Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for humidifying a breathing gas that reduces and/or eliminates the dangers and discomforts experienced by a patient. In one aspect, a system for humidifying gases includes a body, extending along a first axis from a first face to a second face, a first lumen at the first face, through which fluid enters the body, a second lumen at the first face through which fluid exits the body and a nonporous membrane located inside the body and extending from the first face to the second face wherein gas moving through the nonporous membrane is humidified by the fluid.

The invention relates to a method for automatically adjusting a plurality of tunable passive antennas, for instance a plurality of tunable passive antennas of a radio transceiver using several antennas simultaneously. The invention also relates to an automatically tunable antenna array using this method. An automatically tunable antenna array of the invention has 4 user ports, and comprises: 4 tunable passive antennas, the 4 tunable passive antennas operating simultaneously in a given frequency band and forming a multiport antenna array; 4 sensing units; 4 feeders; a signal processing unit delivering a tuning instruction; and a tuning control unit, the tuning control unit receiving the tuning instruction from the signal processing unit, the tuning control unit delivering tuning control signals to the tunable passive antennas, the tuning control signals being determined as a function of the tuning instruction.

A device comprising: a receive antenna configured to receive a first radio-frequency (RF) signal having a first center frequency; a first transmit antenna configured to transmit a second RF signal having a second center frequency that is a harmonic of the first center frequency; a second transmit antenna configured to transmit a third RF signal having a third center frequency that is a harmonic of the first center frequency and is different from the second center frequency; first circuitry, coupled to the receive antenna and to the first transmit antenna, configured to generate the second RF signal using the first RF signal and provide it to the first transmit antenna for transmission; and second circuitry, coupled to the receive antenna and to the second transmit antenna, configured to generate the third RF signal using the first RF signal and provide it to the second transmit antenna for transmission.

A device comprising: a substrate; a transmit antenna fabricated on the substrate and configured to transmit radio-frequency (RF) signals; a receive antenna fabricated on the substrate and configured to receive RF signals; and circuitry, disposed on the substrate and differentially coupled to the transmit and receive antennas, and configured to provide to the transmit antenna RF signals to be transmitted by the transmit antenna and to process RF signals received by the receive antenna, wherein the substrate comprises material for reducing harmonic coupling between the transmit antenna and the receive antenna.

A multi-use antenna system that can be used in, for example, integrated communications and navigation capability is provided. In an embodiment, an antenna system is provided. The antenna system includes a first antenna having a plurality of radiating elements substantially wrapped around an axis and a second antenna located within the first antenna. The first and second antennas are coupled to the same ground plane and are configured to operate in different frequency bands.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an antenna structure having a feed point for coupling to a dielectric core of a cable that propagates electromagnetic waves without an electrical return path, and a dielectric antenna, substantially or entirely devoid of conductive external surfaces, coupled to the feed point, the dielectric antenna facilitating receipt, at the feed point, the electromagnetic waves for propagating the electromagnetic waves to an aperture of the dielectric antenna for radiating a wireless signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission device that includes a transmitter that generates a first electromagnetic wave to convey data. A coupler couples the first electromagnetic wave to a single wire transmission medium having an outer surface, to forming a second electromagnetic wave that is guided to propagate along the outer surface of the single wire transmission medium via at least one guided wave mode that includes an asymmetric or non-fundamental mode having a lower cutoff frequency. A carrier frequency of the second electromagnetic wave is selected to be within a limited range of the lower cutoff frequency, so that a majority of the electric field is concentrated within a distance from the outer surface that is less than half the largest cross sectional dimension of the single wire transmission medium, and/or to reduce propagation loss. Other embodiments are disclosed.

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for an antenna-based detection method and system for sensing an environmental change condition. The method and system is adapted such that the states comprising the environmental change condition are capable of being determined at the location of the detection point utilizing only the magnitude component of the antenna impedance as altered by the discrete change in the environmental condition.

Various integrated high quality electronic components and systems, and methods of their manufacture, are presented. In one example, a device includes a glass substrate or interposer including one or more metalized through-glass vias (TGVs). The one or more metalized TGVs can be used to form a substrate integrated waveguide, a complementary split ring resonator, a disc loaded monopole antenna or other device. An array of metalized TGVs can define side walls of the integrated waveguide. A disc coupled to a tip of a metalized TGV can provide capacitive disc loading of the monopole antenna.

A universal ceiling antenna mount may include a plate having a first side and a second side. The plate may include at least one antenna adapter hole, at least one mounting post attached to the second side of the plate, and at least one stem having a top open end and a bottom open end. The bottom open end of the stems may attach to the second side of the plate over the antenna adapter holes. A top plate having at least one hole and at least one mounting hole may sandwich a ceiling tile with the second side of the plate and be secured. At least one coaxial antenna cable may be connected to a top side of mount. At least one antenna may be connected to a bottom side of the mount.

A method and apparatus for angularly aligning an antenna disposed at a geographical location is disclosed. A corresponding apparatus comprises a plurality of reticle members, each reticle member having a reticle, and a plurality of reference members, each adjustably engaged with an associated one of the plurality of reticle members, wherein each of the plurality of reference members comprises an associated template having a reference mark positioned thereon according to the geographical location of the antenna and the antenna is angularly aligned when each reference mark of each template is aligned with the reticle associated with the reference mark. A corresponding method comprises the steps of affixing an associated template having a reference mark positioned thereon according to the geographic location of the antenna to each of the plurality of reference members and angularly aligning each of the plurality of reticle members with each reference mark of each associated template.

Disclosed is a mobile terminal which comprises a GPS antenna, a back cover and a main board. The GPS antenna comprises a metallic radiation layer and a metallic grounding layer configured on a surface of the back cover, the metallic radiation layer and the metallic grounding layer are separated by insulating materials, the main board is provided with a feed wire and a ground wire; the metallic radiation layer is provided with a feed portion, the feed portion is connected to the feed wire which is on the main board, the feed portion serves as a radiation body of the GPS antenna, the metallic grounding layer is provided with a grounding portion, the grounding portion is connected to the ground wire which is on the main board, the grounding portion is used for grounding the GPS antenna, and the grounding portion is connected to the ground wire of the main board via a plurality of points of contact.

A broadband quadruple helical circularly-polarized antenna for receiving GNSS signals comprises an excitation circuit and a set of quadruple spiral elements. Each quadruple spiral element consists of four conductors. Each conductor is a one spiral turn of the quadruple spiral element. Said conductors have equal winding angle. The winding angle of all conductors does not change in the same quadruple spiral element. Conductors of neighboring (longitudinally) quadruple spiral elements have different winding angles. The antenna provides a sharp drop in AP at angles near the horizon and a small AP level in the lower hemisphere.

An antenna system including: a metal base plate; an antenna element arranged on and extending away from the front side of the base plate; a circuit board including a ground plane, adjacent to, and in thermal contact with the base plate; a plurality of electrical components on the circuit board including a power amplifier and an I/O connector; a metal support plate separated from, parallel to, and facing the base plate, with the circuit board located between the base and support plates; a plurality of thermally conductive standoffs thermally connecting the base plate to the support plate; and a master board including an I/O connector mating with the I/O connector on the circuit board and electrically connecting the circuit board to the master board, the master board located between the circuit board and the support plate and including signal paths for routing signals to the circuit board.

A polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by Chemical Formula 1: wherein in Chemical Formula 1, groups and variables are the same as defined in the detailed description.

Provided is an optical laminate which has high absorption selectivity to short-wavelength visible light having wavelengths around 400 nm and hence high light fastness and can impart better display characteristics when used for a display device. The optical laminate comprises at least one polarizing plate and at least one pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and satisfying the following formulae (1) and (2): A(400)≧0.5 (1) A(420)/A(400)≦0.3 (2) where A(400) represents the absorbance of the optical laminate at a wavelength of 400 nm in the transmission direction of the polarizing plate and A(420) represents the absorbance of the optical laminate at a wavelength of 420 nm in the transmission direction of the polarizing plate.

An optical system (110) includes a lens unit (112) with a plurality of lenses. An out-of-focus point spread function of the lens unit (112) includes an annular intensity distribution with at least one ring-shaped side peak at a radial distance to a center point. A birefringent device (115) in an optical path of the optical system (110) is adapted to selectively attenuate the ring-shaped side peak in the out-of-focus point spread function of the lens unit (112).

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit under the liquid crystal display panel, and a guide panel surrounding the backlight unit. The guide panel includes a metal chassis, a first mold, and a second mold. The metal chassis has a plate shape, includes a plurality of through holes, and is formed of a metal material. The first mold is on at least a part of an upper surface and a lateral surface of the metal chassis and within the through holes and is formed of a light absorbing resin. The second mold is between the first mold and the backlight unit and is formed of a light reflecting resin.

Discussed herein is an optical sheet and a display device having the same. In the display device, a fixing portion for fixing optical sheets is provided in the active area of a liquid-crystal panel, and the fixing portion is fixed to a buffer region for evacuation of the panel corner provided in the guide panel, thereby reducing the number of processing steps, and addressing the limitation that components are visible at some viewing angles.

Provided is a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal display panel; a light source under the liquid crystal display panel; a light guiding plate; a reflecting plate; a guide mold; and a supporting member. The light guiding plate is in contact with one surface of the light source. The reflecting plate is disposed under the light guiding plate. The guide mold accommodates the light source, the light guiding plate, and the reflecting plate therein. The supporting member is disposed under the reflecting plate and supports at least a part of one surface of the reflecting plate.

An LCD with switchable viewing angle includes a first substrate, second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The first substrate is provided with a first electrode and a second electrode. In an embodiment, the first electrode is a pixel electrode, and the second electrode is a common electrode. The second substrate is provided with a third electrode. Liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are positive liquid crystal molecules. When a first bias voltage is applied to the third electrode, the LCD is displayed with a wide viewing angle; and when a second bias voltage greater than the first bias voltage is applied to the third electrode, the LCD is displayed with a narrow viewing angle.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a display device and a fabrication method of the LCD panel are provided. The LCD panel comprises a first substrate, a second substrate opposite to the first substrate, a liquid crystal (LC) layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first alignment layer disposed on the first substrate, and a second alignment layer disposed on the second substrate. The first alignment layer is in contact with the LC layer and provides a first pre-tilt angle α to LC molecules in the LC layer, and the second alignment layer is in contact with the LC layer and provides a second pre-tilt angle β to the LC molecules in the LC layer, where α>β.

The disclosure provides a liquid crystal display panel, an array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof. In the method, controllable resistance spacer layers are formed on at least one of a source doped region and a drain doped region of a low temperature polysilicon active layer, wherein when a turn-on signal is not applied to the gate layer, the controllable resistance spacer layers serve as a blocking action for a flowing current, and when the turn-on signal is applied to the gate layer, the controllable resistance spacer layers serve as a conducting action for the flowing current, such that a contact region formed of the controllable resistance spacer layers is connected the corresponding source layer and the corresponding drain through the controllable resistance spacer layers. Therefore, the disclosure is capable of effectively decreasing a leakage of a thin film transistor.

A liquid crystal display device wherein a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded together by a sealing material, a pixel electrode, a common electrode, a shift register, a clock line, and a power supply line are formed on the first substrate, a plurality of conductive particles are mixed into the sealing material, the plurality of conductive particles are maintained at a same potential as the common electrode, and the plurality of conductive particles are disposed at a position overlapping at least a part of the power supply line, when viewed from a normal direction of the first substrate.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first thin film transistor supported on the substrate and having a first active layer that primarily contains a first oxide semiconductor, and second thin film transistor supported on the substrate and having a second active layer that primarily contains a second oxide semiconductor with a higher mobility than the first oxide semiconductor. The first active layer and the second active layer are positioned on the same insulating layer and contact the same insulating layer.

The first substrate has a first projection in which a first part extending along a side of the first substrate in the peripheral part of the first substrate and a second part extending from the first part towards an edge of the first substrate are formed. Width of a cross section of the first projection is smaller on its tip end's side than on the first substrate's side. The second substrate has a second projection extending along a side of the second substrate in the peripheral part of the second substrate. Width of a cross section of the second projection is smaller on its tip end's side than on the second substrate's side. The second part of the first projection faces the second projection. The seal member exists between the first projection and the second projection.

A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates, liquid crystal layer, and first and second spacer sections. The first substrate has a first surface including a light-shielding region in a lattice form and a plurality of opening regions surrounded by the light-shielding region. The light-shielding region includes a plurality of first extended portions extending in a first direction and a plurality of second extended portions extending in a second direction that intersects the first direction. The first substrate has a plurality of transistors formed thereon. The second substrate has a second surface that is opposed to and spaced from the first surface. The liquid crystal layer is arranged between the first and second surfaces. The first spacer section has long sides oriented in the second direction, and the second spacer section has long sides oriented in the first direction. The spacer sections protrude into the liquid crystal layer.

A circuit board is provided and the circuit board is used for being attached to a matching board. The circuit board includes a first circuit pattern and an attaching state inspection area, and the attaching state inspection area further includes a third circuit pattern. A liquid crystal display device is further provided, including the circuit board and the matching board, the matching board includes a second circuit pattern matching the circuit board. It is more accurate to judge the attaching state between the circuit board and the matching board by detecting the deformation state of the conductive particles in vacant areas at different locations after the circuit board is attached to the matching board.

In various embodiments magnetically actuated liquid crystals are provided as well as method of manufacturing such, methods of using the liquid crystals and devices incorporating the liquid crystals. In one non-limiting embodiment the liquid crystals comprise Fe3O4 nanorods where the nanorods are coated with a silica coating.

A method of forming a front frame of an LCD includes: providing a rectangle frame; disposing bending lines on the side frames of the rectangle frame; adhering a layer of buffering material to the part of the side frame that is on the inner side of the bending line, where the part of the side frame that is on the inner side of the bending line refers to the part of the side frame that is between the bending line and the inner edge of the side frame; and stamping and bending the rectangle frame along the bending line. The present invention can align the layer of buffering material with the inner edge of the side frame so that the layer of buffering material does not extend to the open area of the front frame, therefore does not affect the display of the liquid crystal panel.

A back plate of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes a first region as an appearance of the entire LCD device, in which a plurality of first and second reinforcing ribs crossing each other are disposed, the plurality of first reinforcing ribs are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction, and an angle α between the first reinforcing rib and a vertical direction ranges from 40° to 50°. The plurality of second reinforcing ribs are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, and an angle β between the second reinforcing rib and the vertical direction ranges from 40° to 50°. Each of the first reinforcing ribs at least crosses one of the second reinforcing ribs. A liquid crystal display device including the back plate as described above is also disclosed.

A liquid crystal display according to an embodiment includes a display panel, a functional panel on the display panel, a first support unit configured to support the functional panel, a light-emitting unit below the display panel, a second support unit configured to support the light-emitting unit and being attached to the first support unit, and a dual sealing tape configured to bind the first support unit and the second support unit together, and to seal a gap between the first support unit and the second support unit.

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device that may include a backlight unit including a light guiding plate with a light-incidence portion and an optical sheet portion disposed on the light guiding plate; and a panel support member for supporting a rear edge portion of a liquid crystal display panel, and preparing an air gap between the light guiding plate and one edge portion of the optical sheet portion disposed on the light-incidence portion, wherein it is possible to prevent defects of front luminance in the light-incidence portion with a small bezel width, and to improve mechanical reliability.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) is presented. The LCD includes: a substrate; a plurality of thin film transistors disposed on the substrate; a plurality of liquid crystal (LC) layers disposed within a plurality of microcavities on the substrate; a partition wall disposed between the LC layers adjacent in a first direction; and signal lines disposed between the LC layers and the partition wall and connected to the plurality of thin film transistors.

A backlight unit includes a bottom cover; a plurality of light sources on the bottom cover; a first support side at an area directly along a first edge of the bottom cover adjacent to a corner of the bottom cover; and a second support side directly adjacent to the first support side and along the first edge of the bottom cover. The first support side includes a first vertical portion, and a first inclined portion connected to a top of the first vertical portion. The second support side includes a second vertical portion, and a second inclined portion connected to a top of the second vertical portion.

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal between a TFT substrate including pixels formed in a matrix, and a counter substrate. A pixel electrode is formed in an area surrounded by scanning lines and video signal lines. A common electrode is formed in a lower layer of the pixel electrode through an interlayer insulating film. A long side of the pixel electrode of a first pixel is inclined at a first angle clockwise at a right angle to the extending direction of the scanning line. A long side of the pixel electrode of a second pixel is inclined at the first angle counterclockwise at a right angle to the extending direction of the scanning line. The liquid crystal is a negative type liquid crystal. Further, a protrusion formed in the long side of the pixel electrode has a side parallel to the extending direction of the scanning line.

A liquid crystal display includes a display panel, an opposite display panel, a liquid crystal layer between the display panel and the opposite display panel. The display panel includes a first base substrate, a pretilt alignment stabilization layer including a polymer of a reactive mesogen, a first vertical alignment layer including a decomposition product of a polymerization initiator between the first base substrate and the pretilt alignment stabilization layer, and a pattern electrode between the first base substrate and the first vertical alignment layer. The opposite display panel includes a second base substrate, a patternless electrode on the second base substrate, and a second vertical alignment layer on the patternless electrode, which includes the decomposition product of the polymerization initiator. The liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal composition having negative dielectric anisotropy. A surface of the LCD that faces a viewer has a concave shaped curve.

To provide a liquid crystal display device, in which the vertical alignment property of the liquid crystal is high, favorable transparency when no voltage is applied and favorable scattering property when a voltage is applied are achieved, and the adhesion between the liquid crystal layer and the vertical liquid crystal alignment film is high. A liquid crystal display device, which comprises a liquid crystal layer formed by disposing a liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable compound which undergoes a polymerization reaction by ultraviolet rays, between a pair of substrates provided with an electrode, and irradiating the liquid crystal composition with ultraviolet rays and curing it in such a state that the liquid crystal composition partly or entirely shows liquid crystallinity, and at least one of the substrates being provided with a liquid crystal alignment film to vertically align a liquid crystal, wherein the liquid crystal alignment film is a liquid crystal alignment film obtained from a liquid crystal aligning agent containing a polymer having a first side chain structure and a second side chain structure.

The present disclosure provides a method for rubbing an alignment layer on a substrate with a plurality of spacers that are arranged in rows and columns and a liquid crystal display panel. The method includes: determining a first rubbing direction and a second rubbing direction in such a manner that the second rubbing direction is an arrangement direction of liquid crystal molecules when the liquid crystal molecules are arranged correctly on the alignment layer, and an angle between the first rubbing direction and the second rubbing direction is greater than or equal to arctan (b/a), where a represents a row pitch between the spacers and b represents a width of one spacer; performing a first rubbing on the alignment layer in the first rubbing direction; and performing a second rubbing on the alignment layer in the second rubbing direction. The second rubbing direction is different from the first rubbing direction.

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel which includes a pixel electrode, a liquid crystal layer and an alignment film, and a driver. The driver drives the pixel electrode at a drive frequency of 1 to 20 Hz. The alignment film has a resistivity of 5×1014 Ω·cm or more.

A liquid display device is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes a first base substrate, a first signal line disposed on the first base substrate and extended in a first direction, a second signal line disposed on the first base substrate, extended in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and insulated from the first signal line, a thin film transistor disposed on the first base substrate and electrically connected to the first signal line and the second signal line, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor, and a shield pattern disposed on a same layer as but spaced apart from the pixel electrode, overlapped with the thin film transistor, and including a material same as a material of the pixel electrode.

An analytical tool is provided for analysis of a sample by capillary electrophoresis. The analytical tool includes an inlet reservoir into which a sample is introduced, a capillary tube in communication with the inlet reservoir, a filter through which a liquid from the inlet reservoir passes, an enlarged portion undergoing a sudden increase in a cross-sectional area and being in communication with the inlet reservoir and the capillary tube, and a pressure fluctuation reducer for preventing pressure fluctuation at the enlarge portion from affecting a liquid in the capillary tube.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an In—Cu alloy sputtering target member having high compositional homogeneity in the thickness direction. The present invention provides a sputtering target member having a composition containing from 1 to 70 at. % of Cu relative to a total number of atoms of In and Cu, the balance being In and inevitable impurities, wherein the target member fulfills 0.95≦A/B≦1, where A represents a Cu atomic concentration relative to the total number of atoms of In and Cu in one half of a thickness direction; B represents a Cu atomic concentration relative to the total number of atoms of In and Cu in the other half of the thickness direction; and B≧A; and wherein a number of pores having a size of 100 μm or more is less than 10/cm2 on average.

A process train for a floating production storage and offloading installation includes a crude oil storage tank that is equipped with at least one set of electrostatic internals arranged to provide a treatment flow path isolated from a surrounding volume of the electrostatic separator section of the tank. An oil-and-water stream or mixture entering the set of electrostatic internals travels along the treatment flow path and is subjected to an electric field. The treatment flow path is in an upwardly direction toward the oil outlet section and in a downwardly opposite direction toward the water outlet section of the tank. Employing electrostatic internals within the tank permits an allowable inlet water content into the tank of up to 80%, significantly reducing the required topside processing equipment.

The present application discloses methods and apparatus for conversion of quantized vibrational energy. The present application discloses, by driving a medium that comprises arranged nuclei with one or more selected driving frequencies, the arranged nuclei in the medium are induced to oscillate coherently at one or more oscillating frequencies. The mechanical vibrational energy of the oscillating nuclei interacts with the oscillating medium. The interaction between the vibrational energy and the oscillating medium effectuates up-conversion or down-conversion of quantized vibrational energy.

The invention discloses a composite material used for catalyzing and degrading nitrogen oxide and its preparation method and application thereof. The invention of the hollow g-C3N4 nanospheres/reduced graphene oxide composite-polymer carbonized nanofiber material is prepared as follow: 1) the preparation of silica nanospheres; 2) the preparation of hollow g-C3N4 nanospheres; 3) the preparation of graphene oxide; 4) the preparation of surface modified hollow g-C3N4 nanoparticles preparation; 5) the preparation of composites; 6) the preparation of composite-polymer carbon nanofiber material. The raw materials used in the process is low cost and easy to get; the operation of the invention is simple and convenient without the use of expensive equipment in the whole process; the composite has high adsorption efficiency of ppb level nitrogen oxide with good repeatability.

A process train for a floating production storage and offloading installation includes a crude oil storage tank equipped with at least one set of electrostatic internals. The set of electrostatic internals are arranged to provide a treatment flow path within the crude oil storage tank oblique to a longitudinal centerline of the crude oil storage tank and through an electric field provided by the set of electrostatic internals. Employing these electrostatic internals within the tank permits an allowable inlet water content into the tank of up to 80%, significantly reducing the required topside processing equipment. The process and system also includes, upstream of the tank, two separator vessels arranged in parallel so each receives a portion of an incoming oil-and-water stream, a flash vessel arranged downstream of the two separator vessels, and a degasser vessel. Downstream of the crude oil storage tank is an electrostatic treater.

For coating substrates (S) having along their surfaces to be coated high aspect ratio vias, a sputtering system has a sputtering source arrangement, which includes a first DC pulse operated magnetron sub-source (1203) and a second frame-shaped magnetron sub-source (1213) which latter is arranged, in the system, between the substrate (S) and the first magnetron sub-source (1203). The second magnetron sub-source (1213) may be operated in DC, pulsed DC, thereby also HIPIMS mode. The first magnetron sub-source (1203) is advantageously also operated in HIPIMS mode. The substrate (S) is biased by an Rf power source (1253).

A magnetically enhanced low temperature high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (LT-HDP-CVD) source has a hollow cathode target and an anode, which form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines substantially perpendicular to the cathode surface. A gap magnet assembly forms a magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross the pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. The pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected to a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have negative, positive, floating, or RF electrical potentials. By controlling the duration, value, and sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, plasma ionization can be controlled. Feed gas flows through the gap between the hollow cathode and anode. The cathode can be connected to a pulse power or RF power supply, or cathode can be connected to both power supplies. The cathode target and substrate can be inductively grounded.

An Al—Te—Cu—Zr alloy sputtering target, comprising 20 at % to 40 at % of Te, 5 at % to 20 at % of Cu, 5 at % to 15 at % of Zr and the remainder of Al, wherein a Te phase, a Cu phase and a CuTe phase are not present in a structure of the target. An object of the present invention is to provide an Al—Te—Cu—Zr alloy sputtering target capable of effectively reducing particle generation, nodule formation and the like upon sputtering and further capable of reducing oxygen contained in the target.