A method of forming a silicide film including: disposing a semiconductor wafer containing silicon as a constituent element in a sputtering chamber; evacuating an inside of the sputtering chamber until a pressure reaches 9×10.sup.−5 Pa or less; introducing a sputtering gas into the sputtering chamber and sputtering a target in the sputtering chamber to deposit a metal film on the semiconductor wafer; and causing a laser beam to be incident into the metal film deposited on the semiconductor wafer to form a metal silicide film by a silicide reaction.

A method of modifying surfaces of diamond particles comprises forming spinodal alloy coatings over discrete diamond particles, thermally treating the spinodal alloy coatings to form modified coatings each independently exhibiting a reactive metal phase and a substantially non-reactive metal phase, and etching surfaces of the discrete diamond particles with at least one reactive metal of the reactive metal phase of the modified coatings. Diamond particles and earth-boring tools are also described.

Microfluidic devises and process for making the devices include coating a substrate with an active oxygen layer and covalently bonding a polymeric microfluidic pattern to the substrate and devices made by the process.

Systems and methods for strengthening a sapphire part are described herein. One embodiment may take the form of a method including orienting a first surface of a sapphire member relative to an ion implantation device and performing a first implantation step. The implanting step may include directing ions at the first surface of the sapphire member to embed them under the first surface. The systems and methods may also include one or more of heating the sapphire member to diffuse the implanted ions into deeper layers of sapphire member, cooling the sapphire member, and performing at least a second implantation step directing ions at the first surface of the sapphire member to embed the ions under the first surface.

Microwave radiation may be applied to electrochemical devices for rapid thermal processing (RTP) (including annealing, crystallizing, densifying, forming, etc.) of individual layers of the electrochemical devices, as well as device stacks, including bulk and thin film batteries and thin film electrochromic devices. A method of manufacturing an electrochemical device may comprise: depositing a layer of the electrochemical device over a substrate; and microwave annealing the layer, wherein the microwave annealing includes selecting annealing conditions with preferential microwave energy absorption in the layer. An apparatus for forming an electrochemical device may comprise: a first system to deposit an electrochemical device layer over a substrate; and a second system to microwave anneal the layer, wherein the second system is configured to provide preferential microwave energy absorption in the device layer.

A metallic sheet with deposited structured images and method for manufacture (MSDIMM) that includes a substrate, at least one structural feature, and a metal layer. The structural feature is at least one cavity on the substrate's upper surface, or at least one material object that extends outward from the substrate's upper surface. The metal layer is deposited, either by sputtering or atomic deposition, onto the substrate's upper surface, and, as the metal layer is deposited, the metal layer interfaces with and follows the dimensions of the structural feature(s), thereby creating a visible image at the location(s) of the structural feature(s). The visible image can be any image, and is preferably either an artistic image, a textual image, or an authentication image. The MDSIMM can be used for a variety sf purposes, and is especially effective as a form of exonumia or currency.

A method for making a SnO thin film includes steps of: providing a substrate and a tin oxide sputtering target; spacing the substrate and the tin oxide sputtering target from each other; and sputtering the SnO thin film on the substrate by using a magnetron sputtering method. The tin oxide sputtering target comprises uniformly mixed elemental Sn and SnO.sub.2. An atomic ratio of Sn atoms and O atoms in the tin oxide sputtering target satisfies 1:2<Sn:O≦2:1.

A device used for making a carbon fiber film includes a chamber, a support base, and a power supply. The support base is used for suspending a carbon nanotube film in the chamber and transporting a negative voltage to the carbon nanotube film. The power supply is located outside of the chamber and used for applying the negative voltage.

A method includes performing ion beam sputtering with ion assisted deposition to deposit a protective layer on a surface of a body. The protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth-containing film of a thickness less than 1000 .Math.m. The porosity of the protective layer is below 1%. The plasma resistant rare earth-containing film consists of 40 mol% to less than 100 mol% of Y.sub.2O.sub.3, over 0 mol% to 60 mol% of ZrO.sub.2, and 0 mol% to 9 mol% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3.

Provided are a substrate treatment apparatus and method for treating a substrate by simultaneously providing a stripper for peeling a coating film on the substrate to an entire surface of the substrate. The substrate treatment method includes discharging a first liquid onto a substrate by using a first nozzle, and forming a coating film collecting particles by using the first liquid; spraying a second liquid on the substrate by using a second nozzle, and peeling the coating film from the substrate by using the second liquid; and discharging a third liquid onto the substrate by using a third nozzle, and rinsing the coating film from the substrate by using the third liquid, wherein in the peeling of the coating film, the second liquid is simultaneously sprayed on an entire surface of the substrate.