A material at least partly coated with a passive film of fluoride formed by contact with a gas containing ClF.

A material at least partly coated with a passive film of fluoride formed by contact with a gas containing ClF.

Some embodiments include a method of forming a conductive structure. A metal-containing conductive material is formed over a supporting substrate. A surface of the metal-containing conductive material is exposed to at least one radical form of hydrogen and to at least one oxidant. The exposure alters at least a portion of the metal-containing conductive material to thereby form at least a portion of the conductive structure. Some embodiments include a conductive structure which has a metal-containing conductive material with a first region adjacent to a second region. The first region has a greater concentration of one or both of fluorine and boron relative to the second region.

A method for patinating zinc surfaces of a structural element. The method includes disposing a structural element with a zinc surface in a container. Disposing an atmosphere around the zinc surface in the container, wherein said atmosphere comprises a carbon-based gas and a relative humidity. Heating the zinc surface for at least one hour to provide a patinated zinc surface. Heating of the zinc surface occurs by disposing the atmosphere at a heating state. The heating state the atmosphere comprises a temperature of at least 50 degrees Celsius, relative humidity of at least 70%, and at least 5% volume of a carbon-based gas.

An improvement in electrical conductivity of an aluminum member is provided. A surface film of the aluminum member contains at least one of aluminum oxide and aluminum hydroxide, and the surface film includes not less than 100000 semiconducting portions per square centimeter of a surface of the aluminum member, the semiconducting portions being formed in portions of the surface film where water molecules cohere together.

There is provided a surface treatment method in which a processing gas is brought in contact with a heated processing object made of steel, an element in the processing gas is solid-solutionized, and thus a surface treatment is performed on the processing object. The processing object is heated to a heating temperature in a vicinity of a processing temperature at which the surface treatment is performed by heating an atmosphere in which the processing object is disposed. The surface treatment is performed by bringing the processing gas in contact with a surface of the processing object while the processing object which is heated is directly heated to the processing temperature.

There is provided a surface treatment method in which a processing gas is brought in contact with a heated processing object made of steel, an element in the processing gas is solid-solutionized, and thus a surface treatment is performed on the processing object. The processing object is heated to a heating temperature in a vicinity of a processing temperature at which the surface treatment is performed by heating an atmosphere in which the processing object is disposed. The surface treatment is performed by bringing the processing gas in contact with a surface of the processing object while the processing object which is heated is directly heated to the processing temperature.

There is provided a metal contamination prevention method performed by passing a metal chloride gas through a metal component having a surface covered with an inactive film formed of a chromium oxide, the method including: generating a chromium chloride (III) hexahydrate by supplying a hydrochloric acid to the inactive film covering the surface of the metal component and allowing the chromium oxide to react with the hydrochloric acid; removing a chromium from the inactive film by evaporating the chromium chloride (III) hexahydrate; and covering a surface of the inactive film with a compound containing a metal contained in the metal chloride gas.

There is provided a metal contamination prevention method performed by passing a metal chloride gas through a metal component having a surface covered with an inactive film formed of a chromium oxide, the method including: generating a chromium chloride (III) hexahydrate by supplying a hydrochloric acid to the inactive film covering the surface of the metal component and allowing the chromium oxide to react with the hydrochloric acid; removing a chromium from the inactive film by evaporating the chromium chloride (III) hexahydrate; and covering a surface of the inactive film with a compound containing a metal contained in the metal chloride gas.

Disclosed are a processing method for fluorination of a fluorination-target component for semiconductor fabrication equipment, which may realize high density and high strength by fluorinating the fluorination-target component using a fluorinating gas excited into plasma, and at the same time, may significantly reduce plasma contaminant particles which are generated during formation of a fluoride coating, and a fluorinated component obtained by the method.