A method for forming a droplet interface bilayer (DIB) comprises the steps of: (1) providing an assembly that includes a housing contained within an enclosure, wherein the housing includes at least one aperture that comprises a cis portion and a trans portion, at least one cis electrode receptacle and at least one trans electrode receptacle, wherein the cis electrode receptacle is operatively connected to the cis portion, and the trans electrode receptacle is operatively connected to the trans portion; (2) inserting an electrode into each of the cis and trans electrode receptacles; (3) introducing an oil/lipid phase to the enclosure such that the oil/lipid phase flows into the housing through the aperture; (4) delivering at least two aqueous droplets to the oil/lipid phase in such a manner that at least one aqueous droplet is disposed within the cis portion of the aperture and at least one aqueous droplet is disposed within the trans portion of the aperture; and (5) lowering a level of the oil/lipid phase in the cis and trans portions of the aperture to cause the aqueous droplets in the cis and trans portions to expand and move closer to one another until the aqueous droplets contact one another thereby forming the lipid bilayer at the location at which the aqueous droplets contact one another.

Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to a system, apparatus and method for testing a coating over a semiconductor chamber component. In one embodiment, a test station comprises a hollow tube, a sensor coupled to a top end of the tube and a processing system communicatively coupled to the sensor. The hollow tube has an open bottom end configured for sealingly engaging a coating layer of the semiconductor chamber component. The sensor is configured to detect the presence of a gaseous byproduct of a reaction between a reagent disposed in the hollow tube and a base layer disposed under the coating layer. The processing system is configured to determine exposure of the base layer through the coating layer in response to information about the presence of the gaseous byproduct. In another embodiment, the processing system is communicatively coupled to each sensor of a plurality of test stations.

Disclosed herein is a sunscreen detector for use with portable device, such as a mobile and/or wearable device. One variation of a sunscreen detector comprises an illumination system that is configured to illuminate a target skin area with ultraviolet and/or infrared spectrum light and a sensor system that is configured to detect the amount of ultraviolet and/or infrared spectrum light that is reflected from the target skin area. The sunscreen detector is configured to analyze the data collected by the sensor system to generate a notification to the user as to whether they should apply sunscreen.

A method of testing an electrode paste for producing an electrode for a secondary battery includes preparing an electrode paste obtained by kneading at least active material particles and water dispersible binder particles in an aqueous solvent; performing centrifugation on the electrode paste and collecting a supernatant containing the binder particles, and a free active material; and measuring an absorbance of the supernatant at an evaluation wavelength by using a spectrophotometer, wherein the evaluation wavelength is determined based on a relationship between an average particle size of the binder particles and the absorbance of the supernatant such that a proportion of an absorbance resulting from the binder particles in the absorbance of the supernatant becomes equal to or less than 30%, the relationship being determined in advance; and determining a quality of the electrode paste, based on the absorbance of the supernatant at the evaluation wavelength.

A polarization inspector for inspecting an inspection target, the polarization inspector having a polarization divider for spatially dividing at least a reflected beam of light from the inspection target by irradiating an illumination beam into divided beams of lights mutually different in polarization direction; one or more optical receivers for receiving the divided beams of lights and generating an image signal based on the divided beams of lights; and a processor for calculating at least one of an elliptical azimuth angle, a polarization degree and a polarization component intensity from the image signal.

The present application is directed, at least in part, to a process for forming droplet interface blayers (DIBs). In one or more embodiments, a housing is produced wherein the housing includes at least one aperture that comprises a cis portion and a trans portion, at least one cis electrode receptacle and at least one trans electrode receptacle, wherein the cis electrode receptacle is operatively connected to the cis portion, and the trans electrode receptacle is operatively connected to the trans portion. In at least one embodiment, the number of cis and trans electrode receptacles equals the number of apertures. Electrodes are treated with a buffer and then inserted into each of the cis and trans electrode receptacles.

An analysis device includes a vapor phase decomposition unit, a heating unit, an evacuation unit, a recovery unit and an analysis unit. The vapor phase decomposition unit performs vapor phase decomposition of a first film on a substrate. The heating unit heats the substrate. The evacuation unit evacuates gas in the heating unit to an outside of the heating unit. The recovery unit supplies liquid on a front surface of the substrate, moves the liquid on the front surface of the substrate, and recovers the liquid. The analysis unit analyzes contents of the liquid.

A method for examining wear of a connector contact using atom transfer radical polymerization. Metals in the connector contact are involved in atom transfer radical polymerization. In the method, polymers are formed via atom transfer radical polymerization. An average molecular weight and a polydispersity index of the polymers are determined. The exposure of underlying metal layers of the connector contact is determined based on the average molecular weight and atom transfer radical polymerization.

A controller of an optical measurement apparatus causes, in a condition that a rotational speed of a rotary body is controlled so that the speed is a specified value, a light source to generate light having a constant intensity and apply the light to an irradiation region, and acquires first timing information based on a change with time of an intensity of reflected light or transmitted light that is output from a second detection unit receiving the reflected light or transmitted light of the applied light. The controller causes the light source to periodically generate pulsed light in accordance with the first timing information and apply the pulsed light to the irradiation region, and acquires second timing information based on a result which is output from the first detection unit whose measurement is periodically enabled in accordance with the first timing information.

Nanoscale stress-sensing can be used across fields ranging from detection of incipient cracks in structural mechanics to monitoring forces in biological tissues. We demonstrate how tetrapod quantum dots (tQDs) embedded in block-copolymers act as sensors of tensile/compressive stress. Remarkably, tQDs can detect their own composite dispersion and mechanical properties, with a switch in optomechanical response when tQDs are in direct contact. Using experimental characterizations, atomistic simulations and finite-element analyses, we show that under tensile stress, densely-packed tQDs exhibit a photoluminescence peak shifted to higher energies (blue-shift) due to volumetric compressive stress in their core; loosely-packed tQDs exhibit a peak shifted to lower energies (red-shift) from tensile stress in the core. The stress-shifts result from the tQD's unique branched morphology in which the CdS arms act as antennas that amplify the stress in the CdSe core. Our nanocomposites exhibit excellent cyclability and scalability with no degraded properties of the host polymer. Colloidal tQDs allow sensing in many materials to potentially enable auto-responsive, smart structural nanocomposites that self-predict impending fracture.