1669 results about "Material removal" patented technology

Methods for accurate and conformal removal of atomic layers of materials make use of the self-limiting nature of adsorption of at least one reactant on the substrate surface. In certain embodiments, a first reactant is introduced to the substrate in step (a) and is adsorbed on the substrate surface until the surface is partially or fully saturated. A second reactant is then added in step (b), reacting with the adsorbed layer of the first reactant to form an etchant. The amount of an etchant, and, consequently, the amount of etched material is limited by the amount of adsorbed first reactant. By repeating steps (a) and (b), controlled atomic-scale etching of material is achieved. These methods may be used in interconnect pre-clean applications, gate dielectric processing, manufacturing of memory devices, or any other applications where removal of one or multiple atomic layers of material is desired.

A system and method of drilling and/or perforating uses a laser beam to remove material, such as to perforate the casing, cement and formation or drill a well bore. The system and method can further or alternately encompass material analysis that can be performed without removing the material from the well bore. The analysis can be performed apart from or in connection with drilling operations and/or perforating the casing, cement and formation. The analysis can be used in a feed back loop to adjust material removal, adjust material analysis, determine the location of future material removal, and for other uses.

This invention comprises deposition of thin film photovoltaic junctions on metal substrates which can be heat treated following deposition in a continuous fashion without deterioration of the metal support structure. In a separate operation an interconnection substrate structure is produced in a continuous roll-to-roll fashion. In this way the interconnection substrate structure can be uniquely formulated from polymer-based materials since it does not have to endure high temperature exposure. Cells comprising the metal foil supported photovoltaic junctions are then laminated to the interconnection substrate structure. Conductive interconnections are deposited to complete the array. The conductive interconnections can be accomplished with a separately prepared interconnection component. The interconnected array is produced using continuous roll-to-roll processing which avoids the need to use the expensive and intricate material removal operations currently taught in the art to achieve electrical interconnections among arrays of photovoltaic cells.

This invention comprises deposition of thin film photovoltaic junctions on conductive foil substrates which can be heat treated following deposition in a continuous fashion without deterioration of the metal support structure. In a separate operation, an interconnection substrate structure is produced in a continuous roll-to-roll fashion. The conductive foil supported photovoltaic junction is then laminated to the interconnection substrate structure and conductive connections are deposited to complete the module or array. In this way the interconnection substrate structure can be uniquely formulated from polymer-based materials since it does not have to endure high temperature exposure. Furthermore, the photovoltaic junction and its conductive foil support can be produced in bulk without the need to use the expensive and intricate material removal operations currently taught in the art to achieve series interconnections.

Methods of producing magnetic recording heads are disclosed. The methods can include providing a wafer comprising a substrate layer in which are disposed a plurality of damascene trenches. The method can further include depositing a pole material across the whole wafer, wherein the plurality of trenches are filled with the pole material. The methods can further include depositing a mask material over the pole material across the whole wafer. The methods can further include performing a first material removal process across the whole wafer to remove the mask material and a first portion of the pole material at a same material removal rate. The methods can further include performing a second material removal process to remove a second portion of the pole material above the substrate layer.

The present invention provides an improved atherectomy catheter having means for directing particles generated by a cutting element into a collection chamber. Methods of directing the cut material from a blood vessel lumen into a collection chamber are also provided.

The present invention generally relates to a system that can be used to form a photovoltaic device, or solar cell, using processing modules that are adapted to perform one or more steps in the solar cell formation process. The automated solar cell fab is generally an arrangement of automated processing modules and automation equipment that is used to form solar cell devices. The automated solar fab will thus generally comprise a substrate receiving module that is adapted to receive a substrate, one or more absorbing layer deposition cluster tools having at least one processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of the substrate, one or more back contact deposition chambers, one or more material removal chambers, a solar cell encapsulation device, an autoclave module, an automated junction box attaching module, and one or more quality assurance modules that are adapted to test and qualify the completely formed solar cell device.

A catheter having a tubular body and a rotatable shaft disposed within a lumen of the tubular body. A cutting element is coupled to the rotatable shaft, the cutting element having a cutting edge, the cutting element and rotatable shaft being longitudinally moveable within the tubular body between a stored position in which the cutting element is positioned distal of a side opening and a cutting position in which the cutting element is contained within the lumen of the tubular body and longitudinally aligned with the side opening. The cutting element is configured to extend through the side opening and to cut material from the wall of a vessel at a treatment site as the catheter is pulled proximally through the treatment site. The catheter may optionally have a rotating distal tip with an abrasive surface. The catheter includes a collection chamber positioned proximally of the cutting window.

A catheter device that is useable to extract material from a body conduit, such as a blood vessel, comprises a flexible catheter advanceable into the body conduit, an opening in the wall of the catheter that is in fluid communication with a material collection chamber, and a controllably arcuate segment along the catheter shaft, near the distal tip of the catheter and including the opening. Further said catheter may include a sliding member, located within a lumen of the catheter, that is used to move the material entering the catheter through the arcuate segment opening, into the material collection chamber and away from said opening. The catheter may include a single mechanism utilized to both generate a vacuum to cause material to enter the catheter at the arcuate segment opening and also cause the sliding member to travel, inside the catheter, moving material away from the opening and into the material collection chamber. Methods of utilizing such a catheter device to remove material from a body conduit are also disclosed.

A cutting insert for use in chipforming and material removal from a workpiece wherein coolant is supplied to the cutting insert from a coolant source. The cutting insert includes at least one discrete cutting location and at least one distinct internal channel that corresponds to the cutting location. The internal channel has an inlet to receive coolant and an outlet to exit coolant. The outlet is proximate to the cutting location, and the inlet is radial inward of the outlet.

This invention comprises manufacture of photovoltaic cells by deposition of thin film photovoltaic junctions on metal foil substrates. The photovoltaic junctions may be heat treated if appropriate following deposition in a continuous fashion without deterioration of the metal support structure. In a separate operation, an interconnection substrate structure is provided, optionally in a continuous fashion. Multiple photovoltaic cells are then laminated to the interconnection substrate structure and conductive joining methods are employed to complete the array. In this way the interconnection substrate structure can be uniquely formulated from polymer-based materials employing optimal processing unique to polymeric materials. Furthermore, the photovoltaic junction and its metal foil support can be produced in bulk without the need to use the expensive and intricate material removal operations currently taught in the art to achieve series interconnections.

A method for controlled removal of surface tissue layer portions with a non-contact energy delivery modality that applies electrical energy to the targeted tissue surface to cause electrochemical ablation. The system provides (i) a UV energy source for irradiating a beam path through a selected neutral gas environment overlying the targeted tissue thereby creating an ionized gas volume (i.e., a conductive non-equilibrium plasma), and (ii) an electrical source for creating an intense electrical field in the ionized gas volume to thereby apply energy to the targeted surface layer to cause volatilization and removal of the surface layer in a plasma-mediated ablation. The ultrafast plasma creation events are repeated at a high repetition rate to ablate surface layer portions in a controlled manner. Each ultrafast plasma creation event is of such a high intensity and such a brief duration that thermal energy is not transferred to the tissue thus preventing collateral thermal damage to regions adjacent to the targeted site.

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system used to form solar cell devices using processing modules adapted to perform one or more processes in the formation of the solar cell devices. In one embodiment, the system is adapted to form thin film solar cell devices by accepting a large unprocessed substrate and performing multiple deposition, material removal, cleaning, sectioning, bonding, and various inspection and testing processes to form multiple complete, functional, and tested solar cell devices that can then be shipped to an end user for installation in a desired location to generate electricity. In one embodiment, the system provides inspection of solar cell devices at various levels of formation, while collecting and using metrology data to diagnose, tune, or improve production line processes during the manufacture of solar cell devices.

A method of removing noble metal material from a substrate having the noble metal material deposited thereon, such as a semiconductor device structure including thereon a layer of the noble metal material, e.g., iridium, patterned for use as an electrode. The substrate is subjected to chemical mechanical polishing with a chemical mechanical polishing composition containing abrasive polishing particles and a halide-based oxidizing agent. The CMP composition and method of the invention provide efficient planarization and noble metal material removal from the substrate, in applications such as the fabrication of ferroelectric or high permittivity capacitor devices.

A cutting insert assembly for use in chipforming and material removal wherein the cutting insert assembly is received in a pocket of a cutter body wherein coolant can flow out of a pocket opening contained in the pocket. The cutting insert assembly includes a cutting insert body that presents at least two discrete cutting locations. The cutting insert body contains a coolant entry passage aligned with the pocket opening for coolant to flow through the coolant entry passage. The cutting insert body has a rake surface that contains at least two of the discrete depressions wherein each one of the discrete depressions corresponds to one of the cutting locations. Each one of the discrete depressions extends toward its corresponding cutting location. The assembly includes a diverter that is positioned adjacent to the cutting insert body wherein the diverter has a receiving opening aligned with the coolant entry passage to receive coolant through the coolant entry passage. The diverter includes a coolant trough in communication with the receiving opening wherein the coolant trough is aligned toward a selected one of the cutting locations whereby the coolant trough and the discrete depression corresponding to the selected cutting location define a conduit for the flow of coolant toward the selected cutting location.