The present invention provides a metal carbonitride comprising: i) a first metal, M.sup.1; and ii) a second metal, M.sup.2; wherein M.sup.1 is titanium, zirconium or hafnium; and M.sup.2 is vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, iron, ruthenium or osmium.

Methods for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of silicon carbonitride films are described. A flowable silicon carbonitride film is formed on a substrate surface by exposing the substrate surface to a precursor and a reactant, the precursor having a structure of general formula (I) or general formula (II) ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9, R.sup.10, R.sup.11, and R.sup.12 are independently selected from hydrogen (H), substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted vinyl, silane, substituted or unsubstituted amine, or halide; purging the processing chamber of the silicon precursor, and then exposing the substrate to an ammonia plasma.

Soft magnetic materials, and related techniques for manufacturing such soft magnetic materials, are disclosed herein. Such magnetic materials can be based on iron nitride, iron oxynitride, iron boronitride and/or iron carbonitiride. The techniques disclosed herein for manufacturing ferromagnetic particles can be used to control functional magnetic and electrical properties of the manufactured particles. Some techniques disclosed herein can be used to form a coating on a particle, with the coating having a thickness of 0.05 to 1.00 μm. These magnetic materials manufactured via one or more of the techniques disclosed herein can have both relatively high magnetic induction and relatively high electrical resistivity.

A cutting tool includes: a substrate; a hard layer provided on the substrate; and a titanium carbonitride layer provided on the hard layer, wherein a thickness of the titanium carbonitride layer is more than or equal to 2 μm, a hardness of the titanium carbonitride layer at a room temperature is more than or equal to 35 GPa, and a Young's modulus of the titanium carbonitride layer at the room temperature is less than or equal to 650 GPa.

The disclosure relates to a method for preparing a 3D sponge structured carbonitride coated VSe.sub.2 composite (3D-VSe.sub.2@CN), belonging to the technical fields of electrode materials and preparation of batteries. In the disclosure, carbon, nitrogen and VSe.sub.2 are composited by using NaCl as a template so as to construct a 3D sponge structured carbonitride coated VSe.sub.2 composite. The 3D sponge structure can increase the structure stability of the material in the cyclic process, and the carbocanitride can increase the electron conductivity and activity sites of the material, so as to allow easier diffusion of potassium ions. Meanwhile, the stable structure can cause the clustering of VSe.sub.2 all the time. Thus, the prepared composite has good and stable rate capability and cycle stability. The process method is simple, low in cost, environmental-friendly, and suitable for large-scale industrial production.

Provided is a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process for depositing etch-resistant SiOCN films. These films provide improved growth rate, improved step coverage and excellent etch resistance to wet etchants and post-deposition plasma treatments containing O.sub.2 and NH.sub.3 co-reactants. This PEALD process relies on one or more precursors reacting in tandem with the plasma exposure to deposit the etch-resistant thin-films of SiOCN. The films display excellent resistance to wet etching with dilute aqueous HF solutions, both after deposition and after post-deposition plasma treatment(s). Accordingly, these films are expected to display excellent stability towards post-deposition fabrication steps utilized during device manufacturing and build.

Methods for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of silicon carbonitride films are described. A flowable silicon carbonitride film is formed on a substrate surface by exposing the substrate surface to a precursor and a reactant, the precursor having a structure of general formula (I) or general formula (II)

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9, R.sup.10, R.sup.11, and R.sup.12 are independently selected from hydrogen (H), substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted vinyl, silane, substituted or unsubstituted amine, or halide; purging the processing chamber of the silicon precursor, and then exposing the substrate to an ammonia plasma.

Provided is a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process for depositing etch-resistant SiOCN films. These films provide improved growth rate, improved step coverage and excellent etch resistance to wet etchants and post-deposition plasma treatments containing O.sub.2 and NH.sub.3 co-reactants. This PEALD process relies on one or more precursors reacting in tandem with the plasma exposure to deposit the etch-resistant thin-films of SiOCN. The films display excellent resistance to wet etching with dilute aqueous HF solutions, both after deposition and after post-deposition plasma treatment(s). Accordingly, these films are expected to display excellent stability towards post-deposition fabrication steps utilized during device manufacturing and build.

The present invention is directed to methods of transferring urea from an aqueous solution comprising urea to a MXene composition, the method comprising contacting the aqueous solution comprising urea with the MXene composition for a time sufficient to form an intercalated MXene composition comprising urea.

A composite for a lithium air battery, wherein the composite is represented by Formula 1:
MC.sub.xN.sub.(1−x)  Formula 1 wherein M in Formula 1 is at least one selected from a metal element and a metalloid element, and 0<x<1.