An interference filter includes a layers stack comprising a plurality of layers of at least: layers of amorphous hydrogenated silicon with added nitrogen (a-Si:H,N) and layers of one or more dielectric materials, such as SiO.sub.2, SiO.sub.x, SiO.sub.xN.sub.y, a dielectric material with a higher refractive index in the range 1.9 to 2.7 inclusive, or so forth. The interference filter is designed to have a passband center wavelength in the range 750-1000 nm inclusive. Added nitrogen in the a-Si:H,N layers provides improved transmission in the passband without a large decrease in refractive index observed in a-Si:H with comparable transmission. Layers of a dielectric material with a higher refractive index in the range 1.9 to 2.7 inclusive provide a smaller angle shift compared with a similar interference filter using SiO.sub.2 as the low index layers.

A deposition device includes: a generation chamber; a deposition chamber; a transfer tubing; a target; a stage; and a mask member. The target is disposed in the deposition chamber, has an irradiation surface to be irradiated with the aerosol injected from the nozzle, and causes the raw material particles to be charged to plasma by collision with the irradiation surface. The stage has a support surface that supports a base material, fine particles of the raw material particles produced by discharging of the charged raw material particles being deposited on the base material. The mask member is disposed in the deposition chamber, and inhibits raw material particles specularly reflected on the irradiation surface, of the raw material particles that have been collided with the irradiation surface, from reaching the stage.

A method for forming a low-resistivity tantalum thin film having the following steps: depositing a tantalum layer on a substrate, the tantalum of the layer having a phase, treating the deposited tantalum layer by exposure to a radio frequency hydrogen plasma, such that the layer has tantalum in a mixed - phase, at least partially desorbing the hydrogen by carrying out at least one of the following steps: exposure to a radio frequency inert gas plasma, and thermal annealing. The treatment step being configured such that the tantalum layer is subjected to temperatures of less than or equal to 300 C.

A gas barrier film including a polymer base, an undercoat layer that contains, as the main component, an acrylic resin having at least one side chain selected from the group consisting of the side chains (I) to (III) mentioned below, and an inorganic layer, wherein the undercoat layer and the inorganic layer are arranged in this order on at least one surface of the polymer base in such a manner that the undercoat layer and the inorganic layer are in contact with each other: (I) a side chain having an acrylic polymer skeleton; (II) a side chain having a dimethylsiloxane skeleton; and (III) a side chain having a skeleton containing a fluorine atom.

An optical film structure that includes: an optical film comprising a physical thickness from about 50 nm to about 3000 nm, and a silicon-containing nitride or a silicon-containing oxynitride. The optical film exhibits a maximum hardness of greater than 18 GPa, as measured by a Berkovich Indenter Hardness Test over an indentation depth range from about 100 nm to about 500 nm on a hardness stack comprising a test optical film with a physical thickness of about 2 microns disposed on an inorganic oxide test substrate, the test optical film having the same composition as the optical film. Further, the optical film exhibits an optical extinction coefficient (k) of less than 110.sup.2 at a wavelength of 400 nm and a refractive index (n) of greater than 1.8 at a wavelength of 550 nm.

A coated metallic substrate is provided, including, at least; one layer of oxides, such layer being directly topped by an intermediate coating layer comprising Fe, Ni, Cr and Ti wherein the amount of Ti is above or equal to 5 wt. % and wherein the following equation is satisfied: 8 wt. %<Cr+Ti<40 wt. %, the balance being Fe and Ni, such intermediate coating layer being directly topped by a coating layer being an anticorrosion metallic coating.

An optical filter including at least one of a high refractive index material and a low refractive index material; wherein the optical filter exhibits a reduced angle shift in at least one of a visible, near infrared, and an extreme ultraviolet wavelength is disclosed. A method of depositing a film is also disclosed.

A method includes placing a wafer on a wafer holder, depositing a film on a front surface of the wafer, and blowing a gas through ports in a redistributor onto a back surface of the wafer at a same time the deposition is performed. The gas is selected from a group consisting of nitrogen (N.sub.2), He, Ne, and combinations thereof.

Plasma spray systems comprise multiple zones wherein the energy required for different processes within the systems can be controlled independently. In some embodiments, a plasma spray system comprises a first zone wherein ionic species are generated from the target material using a first energy input, and the ionic species either combine to form a plurality of particles in the first zone, or form coatings on a plurality of input particles input into the first zone. The plasma spray system can further comprise a second zone, comprising a chamber coupled to a microwave energy source, which ionizes the plurality of particles to form a plurality of ionized particles and form a plasma jet. The plasma spray system can further comprise a third zone, comprising an electric field to accelerate the plurality of ionized particles and form a plasma spray.

A method of sustained self-sputtering of lithium in a sputtering station having a lithium metal target, the method comprising initiating a lithium sputtering reaction in the sputtering station by igniting an initial plasma comprising a majority fraction of inert gas ions and inducing a sustained lithium self-sputtering reaction by reducing supply of an inert gas to the sputtering station under conditions that provide a sustained self-sputtering lithium plasma comprising a majority fraction of lithium ions.