Recent work using an improved design of an unbalanced magnetron in a four-magnetron closed-field arrangement has resulted in exceptionally high ion current densities at the substrates during both ion ...cleaning and deposition. The ion current at the electrically biased substrate is increased by a factor of close to 100 as compared to balanced magnetrons of the same polarity. The absolute ion current is dependent on a number of factors which are discussed, the most important being the power applied to the magnetrons. The relationship between substrate bias and ion current is presented. It is found that it is possible to achieve very high ion currents at bias voltages as low as −50
V. The effect of the substrate bias voltage and the substrate ion current on the coating structure have been studied, and it is found that the optimum conditions for the deposition of dense coherent coatings with low internal stresses are a high ion current at a low bias voltage. These conditions are readily achieved using the closed-field unbalanced magnetron technique. It is shown that coating structure is almost independent of deposition rate, which is extremely important for the deposition of coatings with excellent structures at low temperatures. Ion cleaning prior to deposition is carried out with the magnetrons operating at low power. This allows the plasma discharge to strike and be maintained at low argon pressures, thus avoiding contamination from the chamber walls, etc. The enhancement of the ion current under these conditions is similar to that achieved during deposition, i.e. around 100×, and so the efficiency of ion cleaning is considerably enhanced, producing a “clean” surface which results in excellent adhesion. Scratch adhesion testing has been used to compare the critical loads for coatings deposited with different cleaning conditions and the excellent adhesion achievable is demonstrated.
"If you look at the last 30 years where we have passed in a bipartisan way, infrastructure bills here in Congress, they've always been predicated on user fees of some sorts," Rep. Darin LaHood, an ...Illinois Republican, said during a May 19 House Ways and Means Committee hearing. Ed Mortimer, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's vice president of Transportation and Infrastructure, attributed the shifting position among Republicans on user fees to their being accustomed to seeing electric vehicles as a Blue State phenomenon. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, who served in the Clinton administration, said the last gas tax increase, to 18.4 cents a gallon from 14 cents a gallon in 1993, was tied to a federal deficit-reduction effort.
The automakers had split a year ago over a plan by the Trump administration to roll back gas mileage rules put in place by President Barack Obama and revoke California’s permission to set its own ...standards on tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions. According to a person familiar with the Alliance’s meeting, the automakers discussed how to prepare for the more stringent regulations expected to be coming from the Biden administration, but they didn’t reach a consensus on accepting California’s clean-air rules. After GM’s move last week, Toyota Motor Corp. issued a statement that said, “Given the changing circumstances, we are assessing the situation, but remain committed to our goal of a consistent, unitary set of fuel economy standards applicable in all 50 states.”
Trump’s contentious battle with California officials over the state’s ability to regulate its own tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions caused a fissure among automakers, with General Motors Co., Toyota ...Motor Corp. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV backing Trump and splitting with major rivals including Ford Motor Co. A Biden win would likely quickly change the politics of the fight over levels of miles per gallon of gas that automakers are required to meet, according to James Blatchford, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst who focuses on energy and transportation. “Some of that could be addressed quite quickly if Biden wins, I think, but comes with a trade off -- higher mpg standards,” Blatchford said. “Because certainty is so critical and a unified standard the priority for everyone, I wouldn’t envision the recent differences being long lasting.” Auto parts suppliers are agnostic on which technologies should be used to build cars in the future, but they do want certainty from Washington on auto emission rules, said Ann Wilson, senior vice president government affairs of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association.
The agency recommended seat belt requirements for altered vehicles to protect passengers and for regulators to change the definition of a bus to include passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of ...10 or more to ensure that stretch limousines are covered. The NTSB has previously recommended that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration require lap and shoulder seat belts for each passenger seat in all new vehicles that are modified to be used as limousines. The U.S. House approved legislation introduced by New York lawmakers that would amend the definition of a commercial motor vehicle in federal law to ensure that it covers all vehicles used to transport more than nine people, including the driver.
