Patents Assigned to SAFI-Tech
  • Publication number: 20230182236
    Abstract: A material includes a plurality of supercooled micro-capsules each including a metallic core in a liquid state at a temperature below a solidification temperature of the metallic core and further includes a metallic shell surrounding each respective metallic core. A plurality of alloyed metallic particles and flux are mixed with the plurality of supercooled micro-capsules to form a solder paste. Upon heating the solder paste, the plurality of alloyed particles melt. As the metallic shells destabilize, the liquid metallic cores interdiffuse with the melted alloyed particles forming a new alloy that has a higher melting temperature than the melting temperature of the alloyed metallic particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: SAFI-Tech, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Thuo, Ian Tevis, Dana Drochner
  • Patent number: 11673190
    Abstract: A system and method are presented for producing metallic core-shell particles. The system includes the housing having a hollow interior configured to receive and hold a molten metal input, a carrier fluid, and one or more reagents. The system also includes a shearing assembly positioned within the hollow interior of the housing. The shearing assembly is configured to, when the molten metal input, carrier fluid, and one or more reagents are held withing hollow interior and sealed within housing, shear the molten metal input into particles of an effective size so that a shell created on a surface of the particles via reaction with the one or more reagents prevents a core of the particles from solidifying when the particles are cooled to a temperature below a freezing temperature of the molten metal input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: SAFI-TECH, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Thuo, Ian Tevis, Chris Frankiewicz
  • Patent number: 11633702
    Abstract: A system and method are presented for producing solder paste having undercooled metallic core-shell particles. In one or more arrangements, the system includes a reconstitution assembly, a dispenser assembly, and a mixer, among other components. The reconstitution assembly is configured to place the cores of the solid core metallic core-shell particles into an undercooled liquid state to form a plurality of undercooled metallic core-shell particles. The dispenser assembly is configured to dispense one or more of a set of available flux components. The mixer assembly is configured to mix the one or more of the set of flux components dispensed by the dispenser assembly with the plurality of undercooled metallic core-shell particles formed by the reconstitution assembly to form a solder paste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: SAFI-TECH, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Thuo, Ian Tevis, Darin Heisterkamp
  • Publication number: 20220023940
    Abstract: A droplet comprises a core including an alloy comprising a majority of a first metallic element and a minority of a second element, wherein the core is in a liquid state below a solidus temperature of the alloy. A shell is arranged to enclose the core and includes an exterior surface comprising a majority of the second element and a minority of the first metallic element, wherein the shell is in a solid state below the solidus temperature of the alloy. The alloy can comprise a solder material that can be used to form solder connections below a solidus temperature of the alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: SAFI-Tech
    Inventors: Martin Thuo, Ian Tevis
  • Patent number: 11059098
    Abstract: A method of direct printing or writing of a metallic material involves depositing, with a printing device or writing device, an ink comprising of at least undercooled liquid metallic particles dispersed in a carrier fluid. The ink is deposited on any substrate surface to deposit the undercooled liquid metal particles thereon as one or more layers that can form a desired pattern or layered structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignees: SAFI-Tech, Inc., Iowa State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Martin M. Thuo, Christophe Frankiewicz, Ian D. Tevis