An improved method for preventing corrosion of magnesium is provided. The method includes providing a magnesium substrate including a native surface layer of nanoporous MgO and Mg(OH).sub.2. The method includes generating a CO.sub.2 plasma at atmospheric pressure, flowing the CO.sub.2 plasma from a nozzle exit as a plasma plume, and exposing the surface film to the plasma plume. The method further includes reacting activated CO.sub.2 gas molecules with the native surface layer by performing an atmospheric CO.sub.2 plasma treatment at room temperature to convert at least a portion of the native surface layer of nanoporous MgO and Mg(OH).sub.2 into a nano-structured to micro-structured MgO/MgCO.sub.3 coating.

A method of forming an oxide layer in an in-situ steam generation (ISSG) process, including providing a silicon substrate in a rapid thermal process (RTP) chamber and injecting a gas mixture into the RTP chamber. The method further includes heating a surface of the silicon substrate to a reaction temperature, so that the gas mixture reacts close to the surface to form steam and thereby oxidize the silicon substrate to form the oxide layer on the surface, and wherein the gas mixture comprises hydrogen (H.sub.2), oxygen (O.sub.2) and nitrous oxide (N.sub.2O).

Methods of processing thin film by oxidation at high pressure are described. The methods are generally performed at pressures greater than 2 bar. The methods can be performed at lower temperatures and have shorter exposure times than similar methods performed at lower pressures. Some methods relate to oxidizing tungsten films to form self-aligned pillars.

Methods of processing thin film by oxidation at high pressure are described. The methods are generally performed at pressures greater than 2 bar. The methods can be performed at lower temperatures and have shorter exposure times than similar methods performed at lower pressures. Some methods relate to oxidizing tungsten films to form self-aligned pillars.

A method to reduce corrosion rates of materials at high temperatures may include heating a mixture and applying the heated mixture to a material to be rendered thermodynamically noble. The mixture may include carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and the material rendered thermodynamically noble may include copper or other material having similar physical properties. The copper or other similar material may be applied to a structural material and provide a surface interfacing with the mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to prevent corrosion of the structural material. In some cases, the structural material may form a heat exchanger defining passageways for a working fluid of a power system and/or may form other passageways of the power system. The copper may be applied to the passageways as a protective coating and then made thermodynamically noble at high temperatures after interactions with the mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

A method to reduce corrosion rates of materials at high temperatures may include heating a mixture and applying the heated mixture to a material to be rendered thermodynamically noble. The mixture may include carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and the material rendered thermodynamically noble may include copper or other material having similar physical properties. The copper or other similar material may be applied to a structural material and provide a surface interfacing with the mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to prevent corrosion of the structural material. In some cases, the structural material may form a heat exchanger defining passageways for a working fluid of a power system and/or may form other passageways of the power system. The copper may be applied to the passageways as a protective coating and then made thermodynamically noble at high temperatures after interactions with the mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

This invention relates to a photocatalytic material, a hot water process method to synthesize the photocatalytic material and a method for water treatment with the photocatalytic material. The photocatalytic material includes metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures synthesized from a metallic material by a hot water process, wherein the hot water process comprises treating the metallic material with hot water under a treatment condition for a period of time so as to form the metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures on a surface of the metallic material.

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes annealing a surface of a substrate in an ambient of hydrogen to smooth the surface, pre-cleaning the surface of the substrate, depositing a high-κ dielectric layer on the pre-cleaned surface of the substrate, performing a re-oxidation process to thermally oxidize the surface of the substrate; performing a plasma nitridation process to insert nitrogen atoms in the deposited high-κ dielectric layer, and performing a post-nitridation anneal process to passivate chemical bonds in the plasma nitridated high-κ dielectric layer.

Described herein is a technique capable of improving a quality of a substrate processing performed using hydrogen peroxide. According to one aspect of the technique described herein, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including: (a) supplying a first process gas containing water and a first concentration of hydrogen peroxide to a substrate having a silicon-containing film formed on a surface thereof; and (b) supplying a second process gas containing water and a second concentration of hydrogen peroxide higher than the first concentration to the substrate after (a).

Described herein is a technique capable of improving a quality of a substrate processing performed using hydrogen peroxide. According to one aspect of the technique described herein, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including: (a) supplying a first process gas containing water and a first concentration of hydrogen peroxide to a substrate having a silicon-containing film formed on a surface thereof; and (b) supplying a second process gas containing water and a second concentration of hydrogen peroxide higher than the first concentration to the substrate after (a).