A film of material may be formed by providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface region and a cleave region located at a predetermined depth beneath the surface region. During a process of cleaving the film from the substrate, shear in the cleave region is carefully controlled. According to certain embodiments, an in-plane shear component (KII) is maintained near zero, sandwiched between a tensile region and a compressive region. In one embodiment, cleaving can be accomplished using a plate positioned over the substrate surface. The plate serves to constrain movement of the film during cleaving, and together with a localized thermal treatment reduces shear developed during the cleaving process. According to other embodiments, the KII component is purposefully maintained at a high level and serves to guide and drive fracture propagation through the cleave sequence.

A film of material may be formed by providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface region and a cleave region located at a predetermined depth beneath the surface region. During a process of cleaving the film from the substrate, shear in the cleave region is carefully controlled. According to certain embodiments, an in-plane shear component (KII) is maintained near zero, sandwiched between a tensile region and a compressive region. In one embodiment, cleaving can be accomplished using a plate positioned over the substrate surface. The plate serves to constrain movement of the film during cleaving, and together with a localized thermal treatment reduces shear developed during the cleaving process. According to other embodiments, the KII component is purposefully maintained at a high level and serves to guide and drive fracture propagation through the cleave sequence.

A method for producing an optical coupling element made of elastomer includes filling a free-flowing elastomer formulation or its constituents into a mold so as to produce a flat sheet whose thickness is adapted to a thickness of the optical coupling element that is to be produced. The elastomer formulation or its constituents is cured to form an inherently stable elastomer. Individual optical coupling elements are cut out of the flat sheet.

A method for producing an optical coupling element made of elastomer includes filling a free-flowing elastomer formulation or its constituents into a mold so as to produce a flat sheet whose thickness is adapted to a thickness of the optical coupling element that is to be produced. The elastomer formulation or its constituents is cured to form an inherently stable elastomer. Individual optical coupling elements are cut out of the flat sheet.

A method for manufacturing an acoustic wave device includes: forming an altered domain in a supporting substrate by irradiating the supporting substrate with a laser light, a piezoelectric substrate being joined to an upper surface of the supporting substrate; forming a groove on an upper surface of the piezoelectric substrate so as to overlap with the altered domain; and cutting the supporting substrate at the groove.

A method for manufacturing an acoustic wave device includes: forming an altered domain in a supporting substrate by irradiating the supporting substrate with a laser light, a piezoelectric substrate being joined to an upper surface of the supporting substrate; forming a groove on an upper surface of the piezoelectric substrate so as to overlap with the altered domain; and cutting the supporting substrate at the groove.

A method for removing plate-like elements, such as panels, paneling elements, plates, laminas, covering layers, and the like, coupled stably to a respective base by way of the interposition of an adhesive, which consists in: exposing, in a step a., the plate-like element to be removed to a source of infrared radiation to increase the temperature of the plate-like element and consequently of the adhesive by the heat conveyed by the infrared radiation; extending, in a step b., the exposure of the plate-like element to the source until the mechanical properties of the adhesive are lost; removing, in a step c., the plate-like element from the base.

A method for removing plate-like elements, such as panels, paneling elements, plates, laminas, covering layers, and the like, coupled stably to a respective base by way of the interposition of an adhesive, which consists in: exposing, in a step a., the plate-like element to be removed to a source of infrared radiation to increase the temperature of the plate-like element and consequently of the adhesive by the heat conveyed by the infrared radiation; extending, in a step b., the exposure of the plate-like element to the source until the mechanical properties of the adhesive are lost; removing, in a step c., the plate-like element from the base.

Multilayered sheet assembly for forming a sign, comprising a carrier layer on which a sign layer is arranged on a first side via a first adhesive layer, wherein the sheet assembly further comprises a strip layer which is arranged via a second adhesive layer in adhesively separable manner on a second side of the carrier layer, and a method for forming a sign from such a sheet assembly, and a thus formed sign.

A method and device for the plasma perforation of tipping paper, wherein a low temperature plasma is generated on the surface of the tipping paper by briefly ionizing a gas mixture using an energy source that is as close in form to a point as possible, wherein the ionizable gas mixture is locally restricted to a very small surface region of the tipping paper.