In some embodiments, a semiconductor fabrication tool is provided. The semiconductor fabrication tool includes a first processing zone having a first ambient environment and a second processing zone having a second ambient environment disposed at different location inside a processing chamber. A first exhaust port and a second exhaust port are disposed in the first and second processing zones, respectively. A first exhaust pipe couples the first exhaust port to a first individual exhaust output. A second exhaust pipe couples the second exhaust port to a second individual exhaust output, where the second exhaust pipe is separate from the first exhaust pipe. A first adjustable fluid control element controls the first ambient environment. A second adjustable fluid control element controls the second ambient environment, where the first adjustable fluid control element and the second adjustable fluid control element are independently adjustable.

The present disclosure discloses a method of preparing a carbon-coated ceria hollow sphere, which includes the following steps of: S110, dispersing silica in a solvent to obtain a silica dispersion; S120, performing a hydrothermal reaction between the silica dispersion and a cerium salt to obtain a ceria-coated silica microsphere; S140, coating the ceria-coated silica microsphere with a carbon source to obtain a primary product, wherein the carbon source is dopamine; S160, sintering the primary product under a protective gas atmosphere to obtain a carbon-coated ceria microsphere; and S170, etching the carbon-coated ceria microsphere by using an etchant to obtain a carbon-coated ceria hollow sphere.

[Problem] To provide an electrode manufacturing method and an electrode manufacturing device with high productivity, and an electrode obtained therewith.

[Solution] Provided is an electrode manufacturing method, comprising performing pyrolysis while simultaneously directly spraying a coating liquid onto a heated substrate to form a catalytic layer or intermediate layer on the substrate.

Methods for selective deposition of silicon oxide films on dielectric surfaces relative to metal surfaces are provided. A metal surface of a substrate may be selectively passivated relative to the dielectric surface, such as with a polyimide layer or thiol SAM. Silicon oxide is selectively deposited on the dielectric surface relative to the passivated metal surface by contacting the dielectric surface with a metal catalyst and a silicon precursor comprising a silanol.

A method of forming one-dimensional metal oxide nanostructures includes forming a TiN film on a substrate to provide a TiN-coated substrate; providing an aqueous mixture including hexamethylenetetramine and a metal nitrate, contacting the TiN-coated substrate with the aqueous mixture such that the TiN film on the substrate is in the aqueous mixture, and heating the aqueous mixture at a temperature ranging from about 50? C. to about 100? C. for a period of time ranging from about 60 minutes to about 180 minutes to form the metal oxide nanostructures. The method offers a low-temperature approach for the growth of metal oxide nanostructures. In an embodiment, the metal oxide is zinc oxide (ZnO) and the metal nitrate is zinc nitrate. In an embodiment the substrate is a Si/SiO.sub.2 substrate. In an embodiment, the metal oxide nanostructures include one-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanorods.

Techniques for mechanically stabilizing metallic nanowire meshes using encapsulation are provided. In one aspect, a method for forming a mechanically-stabilized metallic nanowire mesh is provided which includes the steps of: forming the metallic nanowire mesh on a substrate; and coating the metallic nanowire mesh with a metal oxide that encapsulates the metallic nanowire mesh to mechanically-stabilize the metallic nanowire mesh which permits the metallic nanowire mesh to remain conductive at temperatures greater than or equal to about 600 C. A mechanically-stabilized metallic nanowire mesh is also provided.

Aspects described herein generally relate to a sol-gel that is the reaction product of an organosilane, a metal alkoxide, an acid, and chromium (III) salt and/or a lanthanide salt having a solubility of about 1 gram or greater per gram of sol-gel at 23 C. The lanthanide salt includes a cation and a ligand. The cation can be lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium, cobalt, calcium, strontium, barium, and zirconium. A ligand can be a nitrate, a trifluoromethane sulfonate, a sulfate, a phosphate, a hydroxide, or hydrate forms thereof. The chromium (III) salt includes a cation and a ligand. The cation is chromium (III) and the ligand can be a nitrate, a trifluoromethane sulfonate, a sulfate, a phosphate, a hydroxide, or hydrate forms thereof.

In a method for producing a metal oxide film according to the present invention, a solution containing zinc is sprayed onto a substrate placed under non-vacuum, and then, a dopant solution containing a dopant is sprayed onto the substrate. After that, a deposited metal oxide film is subjected to a resistance reducing treatment. A molar concentration of the dopant supplied to the substrate with respect to a molar concentration of the zinc supplied to the substrate is not less than a predetermined value.

A film forming method of forming a film on a substrate includes: annealing the substrate; and supplying mist of a raw material solution of the film to a surface of the substrate after the annealing while heating the substrate at a temperature lower than a temperature of the substrate during the annealing.

The invention relates to a method for producing a neutral barrier layer for coating the inner surface of a receptacle for holding products that are biocompatible for humans and/or animals, and to the receptacle obtained by said method. According to the invention, a solution is formed that contains at least one solvent, water, at least one complexing molecular alkoxysilane precursor, at least one surfactant, at least one pigment and/or coloring agent, and a catalytic acid, the complexed solution, which is undergoing hydrolysis and condensation, is homogeneously applied to at least one portion of the inner surface of the receptacle, the applied solution is dried at a specific drying temperature such that a layer is formed which is opaque, translucid and/or forms a particular pattern, and the receptacle is conveyed away, stored and filled with the product.