All The Claims

1. A vertical transistor structure formed on a semiconductor substrate on which an active region and a non-active region are defined by a shallow trench insulator, the structure comprising:
gate electrodes, which are distanced by a predetermined interval in the active region and are formed in a vertical shape to have a predetermined depth from a top surface of the semiconductor substrate;
a gate insulation layer formed between a first side wall of the gate electrodes and the semiconductor substrate;
a gate spacer formed on a second side wall of the gate electrodes, covering the gate electrodes;
a contact plug, which is formed in the gate spacer and which electrically connects an upper conductive line with the semiconductor substrate;
a plug impurity layer formed in a lower part of the contact plug;
a sourcedrain formed opposite to the gate electrode within the active region;
a threshold voltage control region for controlling a threshold voltage within the active region, the threshold voltage control region disposed below the sourcedrain; and
a silicon nitride layer, the silicon nitride layer disposed in contact with a top surface of the gate electrodes, the silicon nitride layer disposed directly over an entirety of the top surface of the gate electrodes.
2. The structure of claim 1, further comprising another contact plug, the another contact plug physically touching the sourcedrain and electrically connected to a storage node.
3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the gate electrodes are formed of a single layer of polysilicon or of a multilayer having a polycide structure.
4. The structure of claim 1, wherein the gate electrodes are distanced with an interval of about 100 nm to 200 nm, with a depth of about 1500 \u212b to 2500 \u212b.
5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the gate insulation layer is formed of an oxide layer material and isolates the semiconductor substrate from the gate electrodes.
6. The structure of claim 1, wherein the gate spacer is formed of nitride layer material and separates the gate electrodes from the contact plug.
7. The structure of claim 1, wherein the contact plug is electrically connected to an upper bit line.
8. The structure of claim 1, the plug impurity layer containing n type impurity ions at a density of about 1.0\xd71013 to 3.0\xd71013 ionscm2.
9. The structure of claim 1, wherein the sourcedrain comprises a source region and a drain region that are at equal levels.
10. The structure of claim 1, wherein the sourcedrain comprises a source region and a drain region and wherein the threshold voltage control region is below both the source region and the drain region.
11. A structure comprising:
a shallow trench insulator disposed in a semiconductor substrate to define an active region and a non-active region of the semiconductor substrate;
gate electrodes disposed in the active region, the gate electrodes having a substantially vertical shape, a lower portion of each of the gate electrodes disposed below a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, the lower portion of each of the gate electrodes representing a majority of the gate electrode;
a gate insulation layer, the gate insulation layer in physical contact with the lower portion of the gate electrodes and in physical contact with the semiconductor substrate from the top surface of the semiconductor substrate to a bottom surface of the gate electrodes;
a gate spacer, the gate spacer in physical contact with a remainder of the lower portion of the gate electrodes that is not in physical contact with the gate insulation layer;
a first contact plug, the first contact plug surrounded by the gate spacer and in physical contact with the gate spacer, the first contact plug electrically connecting an upper conductive line with the semiconductor substrate;
a plug impurity layer, the plug impurity layer disposed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate directly beneath the first contact plug;
sourcedrain regions, the sourcedrain regions disposed opposite the gate electrodes in the active region of the semiconductor substrate; and
a first insulation layer disposed on and physically touching the top surface of the semiconductor substrate and a top surface of the shallow trench insulator, the first insulation layer having a first gap, a width of the first gap defining a maximum width of a space occupied by the gate electrodes.
12. The structure of claim 11, further comprising a second contact plug, the second contact plug physically touching one of the sourcedrain regions.
13. The structure of claim 11, the gate electrodes consisting of a single layer of polysilicon.
14. The structure of claim 11, the gate electrodes having a multiple layer polycide structure.
15. The structure of claim 11, the gate electrodes disposed at a maximum depth from the top surface of the semiconductor substrate, the maximum depth about 1500 \u212b to 2500 \u212b.
16. The structure of claim 11, the first insulation layer comprising an oxide layer.
17. The structure of claim 11, further comprising a second insulation layer disposed on and physically touching a top surface of the first insulation layer and a top surface of the gate electrodes, the second insulation layer having a second gap, a width of the second gap less than a width of the first gap, the width of the second gap defining a minimum separation between the gate electrodes.
18. The structure of claim 17, the width of the second gap about 100 nm to 200 nm.
19. The structure of claim 17, the second insulation layer comprising a silicon nitride layer.
20. The structure of claim 11, further comprising a threshold voltage control region, the threshold voltage control region disposed in the active region of the semiconductor substrate, the threshold voltage control region separated from the sourcedrain regions and located below the sourcedrain regions.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method comprising
using a communication device, in connection with an offer of a commercial transaction by an offering party in the transaction, for displaying or otherwise making available a credit-only account identifier that enables a credit transaction to be effected in a financial account of a third party associated with the commercial transaction, the credit-only account identifier being insufficient to enable a debit transaction to be effected in the financial account of the third party, a buyer needing no more than the credit-only account identifier to determine that the credit-only account identifier relates to a credit-only transaction and is of a type that is recognized and accepted for effecting credit-only transactions in financial accounts maintained by the financial institutions for their account holders, and the offering party needing no more than the credit-only account identifier to determine that the credit-only account identifier relates to a credit-only transaction and is of a type that is recognized and accepted for effecting credit-only transactions in financial accounts maintained by the financial institutions for their account holders.
2. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier is made available in advertising associated with the commercial transaction.
3. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier is made available on printed material.
4. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier is made available electronically.
5. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier is made available in proximity to goods or services that are part of the commercial transaction.
6. The method of claim in which the identifier is made available by a party other than the party with which the financial account is associated.
7. The method of claim 1 in which the financial account comprises an account maintained by a banking institution.
8. The method of claim 1 in which the third party comprises an enterprise.
9. The method of claim 1 in which the offering party comprises a seller of goods or services and the credit transaction effects payment for the goods or services.
10. The method of claim 1 in which the offering party comprises a seller of goods or services and the credit transaction effects fulfillment of the goods or services.
11. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier comprises a string of characters.
12. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier is associated with an aspect of the commercial transaction.
13. The method of claim 12 in which the aspect of the commercial transaction comprises an identity of a commodity.
14. The method of claim 13 in which the aspect of the commercial transaction comprises a context of the commercial transaction.
15. The method of claim 14 in which the identifier is unique only with respect to the context in which the commercial transaction occurs.
16. The method of claim 15 in which the context of the commercial transaction comprises a physical location.
17. The method of claim 15 in which the context of the commercial transaction comprises an identity of a vendor of a commodity.
18. The method of claim 1 in which displaying includes advertising a product or service, the advertising including a credit-only account identifier that is associated with making payment for the product or service.
19. A method comprising
accepting, by a business service, using a communication device, from a party, a request to perform a payment transaction, the request including at least two identifiers, the first identifier being sufficient, through a process, to determine a first financial account general identifier, the general identifier being sufficient to enable a debit transaction to be effected in the first financial account, the second identifier being sufficient, through a process, to determine a second financial account credit-only identifier, the credit-only identifier alone being insufficient to enable a debit transaction to be effected in the second financial account, the business service needing no more than the second credit-only account identifier to determine that the credit-only account identifier relates to a credit-only transaction and is of a type that is recognized and accepted for effecting credit-only transactions in financial accounts maintained by financial institutions for their account holders.
20. The method of claim 1 or 19 including forwarding individual or aggregated identifiers to others to use, any of the identifiers alone being sufficient to enable a deposit to be made to a financial account, any of the identifiers alone being insufficient to enable a debit transaction in the financial account.
21. The method of claim 1 or 19 including aggregating commercial or personal transaction data, which is associated with financial identifiers, any of the identifiers alone being sufficient to enable a deposit to be made to a financial account, any of the identifiers alone being insufficient to enable a debit transaction in the financial account.
22. The method of claim 1 or 19 including forwarding individual or aggregated transaction data to others to use, which is associated with financial identifiers, any of the identifiers alone being sufficient to enable a deposit to be made to a financial account, any of the identifiers alone being insufficient to enable a debit transaction in the financial account.
23. The method of claim 1 or 19 including forwarding transaction data to others to use which was obtained by disassociation of aggregated data where the aggregated data contained financial identifiers, any of the identifiers alone being sufficient to enable a deposit to be made to a financial account, any of the identifiers alone being insufficient to enable a debit transaction in the financial account.
24. The method of claim 1 or 19 including processing payment or fulfillment transactions based on data obtained by disassociation of aggregated data, the aggregated data contained financial identifiers, any of the identifiers alone being sufficient to enable a deposit to be made to a financial account, any of the identifiers alone being insufficient to enable a debit transaction in the financial account.
25. The method of claim 1 or 19 including processing payment or fulfillment transactions based on financial identifiers, any of the identifiers being sufficient to enable a deposit to be made to a financial account, any of the identifiers alone being insufficient to enable a debit transaction in the financial account.
26. The method of claim 1 in which the communication device includes an audio or data telecommunication device.
27. The method of claim 1 in which the communication device includes a computer system.
28. The method of claim 1 in which the communication device includes a video display device.
29. The method of claim 1 in which the communication device includes an image printed on paper, plastic or fabric.
30. The method of claim 1 or 19 including aggregating financial identifiers, any of the identifiers being sufficient to enable a deposit to be made to a financial account, any of the identifiers alone being insufficient to enable a debit transaction in the financial account.
31. The method of claim 19 in which the party comprises a purchaser of goods or services and the payment transaction effects payment for goods or services.
32. The method of claim 19 in which the party comprises a payer and the payment transaction effects a transfer of funds.
33. The method of claim 19 in which the request is sent using an electronic communications device.
34. The method of claim 33 in which the communications device includes a cell phone.
35. The method of claim 33 in which the communications device includes a telephone.
36. The method of claim 19 in which the request is sent using an electronic data device.
37. The method of claim 36 in which the data device includes a wireless device.
38. The method of claim 36 in which the data device includes a computer.
39. The method of claim 19 in which the request comprises tones.
40. The method of claim 19 in which the request comprises digital data.
41. The method of claim 19 in which the request comprises voice communications.
42. The method of claim 19 in which the request is sent using a communications network.
43. The method of claim 19 in which the request is sent using a data network.
44. The method of claim 19 in which the request is accepted by a payment processor.
45. The method of claim 19 in which the payment transaction is associated with a commercial transaction.
46. The method of claim 19 in which the payment transaction is associated with a private transaction.
47. The method of claim 19 in which the first identifier comprises a string of characters.
48. The method of claim 19 in which the first identifier is determined from an Internet cookie.
49. The method of claim 19 in which the first identifier is determined from a telephone number.
50. The method of claim 49 in which the telephone number is determined using caller ID.
51. The method of claim 19 in which the first identifier is determined from a device registration number.
52. The method of claim 19 in which the first identifier is persistent through concatenation of a time code.
53. The method of claim 19 in which the process used to translate a first identifier into a financial account general identifier is a table lookup.
54. The method of claim 19 in which the first financial account general identifier is associated with a securely selected shipment address.
55. The method of claim 19 in which the process used to translate a second identifier into a financial account credit identifier is specified by the value of the identifier itself.
56. The method of claim 55 in which the process specified by one or more values of the second identifier includes the use of the spatial coordinates of the purchase location to generate a financial identifier.
57. The method of claim 55 in which the process specified by one or more values of the second identifier includes the use of the time of purchase to generate a financial identifier.
58. The method of claim 55 in which the process specified by one or more values of the second identifier includes the use of a lookup table to generate a financial identifier.
59. The method of claim 19 in which the second financial account credit identifier is associated with an aspect of a commercial transaction.
60. The method of claim 59 in which the aspect of the commercial transaction comprises an identity of a commodity.
61. The method of claim 59 in which the aspect of the commercial transaction comprises a context of the commercial transaction.
62. The method of claim 61 in which the context of the commercial transaction is the physical location at which goods or services are offered for sale.
63. The method of claim 61 in which the context of the commercial transaction is the time at which goods or services are offered for sale.
64. The method of claim 61 in which the context of the commercial transaction comprises an identity of a vendor of goods or services.
65. The method of claim 61 in which the context of the commercial transaction comprises a category of goods or services.
66. The method of claim 19 in which the second financial account credit identifier is associated with an aspect of a private transaction.
67. The method of claim 66 in which the aspect of the private transaction comprises an identity of a payee.
68. The method of claim 67 in which the identity of the payee includes one or more attributes of the payee.
69. The method of claim 67 in which an attribute of the payee is a name.
70. The method of claim 67 in which an attribute of the payee is a date.
71. The method of claim 67 in which an attribute of the payee is a location.
72. The method of claim 67 in which an attribute of the payee is a personal association.
73. The method of claim 66 in which the aspect of the private transaction comprises a context of the private transaction.
74. The method of claim 73 in which the context of the private transaction is the physical location at which a payment is made.
75. The method of claim 73 in which the context of the private transaction is an attribute of the payer.
76. The method of claim 75 in which the attribute of the payer is a date.
77. The method of claim 75 in which the attribute of the payer is a location.
78. The method of claim 75 in which the attribute of the payer is an association or affiliation.
79. The method of claim 19 in which the second identifier comprises a string of characters.
80. The method of claim 79 in which the string of characters is a phone number.
81. The method of claim 79 in which the string of characters is a social security number.
82. The method of claim 79 in which the string of characters is an e-mail address.
83. The method of claim 79 in which the string of characters is a person’s name.
84. The method of claim 79 in which the string of characters is a mailing address.
85. The method of claim 79 in which the string of characters is an affiliation group.
86. The method of claim 79 in which the string of characters is a concatenation of identifiers.
87. The method of claim 19 in which financial accounts are maintained by a bank.
88. The method of claim 87 in which the financial account holder is a merchant.
89. The method of claim 87 in which the financial account holder is an individual.
90. The method of claim 87 in which the financial account holder is a charity.
91. The method of claim 87 in which the financial account holder is a business.
92. The method of claim 87 in which the financial account holder is a bank.
93. The method of claim 19 in which the accepting communication device includes an audio or data telecommunication device.
94. The method of claim 19 in which the accepting communication device includes a computer system.
95. The method of claim 19 in which the accepting communication device includes a video display device.
96. The method of claim 19 in which the accepting communication device interprets an image printed on paper, plastic or fabric.

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
simulating user behavior pertaining to a specified future time period,
wherein the simulating is based on an observed user behavior, and
wherein the simulating produces first simulated data;

selecting an item of a plurality of items during the specified future time period based on the first simulated data; and
presenting the item to a user.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the observed user behavior comprises a number of times the plurality of items have been viewed by a plurality of users and the number of times each item of the plurality of items has been clicked.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of simulating user behavior further comprises:
calculating a probability that a particular item of the plurality of items will maximize a performance metric;
selecting the particular item based on the probability;
recording, in connection with the particular item at the first simulated data, a hypothetical view; and
recording, in connection with the particular item at second simulated data, a value based on a probability that a user of the plurality of users would click on the particular item.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the probability is based on the observed user behavior and the first and second simulated data.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the value based on a probability that a user of the plurality of users would click on the particular item comprises:
a division of a total number of clicks observed for the particular item by a total number of times the particular item has been selected;
wherein the total number of times the particular item has been selected is based on the first simulated data and the observed user behavior.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first simulated data comprises percentages of times each item of the plurality of items was selected in the step of simulating user behavior.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the percentages comprise the probability that each item of the plurality of items will be presented to the user during the specified future time period.
8. A computer-implemented method comprising:
generating a plan for presenting an item from a plurality of items to a user;
wherein the plan is based on a simulation of user behavior pertaining to a specified future time period;
wherein the simulation comprises a function measuring a potential that presenting the item will maximize a performance metric; and
presenting, to the user, the item selected from the plurality of items according to the plan.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the performance metric comprises a click-through rate, a total number of page views over time, or a measure of overall user experience.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8,
wherein the function measuring a potential that presenting the item will maximize a performance metric further comprises calculating a priority corresponding to the item; and
wherein the priority comprises a measure of a current estimated click rate pertaining to the item and a measure of the probability that the current estimated click rate will improve.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:
presenting, to the user, the item selected according to the plan after the simulation of user behavior pertaining to a specified future time period.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:
presenting, to the user, the item selected according to the plan during the simulation of user behavior pertaining to a specified future time period.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the simulation of user behavior pertains to users of a portal page on the internet.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the simulation of user behavior is based on a solution to the Bayesian multi-armed bandit problem.
15. A machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
simulating user behavior pertaining to a specified future time period,
wherein the simulating is based on an observed user behavior, and
wherein the simulating produces first simulated data;

selecting an item of a plurality of items during the specified future time period based on the first simulated data; and
presenting the item to a user.
16. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 15, wherein the observed user behavior comprises a number of times the plurality of items have been viewed by a plurality of users and the number of times each item of the plurality of items has been clicked.
17. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 15, wherein the step of simulating user behavior further comprises:
calculating a probability that a particular item of the plurality of items will maximize a performance metric;
selecting the particular item based on the probability;
recording, in connection with the particular item at the first simulated data, a hypothetical view; and
recording, in connection with the particular item at second simulated data, a value based on a probability that a user of the plurality of users would click on the particular item.
18. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 17, wherein the probability is based on the observed user behavior and the first and second simulated data.
19. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 16, wherein the value based on a probability that a user of the plurality of users would click on the particular item comprises:
a division of a total number of clicks observed for the particular item by a total number of times the particular item has been selected;
wherein the total number of times the particular item has been selected is based on the first simulated data and the observed user behavior.
20. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 15, wherein the first simulated data comprises percentages of times each item of the plurality of items was selected in the step of simulating user behavior.
21. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 20, wherein the percentages comprise the probability that each item of the plurality of items will be presented to the user during the specified future time period.
22. A machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
generating a plan for presenting an item from a plurality of items to a user;
wherein the plan is based on a simulation of user behavior pertaining to a specified future time period;
wherein the simulation comprises a function measuring a potential that presenting the item will maximize a performance metric; and
presenting, to the user, the item selected from the plurality of items according to the plan.
23. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 22, wherein the performance metric comprises a click-through rate, a total number of page views over time, or a measure of overall user experience.
24. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 22,
wherein the function measuring a potential that presenting the item will maximize a performance metric further comprises calculating a priority corresponding to the item; and
wherein the priority comprises a measure of a current estimated click rate pertaining to the item and a measure of the probability that the current estimated click rate will improve.
25. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:
presenting, to the user, the item selected according to the plan after the simulation of user behavior pertaining to a specified future time period.
26. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:
presenting, to the user, the item selected according to the plan during the simulation of user behavior pertaining to a specified future time period.
27. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 22, wherein the simulation of user behavior pertains to users of a portal page on the internet.
28. The machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium of claim 22, wherein the simulation of user behavior is based on a solution to the Bayesian multi-armed bandit problem.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A composite gas separation module, comprising:
a) a porous metal substrate;
b) a porous anodic aluminum oxide layer, wherein the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer overlies the porous metal substrate; and
c) a dense gas-selective membrane, wherein the dense gas-selective membrane overlies the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer.
2. The composite gas separation module of claim 1 wherein the porous metal substrate is stainless steel.
3. The composite gas separation module of claim 1 wherein the porous metal substrate is an alloy containing chromium and nickel.
4. The composite gas separation module of claim 3 wherein the alloy further contains molybdenum.
5-17. (canceled)
18. The composite gas separation module of claim 1 wherein the dense gas-selective membrane is a dense hydrogen-selective membrane.
19. The composite gas separation module of claim 18 wherein the dense hydrogen-selective membrane includes palladium or an alloy thereof.
20. A composite filter, comprising:
a) a porous non-aluminum metal substrate; and
b) a porous anodic aluminum oxide layer, wherein the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer overlies the porous non-aluminum metal substrate, and wherein the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer defines pores extending from a first side of the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer through the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer to a second side of the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer.
21. The composite filter of claim 20 wherein the porous non-aluminum metal substrate is stainless steel.
22. The composite filter of claim 20 wherein the porous non-aluminum metal substrate is an alloy containing chromium and nickel.
23. The composite filter of claim 20 wherein the alloy further contains molybdenum.
24-27. (canceled)
28. The composite filter of claim 20 wherein the porous non-aluminum metal substrate defines pores having an first mean pore diameter, wherein the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer defines pores having a second mean pore diameter, and wherein the first mean pore diameter is less than the first mean pore diameter.
29. The composite filter of claim 28 wherein the first mean pore diameter is less than half of the first mean pore diameter.
30-31. (canceled)
32. A method for fabricating a composite gas separation module, comprising:
a) applying a porous anodic aluminum oxide layer over a porous metal substrate; and
b) applying a dense gas-selective membrane over the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer, thereby forming the composite gas separation module.
33. The method of claim 32 wherein applying a porous anodic aluminum oxide layer over a porous metal substrate includes applying an aluminum metal layer over the porous metal substrate.
34. The method of claim 33 wherein the porous metal substrate is a porous non-aluminum metal substrate.
35-49. (canceled)
50. The method of claim 32 wherein applying a porous anodic aluminum oxide layer over a porous metal substrate includes:
a) applying an aluminum metal layer over the porous metal substrate;
b) oxidizing the aluminum metal layer by anodic oxidation, thereby forming a first anodic aluminum oxide layer;
c) removing at least a portion of the first anodic aluminum oxide layer, thereby forming a template, wherein the template includes unoxidized aluminum metal; and
d) oxidizing the aluminum metal of the template by anodic oxidation, thereby forming the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer.
51. (canceled)
52. The method of claim 32 wherein the gas-selective membrane is a hydrogen-selective membrane.
53-57. (canceled)
58. A method for fabricating a composite filter, comprising:
a) applying an aluminum metal layer over a porous non-aluminum metal substrate;
b) oxidizing the aluminum metal layer by anodic oxidation, thereby forming a first anodic aluminum oxide layer;
c) removing at least a portion of the first anodic aluminum oxide layer, thereby forming a template, wherein the template includes unoxidized aluminum metal; and
d) oxidizing the aluminum metal of the template by anodic. oxidation, thereby forming a porous anodic aluminum oxide layer.
59. The method of claim 58 wherein the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer includes non-porous anodic aluminum oxide and further comprising removing at least a portion of the non-porous anodic aluminum oxide from the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer.
60. A method for selectively separating hydrogen gas from a hydrogen gas-containing gaseous stream, comprising:
directing the hydrogen gas-containing gaseous stream to a composite gas separation module, wherein the composite gas separation module includes:
a) a porous metal substrate;
b) a porous anodic aluminum oxide layer, wherein the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer overlies the porous metal substrate; and
c) a dense hydrogen-selective membrane, wherein the dense hydrogen-selective membrane overlies the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer;
whereby hydrogen gas is at least partially partitioned from the gaseous stream by passing through the dense hydrogen-selective membrane.
61. The method of claim 60 further comprising the step of reacting hydrogen gas-producing reactants to produce the gaseous stream.
62. The method of claim 60 wherein the porous metal substrate defines pores having an first mean pore diameter, wherein the porous anodic aluminum oxide layer defines pores having a second mean pore diameter, and wherein the second mean pore diameter is less than the first mean pore diameter.
63-67. (canceled)
68. The method of claim 62 wherein the dense hydrogen-selective membrane includes palladium or an alloy thereof.
69. The method of claim 33 further including annealing the aluminum metal layer in an atmosphere comprising an inert gas and hydrogen gas.
70-71. (canceled)