A glass container and a process for forming an inorganic silica coating on an exterior surface of the glass container to improve one or more surface characteristics of the glass container. A sol-gel solution including a polysilazane and an organic solvent is applied to the exterior surface of the glass container to form a sol-gel coating thereon. The glass container and the sol-gel coating are then exposed to a water vapor-containing environment and heated at a temperature of between 150 degrees Celsius and 600 degrees Celsius to transform the sol-gel coating into an inorganic silica coating. The as-formed silica coating has a hardness of greater than 8.5 GPa and is bonded to the exterior surface of the glass container through a plurality of siloxane bonds.

A glass container and a process for forming an inorganic silica coating on an exterior surface of the glass container to improve one or more surface characteristics of the glass container. A sol-gel solution including a polysilazane and an organic solvent is applied to the exterior surface of the glass container to form a sol-gel coating thereon. The glass container and the sol-gel coating are then exposed to a water vapor-containing environment and heated at a temperature of between 150 degrees Celsius and 600 degrees Celsius to transform the sol-gel coating into an inorganic silica coating. The as-formed silica coating has a hardness of greater than 8.5 GPa and is bonded to the exterior surface of the glass container through a plurality of siloxane bonds.

Techniques are provided for making a coated article including an antibacterial and/or antifungal coating. In certain example embodiments, the method includes providing a first sputtering target including Zr; providing a second sputtering target including Zn; and co-sputtering from at least the first and second sputtering targets in the presence of nitrogen to form a layer including Zn.sub.xZr.sub.yN.sub.z on a glass substrate. These layers may be heat-treated or thermally tempered to form a single layer including Zn.sub.xZr.sub.yO.sub.z. In other examples, two discrete layers of Zn and Zr may be formed. The coating may be heated or tempered to form a single layer including Zn.sub.xZr.sub.yO.sub.z. Coated articles made using these methods may have antibacterial and/or antifungal properties.

Techniques are provided for making a coated article including an antibacterial and/or antifungal coating. In certain example embodiments, the method includes providing a first sputtering target including Zr; providing a second sputtering target including Zn; and co-sputtering from at least the first and second sputtering targets in the presence of nitrogen to form a layer including Zn.sub.xZr.sub.yN.sub.z on a glass substrate. These layers may be heat-treated or thermally tempered to form a single layer including Zn.sub.xZr.sub.yO.sub.z. In other examples, two discrete layers of Zn and Zr may be formed. The coating may be heated or tempered to form a single layer including Zn.sub.xZr.sub.yO.sub.z. Coated articles made using these methods may have antibacterial and/or antifungal properties.

A sapphire composite base material including: an inorganic glass substrate, a polyvinyl butyral or silica intermediate film on the inorganic glass substrate, and a single crystal sapphire film on the intermediate film. There is also provided a method for producing a sapphire composite base material, including steps of: forming an ion-implanted layer inside the single crystal sapphire substrate; forming a polyvinyl butyral or silica intermediate film on at least one surface selected from the surface of the single crystal sapphire substrate before or after the ion implantation, and a surface of an inorganic glass substrate; bonding the ion-implanted surface of the single crystal sapphire substrate to the surface of the inorganic glass substrate via the intermediate film to obtain a bonded body; and transferring a single crystal sapphire film to the inorganic glass substrate via the intermediate film.

A sapphire composite base material including: an inorganic glass substrate, a polyvinyl butyral or silica intermediate film on the inorganic glass substrate, and a single crystal sapphire film on the intermediate film. There is also provided a method for producing a sapphire composite base material, including steps of: forming an ion-implanted layer inside the single crystal sapphire substrate; forming a polyvinyl butyral or silica intermediate film on at least one surface selected from the surface of the single crystal sapphire substrate before or after the ion implantation, and a surface of an inorganic glass substrate; bonding the ion-implanted surface of the single crystal sapphire substrate to the surface of the inorganic glass substrate via the intermediate film to obtain a bonded body; and transferring a single crystal sapphire film to the inorganic glass substrate via the intermediate film.

An electrosurgical instrument includes a jaw member having an electrically conductive tissue sealing plate configured to operably couple to a source of electrosurgical energy for treating tissue. A polydimethylsiloxane coating having a thickness in the range of from about 35 nm to about 85 nm is disposed on the tissue sealing plate.

Provided are a quartz glass crucible capable of withstanding a single crystal pull-up step undertaken for a very long period of time, such as multi-pulling, and a manufacturing method thereof.

A quartz glass crucible 1 includes: a cylindrical crucible body 10 which has a bottom and is made of quartz glass; and crystallization-accelerator-containing coating films 13A and 13B which are formed on surfaces of the crucible body 10 so as to cause crystallization-accelerator-enriched layers to be formed in the vicinity of the surfaces of the crucible body 10 by heating during a step of pulling up a silicon single crystal by a Czochralski method.

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to techniques for converting sputter-deposited TiNx or TiOxNy layers into TiOx layers via activation with electromagnetic radiation. An intermediate layer including TiOxNy, 0<y1 is formed on a substrate. The intermediate layer is exposed to the radiation, which is preferentially absorbed by the intermediate layer in an amount sufficient to heat the intermediate layer to a temperature of 500-650 degrees C. while keeping the substrate at a significantly lower temperature. A flash light operated with a series of millisecond or sub-millisecond length pulses may be used in this regard. The converting removes nitrogen from, and introduces oxygen into, the intermediate layer, causing the layer to expand beyond its initial thickness. At least some of the final layer may have an anatase phase, and it may be photocatalytic. These layers may be used in low-maintenance glass, antireflective, and/or other applications.

A process of forming a mixed metal oxide solid is provided. The process includes the steps of obtaining a precursor composition comprising at least two metal or metalloid-containing compounds, the metal or metalloid of the at least two compounds being different, one from the other; and allowing the at least two metal or metalloid-containing compounds of the precursor composition to at least partially react by hydrolysis and/or condensation. The at least two metal or metalloid-containing compounds may have different points of zero charge (PZC). Further material or articles comprising a substrate or material coated with or otherwise in physical connection to the mixed metal oxide solid formed according to the process are also provided.