Electron Irradiation (e.g., E-beam Evaporation, Etc.) Patents (Class 427/566)
  • Patent number: 5938838
    Abstract: A head drum is coated with double films, each having different characteristics, by forming a first diamond-like hard carbon film of high degree of hardness and then forming a second diamond-like hard carbon film of a lower degree of hardness thereon. The degree of hardness of the second film is lower than that of the first film. The double coating is performed by means of a synthesizing apparatus which comprises a reactor consisting of a power supply electrode, a workpiece support and and an annular ground electrode spaced from the stacked head drums by a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Kwang-Ryeol Lee, Kwang-Yong Eun, Keun-Mo Kim
  • Patent number: 5875549
    Abstract: A method of producing numerous small passages within a turbomachinery component is disclosed. The method comprises providing a turbomachinery component substrate having grooves, filling the grooves with a filler, condensing a vapor onto the surfaces of the substrate and the filler, and removing the filler. The method enables the formation of small passages located close to the component surface without the low yield rate associated with conventional methods of turbomachinery component production. Turbomachinery components having numerous small passages for cooling are also disclosed. Such passages may diminish fluid pressure losses of a cooling medium passing therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventor: Barry Lee McKinley
  • Patent number: 5858558
    Abstract: A nickel-base gamma-sigma intermetallic matrix composite material suitable for forming gas turbine engine components and structural coatings for such components. The composite material contains, in weight percent, about 20 to 50 chromium, about 0 to 32 molybdenum, and about 0.5 to 7 silicon, with the balance being nickel and incidental impurities. In addition, the composite material may contain aluminum and titanium in amounts of up to about 7 and 3 weight percent, respectively. The resulting intermetallic matrix composite material is characterized by a sigma volume fraction of greater than 30 percent, preferably at least about 50 percent, and may have a dendritic, fibrous or lamellar microstructure. The composite material can be cast to form a component, or deposited by known techniques to form a structural coating on a component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ji-Cheng Zhao, Melvin Robert Jackson
  • Patent number: 5849371
    Abstract: A laser and laser-assisted multi-beam deposition apparatus for evaporating and/or sublimating a material to deposit on a substrate comprises using a laser and an electron beam, or two lasers, simultaneously applied to the material to vaporize the material with reduced ejection of material particulates and reduced oxidation of the material. The apparatus and method is particularly useful in the processing of blanket refractory metal depositions on large flat panel display substrates, silicon wafer substrates, and tribological/ceramic coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Inventor: Dwayne Beesley
  • Patent number: 5849370
    Abstract: A method for creating a dielectric coating on a substrate produces near bulk density metal oxide coatings with extremely low surface roughness, microstructure and low defect density. The coatings have a low scatter of less than 50 ppm, low loss of less than 100 ppm, and an environmental stability of 0.1 or less spectral shift. A high vacuum chamber is provided which includes a substrate carrier device, an electron beam gun, a substrate, an evaporant source of coating material, a plasma bridge neutralizer and an ion gun. Coating material is evaporated with the electron beam gun to form a coating material evaporant that is directed to the substrate. An ion gun is directed toward the substrate and produces ions that arrive substantially simultaneously with the coating material evaporant at the substrate. The ions provide a momentum assist to the coating material. The result is a formation of a desirable dielectric thin film of coating material on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Spectra-Physics Lasers, Inc.
    Inventors: Hakchu Lee, Ronald Kubota, Larry Basegio, Marc Kevin von Gunten
  • Patent number: 5834070
    Abstract: The invention relates to the production of protective coatings for parts of gas turbines and internal combustion engines which are to be subjected to thermal loading. A coating formed in accordance with the invention has a chemical composition and structure gradient across its thickness and an outer ceramic layer. The coating is obtained by electron beam heating of a mixture of metals (alloys) and oxides which have different vapor pressures at the evaporation temperature, the mixture and an underlying ceramic ingot being serially evaporated and subsequently condensed on the part to be coated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: International Center for Electron Beam Technologies of E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute
    Inventors: Boris A. Movchan, Jury E. Rudoy, Igor S. Malashenko
  • Patent number: 5804258
    Abstract: In a process for coating a substrate surface with a layer of inorganic material, the inorganic material is vaporised in a vacuum chamber evacuated to at least 10.sup.-3 mbar by bombarding with an electron beam from a high voltage electron-beam gun and deposited on the substrate surface. Gas discharging is created between the point of incidence (A) of the electron beam on the inorganic material to be vaporised and an anode such that the electrostatic charge created by the high voltage electron-beam gun flows off via the anode. This way damage to the substrate, which may arise as a result discharging phenomena, can be effectively avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Alusuisse Technology & Management Ltd.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Lohwasser, Andre Wisard
  • Patent number: 5795628
    Abstract: Device containing a vacuum chamber 30 and situated therein a substrate 10 and a vaporization crucible 22 filled with inorganic materials 24. Situated in the region of the vacuum chamber 30 is an electron beam or laser gun 26, the electron or laser beam 27 of which is directed at the crucible 22. The device is employed for coating a substrate surface 18 e.g. a plastic film with a thin coating of inorganic materials, such as e.g. silicon oxides, by vapor deposition of the inorganic materials 24.The electron or laser beam 27 of the electron beam or laser gun 26 is directed at the surface of the inorganic materials 24 in the vaporizing crucible 22. The electron or laser beam 27 forms an angle .alpha. of 10.degree. to 80.degree. to the surface of the inorganic materials 24. On vaporizing the inorganic materials 24 an overhang 25 is formed in the inorganic materials 24 and, geometrically, there is no line of sight between the vaporizing inorganic materials and the substrate surface 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Alusuisse Technology & Management Ltd.
    Inventors: Andre Wisard, Wolfgang Lohwasser
  • Patent number: 5792521
    Abstract: A method for forming a multilayer thermal barrier coating by physical vapor deposition such that the individual layers of the coating are substantially homogeneous. As a result, a distinct compositional interface is formed between adjacent layers when different ceramic materials are employed to form alternating layers of the coating. Preferably, different ceramic materials characterized by differing thermal conductivities and resistance to erosion are employed, such that both the wear and adhesion characteristics of the coating are promoted. The method entails supporting an article in proximity to ceramic ingots of the preferred ceramic materials, and then sequentially deflecting an electron beam at the ingots so as to melt a portion of each ingot and produce a vapor of each ceramic material that deposits onto the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: David J. Wortman
  • Patent number: 5789041
    Abstract: A method for depositing thin films of improved uniformity on solid objects y the technique of ion-beam assisted deposition. In the ion-beam deposition technique, the surface of a solid substrate is exposed both to a stream of atoms or molecules evaporated from a crucible placed below the substrate and to a beam of ions. The most uniform films are deposited on the substrate when the evaporated particles are emitted in a particular angular direction that depends on the angle of tilt of the substrate. An improved method is disclosed for placing the substrate in a particular angular position relative to the evaporation source. Surface properties such as friction, wear life, surface hardness and resistance to corrosion of many types solid objects can be improved by coating their surfaces with a thin film using this technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of The Army
    Inventor: Wolfgang Franzen
  • Patent number: 5773078
    Abstract: An improved method for depositing zirconium oxide from a zirconium oxide source onto a substrate by means of physical vapor deposition is described. The method includes the step of adding zirconium metal to the zirconium oxide source, which is usually in the form of a cylindrical ingot. The zirconium metal is present in an amount sufficient to chemically bond with a substantial portion of oxygen which would otherwise be freed from the oxide source, as both the zirconium metal and the zirconium oxide source are evaporated during physical vapor deposition. The invention is especially suited for EB-PVD techniques, in which an electron beam is used to evaporate the zirconium metal and the zirconium oxide source during physical vapor deposition. In one embodiment, the zirconium metal comprises a tube which surrounds and contacts at least a portion of the outer surface of the ingot. In another embodiment, the zirconium metal is in the form of a rod inserted in a cavity within the ingot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: David William Skelly
  • Patent number: 5750185
    Abstract: A method for the electron beam deposition of a multicomponent evaporant to ensure a consistent layer quality with constant composition and thickness in a defined manner. The X-radiation emitted from the evaporant on the point of electron beam impingement is measured in situ, using the obtained signal as reference input to control the parameters of the evaporation process and therefore to control the deposition rate and material composition of the deposited layer. The method is used for the production of corrosion resistant, high-temperature resistant, hard-wearing or optical layers on, for example, strip steel or plastic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Klaus Goedicke, Christoph Metzner, Volker Kirchhoff, Wolfgang Hempel, Nicolas Schiller
  • Patent number: 5738768
    Abstract: A process for reducing particle defects in an arc vapor deposition coating on a substrate comprises the steps of providing a metallic wire mesh, providing an arc source adapted to impart a positive charge on coating macroparticles produced during arc vapor deposition, positioning the wire mesh in between the arc source and the substrate, applying a negative bias voltage to the wire mesh and entrapping positively charged macroparticles on the negatively charged wire mesh during coating deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Chuong Q. Dam, Laura M. VanLanen
  • Patent number: 5718948
    Abstract: The invention relates to a coated cemented carbide body for rock drilling having a substrate containing at least one metal carbide and a binder metal and an at least partly covering coating comprising at least one diamond- or cBN-layer applied by CVD- or PVD-technique. The cemented carbide body has a core of cemented carbide containing eta-phase surrounded by a surface zone of cemented carbide free of eta-phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Sandvik AB
    Inventors: Stefan S. O. Ederyd, E. K. Staffen Soderberg, Udo K. R. Fischer
  • Patent number: 5714202
    Abstract: This invention discloses methods of making new and improved multi-layer coatings for gas turbine engine parts that are exposed to elevated temperatures, such as blades and vanes in the high pressure compressor and turbine of multi-stage aircraft engines, by applying a diamond film over columnar thermal barrier coatings such as yttria-stabilized zirconia, improving the erosion resistance of the thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Inventors: Jerome H. Lemelson, James G. Conley
  • Patent number: 5698273
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating an electron beam physical vapor deposition apparatus including a vacuum chamber containing an ingot disposed in a crucible, a workpiece disposed above the ingot, and an electron gun for emitting an electron beam to melt and vaporize the ingot to disperse vapors for deposition coating of the workpiece. The method includes directing a primary electron beam with a primary beam focus in a primary scanning pattern across a top surface of the ingot to melt and vaporize the ingot and develop an ingot melt pool floating atop an underlying ingot substrate. A secondary electron beam is superimposed across the ingot top surface in conjunction with the primary electron beam. The secondary electron beam has a secondary beam focus in a secondary scanning pattern to locally and transiently increase vaporization rate of the melt pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Farzin Homayoun Azad, David William Skelly, David Vincent Rigney
  • Patent number: 5679410
    Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording medium is manufactured with vacuum deposition or sputtering technique. One or more reflectors are provided between the substrate and an evaporation source around a path through which evaporated atoms travel onto a substrate. When a thin film is deposited on a substrate, the one or more reflectors are heated above a melting point of an evaporation material to reflect evaporated atoms arriving them. Thus, atoms reflected by the one or more reflectors also contribute to deposition of a thin film as well as evaporated atoms arriving directly from the evaporation source, and deposition efficiency is improved. Such a reflector is also used to limit a boundary or the path through which evaporated atoms travel onto a substrate. Then, a range of incident angles of evaporated atoms onto the substrate is kept the same for a long time on deposition, and characteristics of the thin film are stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuji Sugita, Kiyokazu Tohma, Tatsuaki Ishida, Kazunari Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 5662965
    Abstract: Crystalline carbon-based thin film structures are formed in which a compositionally-graded intermediate layer is first deposited on a substrate, and a crystalline carbon-based thin film such as silicon carbide or diamond is deposited thereafter on the intermediate layer. The compositionally-graded intermediate layer has a carbon content which increases in a direction away from the substrate. The compositionally-graded intermediate layer is effective in reducing problems associated with the lattice mismatch between the thin film and the substrate which hamper conventional hetero-epitaxial growth of high quality crystalline carbon-based thin films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Deguchi, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Takashi Hirao
  • Patent number: 5614248
    Abstract: Certain non-optical characteristics and, in particular, mechanical characteristics are not measurable in situ in the industrial production of layers using plasma-assisted reactive electron beam vaporization, particularly if high demands are made on the hardness, wear resistance and barrier action, so as to be able to reproducibly apply the layers. The values of the optical layer characteristics are to be used as a control signal. In this method, immediately after the substrate has passed through the vaporizing zone, the reflection and/or transmission and absorption capacity are measured in the wavelength range .DELTA..sub.k =150 to 800 nm and from this are determined the refractive index and optical absorption coefficient. These determined values are compared with an experimentally determined desired value. A control signal obtained therefrom, in the case of a constant reactive gas partial pressure, controls the plasma and maintains constant the optical characteristics of the layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Siegfried Schiller, Manfred Neumann, Volker Kirchhoff, Gerhard Zeissig, Nicolas Schiller, Klaus Goedicke
  • Patent number: 5612090
    Abstract: An iron-based heat-generating material excellent in oxidation resistance at an elevated temperature which comprises an iron-based alloy capable of generating heat by passing electricity therethrough and a coating of aluminum and oxygen formed on the surface of the alloy, the amount of the oxygen in the coating is less than the stoichiometric amount of oxygen in Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. The material can be prepared by vacuum evaporation of Al onto the surface of the iron-based alloy wherein an oxygen partial pressure in a vacuum gaseous atmosphere for the vacuum evaporation is adjusted so that there is formed on the surface of the alloy a coating consisting of aluminum and oxygen, the amount of the oxygen in the coating being less than the stoichiometric amount of oxygen in Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. When the material is heated in ambient or oxidizing atmosphere, an outermost layer of the coating is rapidly converted to Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Fukui, Atsushi Ando, Yoshikazu Morita, Masanori Matsuno, Minoru Saito, Hideo Miyake, Masahiko Souda
  • Patent number: 5607564
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing a microporous, gas permeable electrode structure, and to a corresponding electrode structure. According to the method, on a substrate (2) by means of a vacuum evaporation process is formed a first microporous electrode layer (4) using an angle (.alpha.) between the substrate (2) and the evaporation source (1) smaller than 90.degree.. According to the invention, on the first microporous layer (4) is formed another microporous layer (5) of a precious metal using essentially the same evaporation angle (.alpha.) as in the fabrication step of the first microporous layer (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Vaisala OY
    Inventor: Lars Stormbom
  • Patent number: 5597064
    Abstract: The present invention provides inexpensive electric contact materials having higher hardness and higher melting point and being more excellent in the points of wear resistance and environmental resistance over the electric contact materials of Ag type, Au type, platinum group type, etc. having been used so far, production methods thereof and electric contacts used said contact materials.In the electric contact materials of the invention, basically, a covering layer having at least one selected from transition metals of groups IVa (Ti, Zr, Hf, etc.), Va (V, Nb, Ta, etc.) and VIa (Cr, Mo, W, etc.) as a major ingredient is formed on the substrate as an electric contact in a thickness of 0.03 to 100 .mu.m, and, if need be, a fixed intermediate layer is formed between said covering layer of electric contact and substrate or a fixed surface layer is formed on the outside of covering layer of electric contact, thus aiming at further improvement in the characteristics of contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1997
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Ozaki, Keiji Mashimo
  • Patent number: 5580617
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a tin-coated surface of rolled copper strips or copper-alloy strips, wherein a strip surface is mechanically treated using a textured working roll to adjust a texture on said strip surface of an average peak-to-valley height within the range of 3 to 12 .mu.m and the textured strip surface is then continuously coated with tin or a tin-base alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: KM-Europa Metal Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hans H. Biederer, Stefan Hoveling
  • Patent number: 5549936
    Abstract: In a manufacturing method of a magnetic recording medium with a vacuum deposition, two shielding members are provided above a substrate for defining an aperture. An evaporation source is located at a position wherein evaporated atoms from an evaporation material can adhere to a moving substrate through the aperture. The substrate is moved while a material in the evaporation source is irradiated at two evaporation portions with two electron beams along a moving direction of the substrate to form a magnetic layer. Thus, curving of columnar gains formed in the magnetic layer is suppressed or crystal orientation is enhanced, and magnetic read/write characteristics are improved. Further, a productivity is improved because the aperture can be enlarged than previously by using the two evaporation portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Tohma, Kazunari Yoshimoto, Ryuji Sugita, Tatsuaki Ishida
  • Patent number: 5543170
    Abstract: System and method for controlling alloy composition during molecular beam epitaxy growth of group III-V ternaries at high substrate temperature or under any conditions which give rise to significant desorption rates is described which incorporates desorption mass spectrometry in a real time feedback loop for continuous monitoring and control of layer composition by control of incident group V (e.g., arsenic) flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Keith R. Evans
  • Patent number: 5534314
    Abstract: A process for vapor depositing an evaporant onto a substrate is provided which involves:presenting the substrate to a deposition chamber, wherein the deposition chamber has an operating pressure of from 0.001 Torr to atmospheric pressure and has coupled thereto a carrier gas stream generator and an electron beam gun capable of providing an electron beam at the operating pressure and contains an evaporant source;impinging the evaporant source with the electron beam to generate the evaporant;entraining the evaporant in the carrier gas stream; andcoating the substrate with the carrier gas stream which contains the entrained evaporant, and an apparatus for performing the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: Haydn N. G. Wadley, James F. Groves
  • Patent number: 5514482
    Abstract: An improvement in a thermal barrier coating for superalloy turbine engine components subjected to high operating temperatures, such as turbine airfoils, e.g., vanes and blades, is disclosed which eliminates the expensive MCrAlY oxidation resistant bond coating underlayer for a columnar grained ceramic thermal barrier coating. In accordance with my present invention, a relatively low cost thermal barrier coating system for superalloy turbine components is provided which utilizes a diffusion aluminide coating layer as the oxidation resistant bonding surface for the columnar grained ceramic insulating coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Strangman
  • Patent number: 5494711
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of preparing an InSb thin film, which comprises a step of physically sticking InSb powder onto a major surface of a substrate, and a step of depositing an InSb thin film on the major surface of the substrate provided with the as-stuck InSb powder by a method such as vacuum evaporation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Takeda, Yoshifumi Ogiso, Takuji Nakagawa, Atsuo Senda
  • Patent number: 5482743
    Abstract: A process for producing an electrode plate for an electrolytic condenser. According to the process, a fixed or movable substrate is introduced into a chamber, and an oxidizing atmosphere and vaporized aluminum are also introduced into the chamber, under a pressure of 0.8 to 2.3 Pa in a deposit zone. A coating of grain agglomerates comprising a porous matrix of aluminum oxide containing metallic aluminum crystallites arranged randomly within the grains is deposited onto at least one surface of the substrate by condensation from the atmosphere at a rate between 0.03 and 0.2 micrometers per second. The coated substrate is then removed from the chamber and subjected to a chemical or electrochemical stabilization treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Satma
    Inventors: Francis Allegret, Mohamed Benmalek, Emmanuel Gariel
  • Patent number: 5474809
    Abstract: An evaporation method is described for the deposition of various materials that comprise a plurality of elements, such as metal alloys, ceramics and certain inorganic-metallic compounds. The method involves the evaporation of a material comprising a plurality of elements through a molten pool of another material. The material which is to be evaporated is placed in a suitable evaporation means under the material which is to be used to form the molten pool. By applying heat sufficient to melt both materials, the material to be evaporated is transported through the molten pool of the other material. The materials are selected so that the material to be evaporated is preferentially evaporated with respect to the other material. This method produces a vapor stream and condensates that have compositions which closely resemble the compositions of the material from which they were deposited. Further, the condensate may be collected using the method of this invention at high rates on the order of 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David W. Skelly, Melvin R. Jackson
  • Patent number: 5458928
    Abstract: The disclosed method of forming a high-function material film such as a ZrN thin film on a substrate in a vacuum chamber allows the color tone and uniformity of the film to be controlled. Gaseous nitrogen and gaseous oxygen, or nitrogen ions and oxygen ions, are supplied to the substrate while hard material atoms such as Zr atoms are emitted from an evaporation source toward the substrate. A supply partial pressure of the gaseous oxygen is set at a value within a range from about 10.sup.-5 Torr to about 10.sup.-4 Torr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Kiyama, Hitoshi Hirano, Yoichi Domoto, Keiichi Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 5436035
    Abstract: A substrate surface is coated with a permeation barrier of inorganic material, which is vaporized from a crucible in a vacuum chamber evacuated to at least 10.sup.-3 mbar and precipitated on the substrate surface.An ionizing electron beam of low energy is thus passed through the gas phase of inorganic material with formation of a plasma, preferably in the direction running approximately parallel to the substrate surface.At least one low voltage electron beam gun with assigned electrode is incorporated in the vacuum chamber between the crucible and the substrate support.The main application is for coating plastic films for the packaging industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Alusuisse-Lonza Services Ltd.
    Inventor: Wolfgang Lohwasser
  • Patent number: 5429843
    Abstract: The surface of a steel material is irradiated with ion beams, held at a temperature of 100.degree.-400.degree. C. and then subjected to vapor deposition plating in vacuo. The vapor deposition plating may be performed by successively or simultaneously depositing different plating metals. The temperature control may use the sensible heat of the steel material, wherein the vapor deposition plating is applied to the surface of the steel material, which is in the temperature range of 100.degree.-400.degree. C. during cooling after ion beam irradiation, in a vacuum atmosphere. Since the surface of the steel material is held at a temperature of 100.degree.-400.degree.C., a lot of active spots remain on the surface. The active spots serve as starting points for the vapor deposition of the plating metals. The obtained plating layer is excellent in adhesiveness, workability, corrosion resistance and conformability to paint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Masaki, Minoru Saito, Hideo Miyake, Masahiko Souda, Yukihiro Morita, Yasushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 5418003
    Abstract: Evaporated ceramic coatings are prepared by furnishing an ingot of a ceramic material, treating the ingot to reduce sources of gas within the ingot, and evaporating the ceramic material in the ingot by melting the surface of the ingot with an intense heat source. The evaporated ceramic is deposited upon a substrate as the ceramic coating. The reduced gas content of the ingot decreases the incidence of spitting and eruptions from the molten surface of the ingot, thereby improving the quality of the deposited coating, and facilitating increases in evaporation rates and coatings process production rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert W. Bruce, David W. Skelly, William P. Minnear, Richard A. Nardi, Jr., David J. Wortman, Antonio F. Maricocchi, Rudolfo Viguie, David V. Rigney
  • Patent number: 5413820
    Abstract: A reactive ionized cluster beam deposition method according to this invention is embodied by utilizing two vacuum subregions partitioned by a partition wall formed with an opening. A closed heating crucible and an ionization accelerating unit are disposed in one vacuum subregion partitioned by the partition wall. A substrate is also disposed in the other vacuum subregion, and at the same time a reactive gas is introduced thereinto. Degrees of vacuums in the two vacuum subregions partitioned by the partition wall are equal to or different from each other. Particularly, a gas concentration in the latter vacuum subregion is enhanced. Then, the ionized cluster beams formed in the former vacuum subregion are introduced into the latter vacuum subregion via the opening of the partition wall and react to the reactive gas within the latter vacuum subregion. The ionized cluster beams reacting to the reactive gas impinge on the substrate, thereby forming the deposited film on the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Tokyo Serofan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5401542
    Abstract: In a magnetoresistive magnetic head which has a permalloy film (2, 22) as the magnetoresistive film and also has a shunt film for applying a transverse biasing magnetic field, an Nb film (3, 23) is formed as the shunt film by the electron-beam evaporation method to increase the heat resistance of the magnetoresistive element, thus making it possible to increase the temperature at which the magnetic head is manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kitada, Noboru Shimizu, Hideo Tanabe, Hitoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5395663
    Abstract: There is provided a process for producing a dielectric thin film of a perovskite oxide on a substrate by a vapor-deposition process which includes vaporizing the oxide and irradiating the oxide vapor or the substrate with a laser beam.There is also provided a pyroelectric type of sensor comprising: a MOS element including a drain electrode, a source electrode, a gate electrode and an Si semiconductor and a film of a ferroelectric or pyroelectric material formed on the drain electrode, the drain electrode being made of a material which exhibits a good ohmic contact with Si or SiO.sub.2 and has a lattice constant close to that of ferroelectric or pyroelectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tabata, Osamu Murata, Junzo Fujioka, Shunichi Minakata, Shichio Kawai, Tomoji Kawai
  • Patent number: 5378500
    Abstract: Precursors for metal matrix composites are produced by coating a long fibre ceramic reinforcement with alternating layers of dissimilar species of matrix materials to an aggregate thickness sufficient to yield the intended matrix volume fraction in a consolidated product without additional material. This duplex coating of fibres is performed by vapor phase deposition comprising vapor condensation, sputtering or chemical vapor reaction. The precursor includes an aggregate coating of at least 5% of fibre diameter, preferably at least 20%. Various duplex systems are disclosed, each having one component significantly more frangible than the other to render damage tolerant properties to the resultant metal composite.Product materials are produced from the duplex matrix coated fibres by consolidation of an assembly of coated fibres under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure to cause inter-fibre matrix flow and bonding of matrix materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
    Inventors: Charles M. Ward-Close, Peter G. Partridge
  • Patent number: 5372837
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thin film electroluminescent (EL) device in which an electron beam is directed to a pellet of a substance containing an additive agent, and the substance is evaporated and deposited on a substrate and a change per unit time of the growing deposit is monitored by a sensor, comprising the steps of (1) controlling energy of the electron beam in accordance with an output of the sensor during a first time interval for adjusting an evaporation rate of the substance to a specified rate, (2) maintaining the controlled energy of the electron beam constant during a second time interval, larger than the first time interval and alternatively repeating steps (1) and (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shimoyama, Noriaki Nakamura, Kinichi Isaka, Akio Inohara, Hiroshi Kishishita
  • Patent number: 5350607
    Abstract: Sapphire, a highly stable oxide of aluminum having the chemical formula of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, is placed in a crucible. The crucible is heated to vaporize the sapphire therein. The sapphire vapor is ejected through a nozzle in the crucible and into a region having a vacuum pressure of approximately 10.sup.-5 Torr or less. As the vapor leaves the crucible through the nozzle, atom aggregates or clusters are formed through a supercooled phenomenon due to adiabatic expansion. The vacuum region has disposed therein a substrate comprised of one of various materials, including metals, oxides or silicon. The sapphire vapor is accelerated towards the substrate where it deposits on a surface of the substrate in a uniformly distributed thin layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Scott M. Tyson, Richard Y. Kwor, Leonard L. Levenson
  • Patent number: 5340607
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vapor-deposition material for the production of high-refraction optical coatings by coating substrates in vacuo. The material is a compound of the formula La.sub.2 TiO.sub.7-x where x=from 0.3 to 0.7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft Mit Beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Martin Friz, Detlef Albrecht
  • Patent number: 5330800
    Abstract: A high dose rate, high impedance plasma ion implantation method and apparatus to apply high voltage pulses to a target cathode within an ionization chamber to both sustain a plasma in the gas surrounding the target, and to implant ions from the plasma into the target during at least a portion of each pulse. Operating at voltages in excess of 50 kV that are too high for the reliable formation of a conventional glow discharge, the plasma is instead sustained through a beam-plasma instability interaction between secondary electrons emitted from the target and a background pulsed plasma. The voltage pulses are at least about 50 kV, and preferably 100 kV or more. Pulse durations are preferably less than 8 microseconds, with a frequency in the 50-1,000 Hz range. The preferred gas pressure range is 1.times.10.sup.-4 -1.times.10.sup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Robert W. Schumacher, Jesse N. Matossian, Dan M. Goebel
  • Patent number: 5324552
    Abstract: To provide a process for coating substrate material in which coating material is ablated in an ablation region by a laser beam in a coating chamber containing a negative pressure, propagates in the form of a coating particle stream in the direction of the substrate material and is deposited on it in the form of a coating, with which substrate material can be coated in large quantities by laser ablation, it is proposed that the substrate material be flat material, that the flat material be passed continuously as a continuous strip through the coating chamber and coated under the negative pressure substantially maintained therein, and that the necessary coating material be fed to the coating chamber while the negative pressure is substantially maintained therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Assignees: Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V., Voest-Alpine Stahl Linz GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Opower, Kurt Koesters, Reinhold Ebner
  • Patent number: 5320877
    Abstract: In an apparatus for forming a thin film on substrates, two substrate supporters having respective recesses therein are connected by a shaft so that the recesses oppose one another, and opposing ends of many rod-like substrates are supported on the side walls of the recesses. Then, the substrates are rotated on the side walls as the substrate supporters are revolved, and the substrates shift their positions under their own weight. In this state, deposition particles impinge against the substrates from a material source, while the rod-like substrates are stirred so that each region of the outer peripheries thereof has an equal probability of having the film deposited thereon. Thus, a uniform thin film is formed on the surface of every substrate. The numbers of recesses may be two or more. Further, a nest of substrate supporters may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1994
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Nakaue, Hideo Kurokawa, Tsutomo Mitani
  • Patent number: 5296274
    Abstract: A method of producing carbon-containing materials, residing in that, prior to electron-beam vacuum evaporation of graphite, on the surface of the graphite there is disposed a transition metal of Groups VI-VIII of the Periodic System or a mixture of at least two transition metals of said Groups, ensuring a higher rate of evaporation of graphite with respect to said metals or mixture, the metal or mixture is melted by an electron beam (10), evaporation of the graphite proceeding through the resulting melt (11) with subsequent condensation of the graphite on a support (4). In the course of gradual consumption of the graphite and said metal or mixture their supply into the resulting melt (11) is effected in such a manner that the consumed surface of the graphite should be completely overlapped by the melt (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Inventors: Boris A. Movchan, Nikolai I. Grechanjuk, Jury B. Chuikov, Boris E. Paton, Vladimir V. Stetsenko
  • Patent number: 5277938
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus by means of which a material is vaporized in a treatment chamber by means of an electron beam. Due to controlling the inhomogenity of power distribution over the working area of the beam it becomes possible to prevent local overheating of the target material and thus of a deformation of the target surface. This is realized by oscillating the beam around its working point. The amplitude of the oscillation is, thereby, of almost a few beam diameters and this oscillation is superimposed on the momentarily working position of the beam on the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Balzers Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Urs Wegmann, Albert Koller, Josef Vogt
  • Patent number: 5252365
    Abstract: A method for stabilizing and lubricating elastomeric material includes depositing a first material film layer of carbide forming material by high energy level vacuum plating onto the elastomeric material to thereby stabilize free carbon atoms present in the elastomeric material. A second material film layer is deposited by high energy vacuum plating onto the first material film layer to thereby lubricate the elastomeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: White Engineering Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald W. White
  • Patent number: 5240736
    Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for in-situ measuring filament temperature and the thickness of a film deposited on a substrate disposed within a hot-filament chemical vapor deposition reactor. In accordance with the invention, white light which is emitted directly from the filament and that reflects from the top and bottom surfaces of a deposited film are collected and converted to monochromatic light through the use of simple narrow-banned interference filters operative over specific, yet different, optical banned widths. This information is thereafter used to mathematically calculate the filament temperature, film thickness and growth rate of the deposited film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Ching-Hsong Wu, Timothy J. Potter, Michael A. Tamor
  • Patent number: 5227203
    Abstract: An electron beam is radiated on an ion-plating material to heat and evaporate this material, thereby generating a vapor flow of the material. The vapor flow of the material is converged by a hood-like electrode, and at the same time, a positive voltage is applied to the electrode to attract thermoelectrons from the material. The vapor flow is ionized by the thermoelectrons. The converged and ionized vapor flow is deposited on a surface of a strip, thereby performing ion plating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kibe, Hiroshi Kagechika, Takeshi Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 5225253
    Abstract: A method of forming friction-reducing and wear-resistant silver/molybdenum coating material by co-depositing quantities of silver and molybdenum simultaneously forming nano-crystalline binary mixtures on iron surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Simon C. Tung, Yang-Tse Cheng