Methods and apparatus for protecting parts of a process chamber from thermal cycling effects of deposited materials. In some embodiments, a method of protecting the part of the process chamber includes wet etching the part with a weak alkali or acid, cleaning the part by bead blasting, coating at least a portion of a surface of the part with a stress relief layer. The stress relief layer forms a continuous layer that is approximately 50 microns to approximately 250 microns thick and is configured to preserve a structural integrity of the part from the thermal cycling of aluminum deposited on the part. The method may also include wet cleaning of the part with a heated deionized water rinse after formation of the stress relief layer.

Methods and apparatus for protecting parts of a process chamber from thermal cycling effects of deposited materials. In some embodiments, a method of protecting the part of the process chamber includes wet etching the part with a weak alkali or acid, cleaning the part by bead blasting, coating at least a portion of a surface of the part with a stress relief layer. The stress relief layer forms a continuous layer that is approximately 50 microns to approximately 250 microns thick and is configured to preserve a structural integrity of the part from the thermal cycling of aluminum deposited on the part. The method may also include wet cleaning of the part with a heated deionized water rinse after formation of the stress relief layer.

A production method for a gold sputtering target includes: producing a gold sputtering target which is made of gold and inevitable impurities and in which an average value of Vickers hardness is 40 or more and 60 or less, an average value of crystal grain size is 15 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and the {110} plane of gold is preferentially oriented to a surface to be sputtered of the gold sputtering target.

The invention relates to the manufacturing method of high performance electro-chromic devices containing transition metal oxide based compounds, wherein it comprises the steps of enlarging of the metal contact with Pt (Platinum) (1) sputtering method on one edge of the 80-150 nm thick Indium-Tin oxide alloy (ITO) (2), which was previously enlarged on the glass (3) by the sputter method, growing vertical nano-wall structures at 15-25 mTorr, 300-500° C. substrate temperature and at 3-45 minutes intervals on glass (3) with sputter method, by using transition metal chalcogen targets on previously enlarged ITO (2) with a thickness of 80-150 nm, oxidizing the grown structures in the oxidizing furnace for 10-60 minutes under oxygen gas in the temperature range 300-450° C., preparing the electro-chromic device by placing a counter glass/ITO (80-150 nm) in propylene carbonate (PC) to face 1 Mole/Liter Lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) ion-conducting electrolyte (6) with a 0.5-1 mm distance between them and closing it.

The method includes placing a wafer in a chamber body of a plasma processing tool; moving a first movable jig along an arc path to comb a spiral-shaped radio frequency (RF) coil over the chamber body, the first movable jig having a plurality of first confining slots penetrated by a plurality of coil segments of the spiral-shaped RF coil, respectively; and generating plasma in the chamber body through the spiral-shaped RF coil.

The method includes placing a wafer in a chamber body of a plasma processing tool; moving a first movable jig along an arc path to comb a spiral-shaped radio frequency (RF) coil over the chamber body, the first movable jig having a plurality of first confining slots penetrated by a plurality of coil segments of the spiral-shaped RF coil, respectively; and generating plasma in the chamber body through the spiral-shaped RF coil.

Flexible fuel cell sensors and methods of making and using the same are provided. A fuel cell sensor can be used for the detection of, for example, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and the working mechanism of the fuel cell sensor can rely on redox reactions. The fuel cell sensor can include a proton exchange membrane (PEM), an anode disposed on a first surface of the PEM, a cathode disposed on a second surface of the PEM opposite from the first surface, and a reference electrode disposed on the first surface of the PEM and spaced apart from the anode.

Flexible fuel cell sensors and methods of making and using the same are provided. A fuel cell sensor can be used for the detection of, for example, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and the working mechanism of the fuel cell sensor can rely on redox reactions. The fuel cell sensor can include a proton exchange membrane (PEM), an anode disposed on a first surface of the PEM, a cathode disposed on a second surface of the PEM opposite from the first surface, and a reference electrode disposed on the first surface of the PEM and spaced apart from the anode.

Methods of making catalyst electrodes comprising sputtering at least Pt and Ir onto nanostructured whiskers to provide multiple alternating layers comprising, respectively in any order, at least Pt and Ir. In some exemplary embodiments, catalyst electrodes described, or made as described, herein are anode catalyst, and in other exemplary embodiments cathode catalyst. Catalysts electrodes are useful, for example, in generating H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 from water.

Provided is an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target wherein the oxides have an average grain diameter of 400 nm or less. Also provided is a method of producing an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target. The method involves depositing a magnetic material on a substrate by the PVD or CVD method, then removing the substrate from the deposited magnetic material, pulverizing the material to obtain a raw material for the target, and further sintering the raw material. An object is to provide a magnetic material target, in particular, a nonmagnetic grain-dispersed ferromagnetic sputtering target capable of suppressing discharge abnormalities of oxides that are the cause of particle generation during sputtering.