Silica granules made up of mutually agglomerated silica soot particles are treated by placing the granules in a crucible inside a furnace which contains an inert gas mixed with a chlorine-containing compound and in which the temperature lies in the range 1000.degree. C. to 1500.degree. C. According to the invention, a crucible is used that is made of porous graphite firstly to increase the surface area of the crucible through which the chlorine-containing compound diffuses. This gives rise to fa...

In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method of utilizing a vaporization surface as an electrode to form a plasma within a vapor forming device. In another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of chemical vapor deposition. A vaporization surface is provided and heated. At least one material is flowed past the heated surface to vaporize the material. A deposit forms on the vaporization surface during the vaporization. The vaporization surface is then utilized as an electrode to form a ...

Coating temperature during vapor deposition of a ceramic coating on a substrate in a coating box or enclosure is maintained by means of a heat release cover or lid on the coating enclosure and movable in response to temperature in the coating enclosure exceeding a predetermined value so as to release excess heat from the enclosure to maintain coating temperature within an appropriate range.

A metal CVD process includes a step (A) of introducing a gaseous source material containing a metal carbonyl compound into a process space adjacent to a surface of a substrate to be processed in such a manner that the metal carbonyl compound has a first partial pressure, and a step (B) of depositing a metal film on the surface of the substrate by introducing a gaseous source material containing the metal carbonyl compound into the process space in such a mater that the metal carbonyl compound ha...

A method of forming a rhenium layer on a substrate, comprising: applying a solid rhenium-containing compound to a substrate; reducing at a temperature above ambient temperature the rhenium-containing compound so that a rhenium layer is formed on the substrate; and optionally, repeating applying additional rhenium-containing compound on at least a section of the rhenium layer, and reducing at a temperature above ambient temperature the additional rhenium-containing compound so that a thicker laye...

A method for applying an aluminide coating on a gas turbine engine blade having an external surface and an internal cooling cavity having an internal surface that is connected to the external surface by cooling holes. The method is conducted in a vapor coating container having a hollow interior coating chamber, and includes the steps of loading the coating chamber with the blade to be coated; providing an aluminide coating gas in the loaded coating chamber; maintaining the loaded coating chamber...

A method of depositing an insulating film over a substrate having a gap formed between two adjacent raised features. The method includes depositing one portion of the insulating film over the substrate and in the gap using a high density plasma process that has simultaneous deposition and sputtering components and depositing another portion of the insulating film over the substrate and in the gap using an atomic layer deposition process. In some embodiments the portion of the film deposited by a...

Silicon carbide structures are fabricated by fabricating a nitrided oxide layer on a layer of silicon carbide and annealing the nitrided oxide layer in an environment containing hydrogen. Such a fabrication of the nitrided oxide layer may be provided by forming the oxide layer in at least one of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide and/or annealing an oxide layer in at least one of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide. Alternatively, the nitrided oxide layer may be provided by fabricating an oxide layer and...

A method of loading cutting tool inserts in a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating equipment consists in using a tube manufactured of a non-magnetic metallic material surrounding a stack of alternating discs of a magnetic material and iron. The north poles of the magnets are directed towards each other and the cutting inserts are positioned on the outer wall of the solid tube and kept in place by the magnetic forces.

A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium comprises sequential steps of: (a) providing an apparatus for manufacturing the medium; (b) supplying the apparatus with a substrate for the medium; (c) forming a magnetic recording layer on the substrate in a first portion of the apparatus; (d) treating the magnetic recording layer with oxygen gas in a second portion of the apparatus at a sub-atmospheric pressure and for an interval sufficient to provide the resultant medium with at least on...