Provided is a fabrication method for a composite planar pH sensor modified by graphene film. The fabrication method includes the steps of: slotting into substrate, setting copper foil on both sides, and setting leads on the copper foil; coating graphene film on the copper foils using micro mechanical stripping method to form the first graphene film and the second graphene film; depositing Sb layer and Sb.sub.2O.sub.3 layer successively on the first graphene film by magnetron sputtering method, and coating Nafion membrane on the Sb.sub.2O.sub.3 layer by spin-coating method to fabricate pH working electrode; depositing Ag layer on the second graphene film and dipping in FeCl.sub.3 solution to form AgCl layer; coating the third graphene film on the AgCl layer to fabricate reference electrode. The method can be used for fabricating the composite planar pH sensor modified by graphene film with the feature of quick response, good stability and good reproducibility, and the sensor can be used in pH measurement for solid, semisolid, mash and solution samples.

The invention relates to a metal part comprising a metallic substrate (S) having an outer surface coated with a layer of carbon-based material (M). According to the invention, the layer of carbon-based material:is of DLC amorphous carbon type, from the a-C family; comprises less than 3 at % of oxygen within the layer of carbon-based material; does not contain hydrogen, nitrogen, or doping elements.

A magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD plasma source includes a hollow cathode target and an anode. The anode and cathode form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines that are substantially perpendicular to a cathode target surface. The gap magnet assembly forms a cusp magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross a pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. This pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected with a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have a negative, positive, or floating electric potential. The plasma source can be configured to generate volume discharge. The gap size prohibits generation of plasma discharge in the gap. By controlling the duration, value and a sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, the plasma ionization can be controlled. The magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD source can also be used for chemically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (CE-IPVD). Gas flows through the gap between hollow cathode and anode. The cathode target is inductively grounded, and the substrate is periodically inductively grounded.

The invention concerns an optical coating (3, 3), having a high refractive index and good optical properties (i.e., low absorption and scatter) and limited internal stresses in a spectral range extending from the visible to the near UV range (i.e., up to a wavelength of 220 nm). The coating (3, 3) according to the invention consists of a hafnium- or zirconium-containing oxide Hf.sub.xSi.sub.yO.sub.z or Zr.sub.xSi.sub.yO.sub.z containing an silicon fraction (y) between 1 at. % and 10 at. %, especially between 1.5 at. % and 3 at. %.

A magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD plasma source includes a hollow cathode target and an anode. The anode and cathode form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines that are substantially perpendicular to a cathode target surface. The gap magnet assembly forms a cusp magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross a pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. This pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected with a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have a negative, positive, or floating electric potential. The plasma source can be configured to generate volume discharge. The gap size prohibits generation of plasma discharge in the gap. By controlling the duration, value and a sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, the plasma ionization can be controlled. The magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD source can also be used for chemically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (CE-IPVD). Gas flows through the gap between hollow cathode and anode. The cathode target is inductively grounded, and the substrate is periodically inductively grounded.

The invention relates to a method for depositing a carbon-based material from a target onto a metal substrate, by ion-assisted cathode sputtering.

According to the invention, the ratio between the flow of ions that is directed toward the substrate and the flow of neutral carbon atoms that is directed toward the substrate is adjusted to between 1.7 and 3.5; and a bias voltage of between 35 V and 100 V is applied to the substrate.

A deposited amorphous carbon film includes at least 95% carbon. A percentage of sp3 carbon-carbon bonds present in the amorphous carbon film exceeds 30%, and a hydrogen content of the amorphous carbon film is less than 5%. A process of depositing amorphous carbon on a workpiece includes positioning the workpiece within a process chamber and positioning a magnetron assembly adjacent to the process chamber. The magnetron assembly projects a magnetic field into the process chamber. The method further includes providing a carbon target such that the magnetic field extends through the carbon target toward the workpiece. The method further includes providing a source gas to the process chamber, and providing pulses of DC power to a plasma formed from the source gas within the process chamber. The pulses of DC power are supplied in pulses of 40 microseconds or less, that repeat at a frequency of at least 4 kHz.

A magnetron plasma sputtering arrangement including an evacuable chamber, wherein in the evacuable chamber a tuning electrode, operatively connected to a biasing source with respect to ground, and including an aperture defining at least one axis of length, is arranged in a flow path for plasma between a sputtering head and a substrate. A plasma sputtered material originating at a sputtering target will traverse the aperture before depositing onto the surface of the substrate as a thin film.

A vacuum apparatus to deposit a compound layer on at least one plate shaped substrate by sputtering. The apparatus including a vacuum chamber with side walls around a central axis. The chamber includes at least one inlet for a process gas, at least one inlet for an inert gas, a substrate handling opening, a pedestal including an electrostatic chuck formed as a substrate support in a central lower area of a sputter compartment, a magnetron sputter source including the target at the frontside and a magnet-system at the backside of the source, an anode looping around the target and at least an upper part of the pedestal and a pump compartment connected to a bottom of the sputter compartment by a flow labyrinth. A vacuum pump system is connected to the pump compartment.

A method of sputtering a layer on a substrate includes positioning an HEDP magnetron in a vacuum with an anode, cathode target, magnet assembly, substrate, and feed gas; applying a plurality of unipolar negative direct current (DC) voltage pulses from a pulse power supply to a pulse converting network (PCN), wherein the PCN comprises at least one inductor and at least one capacitor; and adjusting an amplitude, pulse duration, and frequency associated with the plurality of unipolar negative DC voltage pulses and adjusting a value of at least one of the at least one inductor and the at least one capacitor, thereby causing a resonance mode associated with the PCN. The substrate is operatively coupled to ground by a first diode, thereby attracting positively charged ions sputtered from the cathode target and plasma to the substrate. A corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium are also disclosed.