursor, and at least one valve hydraulically coupled downstream of and to the liquid-flow controller by a liquid line. The at least one valve is to be opened and closed to maintain a minimum pressure that is sufficiently high enough to reduce or prevent degassing of the liquid precursor throughout the liquid line. An atomizer is hydraulically coupled downstream of and to the at least one valve. The atomizer can produce droplets of the liquid precursor and is further to be coupled on a downstream side to a vacuum source. Other methods and apparatuses are disclosed.

The disclosed technology relates generally to semiconductor processing and more particularly to liquid precursor injection apparatus and methods for depositing thin films. A method of injecting a liquid precursor into a thin film deposition chamber comprises delivering a vaporized liquid precursor into the thin film deposition chamber by atomizing the liquid precursor into atomized precursor droplets using a liquid injection unit and vaporizing the atomized precursor droplets into the vaporized liquid precursor in a vaporization chamber. The liquid injector unit and the liquid precursor are such that operating the liquid precursor delivery unit under a lower stability condition, including a first liquid precursor temperature at the liquid injection unit, a first liquid precursor pressure upstream of the liquid precursor injection unit and a first gas pressure downstream of the liquid precursor injection unit, causes a mass flow rate of the liquid precursor to vary by more than 10% relative to an average mass flow rate of the liquid precursor during a first time duration. Delivering the vaporized liquid precursor into the thin film deposition chamber comprises operating the liquid precursor delivery unit under a higher stability condition. The higher stability includes one or more of: a second liquid precursor temperature at the liquid injection unit that is lower than the first liquid temperature; a second liquid pressure upstream of the injection unit that is higher than the first liquid pressure; and a second gas pressure downstream of the liquid injection unit that is higher than the first Gas pressure. The higher stability is such that that the mass flow rate of the liquid precursor varies by less than 10% relative to an average mass flow rate during a second time duration having the same time duration as the first time duration.

Provided is an α-Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 based semiconductor film having a crystal having a corundum-type crystal structure composed of α-Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 or an α-Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 solid solution as a main phase. This semiconductor film has a size in which the diameter of the largest circle inscribed in the outer circumference thereof is 5.08 cm (2 inches) or more, and at the center point X and each of four outer circumferential points A, B, C, and D of the largest circle on the surface of the semiconductor film, the full width at half maximum of the peak in the vicinity of 216 cm.sup.−1 in Raman spectrum of the semiconductor film, as measured by laser Raman spectroscopy, is 6.0 cm.sup.−1 or less.

A vaporization system includes a vaporization chamber having a first portion and a second portion. A first fluid supply part is connected to the first portion of the vaporization chamber, and configured to supply a mixed fluid in which a first carrier gas and a liquid precursor are mixed, toward the second portion. A second fluid supply part is configured to supply a second carrier gas toward the mixed fluid at the second portion.