Wynne-Jones IP Limited

According to the invention there is provided a method of plasma processing a workpiece that is susceptible to arcing comprising the steps of:providing a workpiece having an upper portion comprising at least one insulating layer and a lower surface opposite the upper portion;applying a conductive layer to the lower surface;positioning the workpiece on a workpiece support of a plasma processing apparatus with the lower surface of the workpiece closest to the workpiece support;plasma processing the workpiece in the plasma processing apparatus, wherein the plasma processing comprises applying a RF electrical signal with an associated RF power to the workpiece support; andremoving the conductive layer from the plasma processed workpiece.

According to the invention there is provided a method of plasma dicing a workpiece comprising a compound semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:providing a workpiece comprising a compound semiconductor substrate;providing a mask structure on the workpiece, the mask structure comprising an upper layer comprising a hard mask material and a lower release layer between the upper layer and the front side of the workpiece, wherein the mask structure defines one or more dicing lanes; andplasma dicing the workpiece by a process which comprises plasma etching at least partially through the compound semiconductor substrate along the dicing lanes.

A weld fixture (100) for joining polymer containing workpieces (300). The weld fixture (100) includes a fixture support member (101) and a moveable seal member (103) mounted on the fixture support member (101). The seal member (103) has a workpiece contacting surface (105) configured to engage a first workpiece (300) and a seal member contacting surface (107) configured to engage a corresponding seal member (103). The engagement of the workpiece contacting surface (105) with the first workpiece (300) and the engagement of the seal member contacting surface (107) with the corresponding seal member (103) form an edge seal (109) for directing melted polymeric material away from the edge seal (109) during joining to form a finished seam surface (703). In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a window component welding apparatus. Welding apparatuses and methods for joining workpieces for polymer containing workpieces for forming joined products having a finished seam surface are also disclosed.

A method of controlling stress variation in a layer comprising silicon oxycarbide formed using a capacitively coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition system, is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: - providing a chamber comprising a platen for supporting a substrate; - placing a substrate, upon which a layer comprising silicon oxycarbide is formable, upon the platen; - introducing a gas comprising oxygen into the chamber; - introducing trimethylsilane gas into the chamber; - generating a plasma within the chamber; - maintaining a temperature at which deposition takes place to less than 275°C; - maintaining a pressure within the chamber in the range 1.5-3Torr; - depositing the layer upon the substrate with a deposition rate >1.5µm/minute.

According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for stacking battery plates comprising:a first battery plate holding stage;a delivery conveyor system for delivering battery plates sequentially to the first battery plate holding stage;a second battery plate holding stage disposed beneath the first battery plate holding stage; anda removal conveyor system for removing stacks of battery plates from the apparatus;in which:the first battery plate holding stage comprises a plurality of moveable elements which are moveable between a first position in which the elements form a stage to support a battery plate delivered by the delivery conveyor system to a second position which allows the battery plate to fall under gravity onto the second holding stage; andthe second holding stage comprises a stage for holding a stack of battery plates received from the first holding stage; wherein the second holding stage is moveable between a first position in which battery plates are received from the first holding stage and a second position which allows the stack of battery plates to be removed by the removal conveyor system.

There is disclosed a method of plasma etching a workpiece. The method comprises the steps of: placing the workpiece upon a substrate support within a plasma chamber, wherein the workpiece comprises a SiC substrate; introducing SF<6>, O<2> and He process gases into the plasma chamber; plasma etching the SiC substrate to thereby reduce surface roughness of the SiC substrate by alternating between: (i) applying a bias RF power to the substrate support to generate a reactive-ion etching plasma in the plasma chamber, and etching the SiC substrate at a first plasma chamber pressure for a first period of time; and (ii) applying a source RF power to the plasma chamber to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the plasma chamber and applying a bias RF power to the substrate support, and etching the SiC substrate at a second plasma chamber pressure for a second period of time.

A method and system for using one or more sensors configured to capture two-dimensional and/or three dimensional image data of one or more objects. In particular, the method and system combine one or more digital sensors with visible and near infrared illumination to capture visible and non-visible range spectral image data for one or more objects. The captured spectral image data can be used to separate and identify the one or more objects. Additionally, the three-dimensional image data can be used to determine a volume for each of the one or more objects. The identification and volumetric data for one or more objects can be used individually or in combination to obtain characteristics about the objects. The method and system provide the user with the ability to capture images of one or more objects and obtain related characteristics or information about each of the one or more objects.

There is provided a method of inductively coupled plasma etching an additive-containing aluminium nitride film, wherein the additive is selected from scandium, yttrium and erbium. The method comprises placing a workpiece upon a platen assembly within a plasma etch chamber, the workpiece comprising a substrate having the additive-containing aluminium nitride film deposited thereon and a photoresist mask disposed upon the film. The method further comprises powering the plasma etch chamber with an RF power supply, applying a bias power to the platen assembly, and bulk etching the additive-containing aluminium nitride film through the photoresist mask using a switched process by repeatedly alternating between the steps of (i) plasma etching the film by feeding a chlorinated etching gas and an inert diluent gas to the plasma etch chamber at substantially equal flow rates at a target chamber pressure, and (ii) plasma etching the film using the same chlorinated etching gas and inert diluent gas, at the same target chamber pressure, wherein the flow rate of the inert diluent gas is at least four times the flow rate of the chlorinated etching gas.

A power conversion device (1) includes: a primary-side substrate (31) having a primary-side mounting portion (312), at which a primary-side electronic component is mounted, and a primary-side winding portion (311); a secondary-side substrate (32) having a secondary-side mounting portion (322), at which a secondary-side electronic component is mounted, and a secondary-side winding portion (321), the secondary-side winding portion (321) being disposed coaxially with the primary-side winding portion (321); a pair of insulating members (361, 362) that are joined together, and that are disposed such that one winding portion among the primary-side winding portion (311) or the secondary-side winding portion (321) is interposed therebetween; and a sealing resin (33) that seals the primary-side winding portion (311), the secondary-side winding portion (321), and the pair of insulating members (361, 362), wherein at least one of the pair of insulating members (361, 362) has a plurality of convex portions (R1, R4) at a face facing the one winding portion.

A method of coating a metal substrate is disclosed. The method comprises: applying a first coating layer to the metal substrate; spraying a second coating layer on top of the first coating layer while the first coating layer is wet; and curing the first and second coating layers simultaneously.