Platinum Group Metal-base Component Patents (Class 428/670)
  • Patent number: 6627301
    Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic recording medium exhibiting excellent noise characteristics and thermal stability. On a substrate, a first undercoat film, a first perpendicular magnetic film, a second undercoat film, a non-magnetic intermediate film, a second perpendicular magnetic film, and a protective film are successively formed, and the magnetic anisotropy energy of the first perpendicular magnetic film is higher than that of the second perpendicular magnetic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Showa Denko Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Shimizu, Akira Itoh, Hiroshi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20030178707
    Abstract: For a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) leadframe, a base metal sheet (10 in FIG. 3B) of a first metal, including copper, has substantially parallel first (11) and second (12) surfaces and an adherent layer of a second metal 13a and 13b), including nickel, covering both surfaces. A first layer (14) of a third metal, including palladium, adherent to the second metal, is pre-plated on the first surface in a thickness suitable for bonding wire attachment. On the opposite surface, a second layer (15) of the third metal is adherent to the second metal on the second surface in a thickness suitable for parts attachment. Alternatively, a layer of a fourth metal, including tin, is used for parts attachment. The leadframe structure is then stamped from the sheet so that the base metal is exposed at the stamped edges (10a in FIG. 3A). Finally, the exposed base metal is preferentially chemically etched so that it is contoured (10b) for maximum adhesion and imbued with affinity to polymeric compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventor: Donald C. Abbott
  • Patent number: 6616857
    Abstract: A ferroelectric Pb5Ge3O11 (PGO) thin film is provided with a metal organic vapor deposition (MOCVD) process and RTP (Rapid Thermal Process) annealing techniques. The PGO film is substantially crystallization with c-axis orientation at temperature between 450 and 650° C. The PGO film has an average grain size of about 0.5 microns, with a deviation in grain size uniformity of less than 10%. Good ferroelectric properties are obtained for a 150 nm thick film with Ir electrodes. The films also show fatigue-free characteristics: no fatigue was observed up to 1×109 switching cycles. The leakage currents increase with increasing applied voltage, and are about 3.6×10−7 A/cm2 at 100 kV/cm. The dielectric constant shows a behavior similar to most ferroelectric materials, with a maximum dielectric constant of about 45. These high quality MOCVD Pb5Ge3O11 films can be used for high density single transistor ferroelectric memory applications because of the homogeneity of the PGO film grain size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tingkai Li, Fengyan Zhang, Yoshi Ono, Sheng Teng Hsu
  • Patent number: 6613445
    Abstract: A method for forming a metal-containing layer on a substrate is disclosed. A slurry of the metal is first deposited on the substrate; followed by heating to remove volatile material from the slurry, and to form a layer of the metal. In another embodiment, a slurry of aluminum is deposited over the slurry of the metal, before or after the metal has been heat-treated to some degree. A diffusion heat treatment results in a coating which includes the noble-metal aluminide compound. Related articles are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: D. Sangeeta, Howard John Farr
  • Patent number: 6607847
    Abstract: An article, such as an airfoil having a melting temperature of at least about 1500° C. and comprising a first piece and a second piece joined by a braze to the first piece. The first piece comprises one of a first niobium-based refractory metal intermetallic composite and a first molybdenum-based refractory metal intermetallic composite, and the second piece comprises one of a second niobium-based refractory metal intermetallic composite and a second molybdenum-based refractory metal intermetallic composite. The braze joining the first piece to the second piece comprises a first metallic element and a second metallic element, wherein the first metallic element is one of titanium, palladium, zirconium, niobium, and hafnium, and wherein the second metallic element is one of titanium, palladium, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, aluminum, chromium, vanadium, platinum, gold, iron, nickel, and cobalt, the first metallic element being different from the second metallic element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ji-Cheng Zhao, Melvin Robert Jackson, Bernard Patrick Bewlay
  • Patent number: 6607846
    Abstract: A titanium article having improved corrosion resistance resulting from an appliqué of a platinum group metal or alloy thereof attached to a minor surface portion of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Titanium Metals Corporation
    Inventors: James S. Grauman, James G. Miller, Roy E. Adams
  • Patent number: 6605364
    Abstract: A method is provided for repairing a surface portion of an article including a metallic environmental resistant coating on a substrate. The coating includes a coating outer portion bonded with the substrate through a diffusion zone that includes at least one feature, for example Al and/or an intermetallic phase, in an amount detrimental to application of a metallic replacement coating and/or repair of the article. The method comprises removing the coating outer portion to expose a surface of the diffusion zone. The substrate and the diffusion zone are heated at a temperature and for a time sufficient to diffuse and/or dissolve at least a portion of the at least one feature in the exposed surface and in a portion of the diffusion zone beneath the exposed surface to a level below the detrimental amount. This provides a replacement surface portion integral with diffusion zone. Then a metallic replacement coating outer portion is applied to the replacement surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Conner, Roger Dale Wustman, Jonathan Philip Clarke
  • Patent number: 6589668
    Abstract: Method for forming on a superalloy or other metallic substrate a platinum graded, outward single phase diffusion aluminide coating on a surface of the substrate by depositing a layer comprising Pt on the substrate and then gas phase aluminizing the substrate in a coating chamber having a solid source of aluminum (e.g. aluminum alloy particulates) disposed therein close enough to the surface of the substrate to form at an elevated substrate coating temperature a diffusion aluminide coating having an inner diffusion zone and outer additive single (Ni,Pt)Al phase layer having a concentration of platinum that is relatively higher at an outermost coating region than at an innermost coating region adjacent the diffusion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Howmet Research Corporation
    Inventors: Dwayne A. Braithwaite, Vincent J. Russo, Lloyd W. Cannon, Thomas P. Slavin
  • Patent number: 6586118
    Abstract: An airfoil having a melting temperature of at least about 1500° C. and comprising a first piece and a second piece joined by a braze to the first piece. The first piece comprises one of a first niobium-based refractory metal intermetallic composite and a first-based refractory metal intermetallic composite, and the second piece comprises one of a second niobium-based refractory metal intermetallic composite and a second molybdenum-based refractory metal intermetallic composite. The braze joining the first piece to the second piece is a semi-solid braze that comprises a first component and a second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Melvin Robert Jackson, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Ji-Cheng Zhao
  • Patent number: 6586121
    Abstract: A spin-valve thin-film magnetic element includes a substrate; an antiferromagnetic layer; a pinned magnetic layer in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer, the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer being pinned by an exchange coupling magnetic field with the antiferromagnetic layer; a nonmagnetic conductive layer in contact with the pinned magnetic layer; a free magnetic layer in contact with the nonmagnetic conductive layer, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer being aligned in a direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer; and a back layer composed of a nonmagnetic conductive material formed in contact with the free magnetic layer at the opposite side of the nonmagnetic conductive layer. The back layer is composed of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ru, Pt, Ir, Rh, Pd, Os, and Cr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Ide, Masamichi Saito, Kenichi Tanaka, Naoya Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20030118448
    Abstract: A protected article includes a nickel-base superalloy substrate, an interlayer overlying the substrate, and a protective layer overlying the interlayer. The protective layer has a composition comprising at least one of rhodium, platinum, palladium, and ruthenium. In one composition, palladium is present in an amount of from about 1 to about 41 atomic percent; platinum is present in an amount of about (40+atomic percent palladium) atomic percent for palladium ranging from about 1 atomic percent to about 14 atomic percent and up to about 54 atomic percent for palladium ranging from about 15 atomic percent up to about 41 atomic percent; rhodium is present in an amount of at least about 24 atomic percent; zirconium, hafnium, titanium, and mixtures thereof are present in an amount of from zero up to about 5 atomic percent; and ruthenium is present in an amount of from zero up to about 5 atomic percent, balance impurities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Melvin Robert Jackson, Stephen Joseph Ferrigno, Gary Edward Trewiler, Mark Daniel Gorman
  • Publication number: 20030113574
    Abstract: In a process for manufacturing a conductive wire that is suitable for use in semiconductor packages, a core wire of an extensible metal other than gold is first prepared to have a diameter ranging from 300 &mgr;m to 500 &mgr;m. Thereafter, a gold-containing outer layer having a thickness ranging from 2.5 &mgr;m to 25 &mgr;m is plated onto an outer surface of the core wire so as to form a gold-plated core wire. Subsequently, the gold-plated core wire is drawn to result in the conductive wire having a diameter ranging from 1 &mgr;m to 50 &mgr;m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Asep Tec Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Pen-Tien Liao
  • Publication number: 20030113576
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cobalt electroless plating bath composition and method of using it for microelectronic device fabrication. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to cobalt electroless plating in the fabrication of interconnect structures in semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ramanan V. Chebiam, Valery M. Dubin
  • Patent number: 6576350
    Abstract: A hydride battery electrode is coated with palladium or a palladium alloy to improve hydride storage properties and recycle characteristics. A hydrogen purification membrane including a metallic substrate likewise has improved properties upon coating with palladium and a surface species of an alkali metal, alkaline earth element or alkaline earth cation. Novel metal hydrogen purification membranes include vanadium alloyed with at least 1 to 20 atomic percent nickel and/or 1 to 20 atomic percent cobalt and/or 1 to 20 atomic percent palladium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Inventor: Robert E. Buxbaum
  • Patent number: 6572981
    Abstract: A method for improving the thermal fatigue life of a thermal barrier coating (TBC) deposited on an aluminide bond coat through a process by which the surface morphology of the aluminide bond coat is modified to eliminate or at least reduce oxidation and oxidation-induced convolutions at the alumina-bond coat interface, as explained more fully below. The bond coat is deposited to have generally columnar grains and grain boundary ridges at its surface, and is then peened at an intensity sufficient to flatten at least some of the grain boundary ridges, but insufficient to cause recrystallization of the bond coat when later heated, such as during deposition of the thermal barrier coating. In so doing, the original surface texture of the bond coat is altered to be smoother where the grain boundaries meet the bond coat surface, thereby yielding a smoother bond coat surface where the critical alumina-bond coat interface will exist following oxidation of the bond coat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Irene Theodor Spitsberg
  • Publication number: 20030096135
    Abstract: A composite material that is usefull in the manufacture of jewelry components has a precious metal layer laminated to an age hardenable non-precious metal-base alloy support layer. In one embodiment, the precious metal layer is a 10 k, or higher, gold alloy and the support layer is a copper-base spinodal alloy. The composite material is formed by laminating the precious metal layer to the support layer, forming the composite material into a desired shape and then age hardening the jewelry component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Applicant: Stern Leach Company, a corporation of the State of Delaware
    Inventors: Paul J. Dion, Richard V. Carrano
  • Patent number: 6565990
    Abstract: An airfoil having a melting temperature of at least about 1500° C. and comprising a first piece and a second piece joined at a bonded region to the first piece by a diffusion bond. The first piece comprises one of a first niobium-based refractory metal intermetallic composite and a first molybdenum-based refractory metal intermetallic composite. The second piece comprises one of a second niobium-based refractory metal intermetallic composite and a second molybdenum-based refractory metal intermetallic composite. The diffusion bond is formed from a first metallic element disposed on a first surface of the first piece and a second metallic element disposed on at least one of the first surface and a second surface of the second piece, the second surface contacting the first surface, wherein the first and second metal form a composition having a melting temperature less than about 1400° C. This abstract is submitted in compliance with 37 C.F.R. 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Melvin Robert Jackson, Ji-Cheng Zhao
  • Patent number: 6565989
    Abstract: An airfoil having a melting temperature of at least about 1500° C. and comprising a first piece and a second piece joined by a braze to the first piece. The first piece comprises one of a first niobium-based refractory metal intermetallic composite and a first molybdenum-based refractory metal intermetallic composite, and the second piece comprises one of a second niobium-based refractory metal intermetallic composite and a second molybdenum-based refractory metal intermetallic composite. The braze joining the first piece to the second piece comprises one of germanium and silicon, and one of chromium, titanium, gold, aluminum, palladium, platinum, and nickel. This abstract is submitted in compliance with 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b) with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope of or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ji-Cheng Zhao, Melvin Robert Jackson, Bernard Patrick Bewlay
  • Patent number: 6558813
    Abstract: A protected article includes a substrate, such as a nickel-base superalloy, a protective coating comprising aluminum overlying a surface of the substrate, and an iridium-containing oxygen barrier layer overlying the protective coating. A ceramic thermal barrier coating may overlie the protective coating and the oxygen barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventor: Ramgopal Darolia
  • Patent number: 6555252
    Abstract: Disclosed is a modulated grain-composition magnetic recording material with up to terabit areal density recording capacity which, preferably, is produced by sequential vacuum deposition and subsequent annealing procedures that allow selective fabrication of magnetic material with desired grain size and coercivity, and with desired longitudinal or perpendicular magnetic particle “c-axis” orientation. The preferred magnetic recording material has multiple layers of FePt/B2O3 and/or Fe/Pt/B2O3, with minimum grain size of approximately ten (10) nanometers, with perpendicularly oriented “c-axis”, and with coercivity (Hc) of up to twelve (12) K-Oe. The preferred fabrication procedure involves sequential sputter deposition of FePt and B2O3 layers, followed by an anneal step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
    Inventors: David J. Sellmyer, Chunping Luo
  • Publication number: 20030068523
    Abstract: A highly corrosion-resistant material and a corrosion-resistant member which are improved in corrosion resistance, adhesion, contact electrical resistance, electrical conductivity, airtightness, etc. and are suitable for use as, e.g., a metallic separator for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC); and a process for producing them. A thin noble-metal layer is formed on the desired part of the surface of a metallic base and then subjected to compression working. The coated base may further be subjected to anticorrosive treatment with a liquid phase containing a peroxide or ozone or with an active gas atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: Yasushi Kaneta, Shinobu Takagi, Hiroaki Yoshida, Yoshihisa Suzuki, Masaki Shinkawa
  • Patent number: 6544667
    Abstract: In a magnetic recording medium having Co-based alloy magnetic layer containing Pt formed on a substrate through an underlayer, by forming said underlayer with plural underlayers including double layer structure which is formed by piling up 1st underlayer of Cr-based alloy containing Ti and 2nd underlayer of Cr-based alloy containing at least one element selected from a group comprising Mo and W in this sequence, crystal grain diameter is decreased and then medium noise can be decreased, and c axis is oriented to in-plane direction and then high coercivity can be obtained, consequently the magnetic recording medium having high signal to noise ratio at high recording density region is obtained. Further a small size large capacity magnetic recording system can be provided by combination of said magnetic recording media with a MR (magnetoresistive) head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Hosoe, Yoshibumi Matsuda, Yotsuo Yahisa, Kiwamu Tanahashi, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Koji Sakamoto, Akira Kato
  • Publication number: 20030062610
    Abstract: A thin film hydrogen getter is provided for protecting GaAs circuitry sealed in an hermetic package. The thin film getter which comprises a multilayer metal film which is deposited by vacuum evaporation techniques onto a surface of the packaging. The multilayer film comprises (1) a titanium film and (2) palladium film which is deposited onto the titanium film. Both the titanium and the palladium are deposited during the same coating process run, thereby preventing the titanium from being oxidized. The palladium continues to prevent the titanium from being oxidized once the getter is exposed to the atmosphere. However, hydrogen is easily able to diffuse through the palladium into the titanium where it is chemically bound up, since palladium is highly permeable to hydrogen. If EMI shielding is desired, a conductive metal, such as aluminum or copper, can first be formed between the packaging and the titanium layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Alan L. Kovacs, Matthew H. Peter, Kurt S. Ketola, Jacques F. Linder
  • Patent number: 6534192
    Abstract: A printed wiring board (PWB) and a method of manufacturing the same. In one embodiment, the PWB includes: (1) a substrate having a conductive trace located thereon and (2) a multi-purpose finish including palladium alloy where palladium is alloyed with cobalt or a platinum group metal and is located on at least a portion of the conductive trace, which forms both a non-contact finish and a contact finish for the PWB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph A. Abys, Chonglun Fan, Brian T. Smith, Bruce F. Stacy, Chen Xu
  • Patent number: 6534164
    Abstract: Magnetic recording medium includes at least two layers having different magnetic anisotropy constants formed on a substrate and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the second magnetic film of those magnetic films, far from the substrate surface, made equal to or larger than that of the first magnetic film near to the substrate surface, thus improving the magnetic isolation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Futamoto, Nobuyuki Inaba, Yoshiyuki Hirayama, Yukio Honda, Kazuetsu Yoshida, Kenya Ito
  • Publication number: 20030039857
    Abstract: The present invention describes the utilization of nanoscale bimetallic particles for the treatment of chlorinated contaminants in the environment, and more specifically, chlorinated contaminants in groundwater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Wein-xian Zhang, Chuan-Bao Wang, Hsing-Lung Lien
  • Patent number: 6521358
    Abstract: A lead frame for a semiconductor device includes a sheet-like body and a Pd coating plated on the sheet-like body. The Pd coating includes Ni in an amount of not more than 2%. In another embodiment, the Pd coating includes Cu in an amount of not more than 0.12%. By virtue of limiting the amount of Ni or Cu to these particular levels, the solderability of the lead frame is remarkably enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisahiro Tanaka, Masanori Ikari
  • Patent number: 6514629
    Abstract: An article such as a gas turbine blade or vane has a superalloy substrate, and a coating system deposited on the substrate. The coating system includes a protective layer overlying the substrate, and, optionally, a ceramic thermal barrier coating layer overlying the bond coat. The protective layer has an uppermost layer with a composition including platinum, aluminum, and, in atom percent, from about 0.14 to about 2.8 percent hafnium and from about 2.7 to about 7.0 percent silicon, with the atomic ratio of silicon:hafnium being from about 1.7:1 to about 5.6:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph D. Rigney, Ramgopal Darolia, William S. Walston
  • Publication number: 20030022016
    Abstract: A protected article includes a substrate, such as a nickel-base superalloy, a protective coating comprising aluminum overlying a surface of the substrate, and an iridium-containing oxygen barrier layer overlying the protective coating. A ceramic thermal barrier coating may overlie the protective coating and the oxygen barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventor: Ramgopal Darolia
  • Publication number: 20030009215
    Abstract: A body compatible stent is formed of multiple filaments arranged in at least two sets of oppositely directed helical windings interwoven with one another in a braided configuration. Each of the filaments is a composite including a central core and a case surrounding the core. In the more preferred version, the core is formed of a radiopaque and relatively ductile material, e.g. tantalum or platinum. The outer case is formed of a relatively resilient material, e.g. a cobalt/chromium based alloy. Favorable mechanical characteristics of the stent are determined by the case, while the core enables in vivo imaging of the stent. The composite filaments are formed by a drawn filled tubing process in which the core is inserted into a tubular case of a diameter substantially more than the intended final filament diameter. The composite filament is cold-worked in several steps to reduce its diameter, and annealed between successive cold working steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: Schneider (USA) Inc., a Minnesota Corporation
    Inventor: David W. Mayer
  • Publication number: 20030008170
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming an article having a protective ceramic coating which reduces radiation heat transport through the ceramic coating. The protective ceramic coating includes one or more embedded reflective metallic layers for reducing the radiation heat transport. The method for forming the protective coating broadly comprises the steps of forming a ceramic coating on a substrate and embedding at least one reflective metallic layer within the ceramic coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventors: William P. Allen, William A. Veronesi, Robert J. Hall, Michael J. Maloney, John W. Appleby, Douglas C. Hague, Abdus S. Khan
  • Publication number: 20030008168
    Abstract: A film is formed on the surface of a soft metal portion (2) such that the film contains phosphorus and either platinum or palladium, and further, at least one element having homogeneous solubility with platinum or palladium, with the content of the phosphorus being in a range of about 15 to 25 atomic %, or contains boron and iron with the content of the boron being in a range of from about 15 to 25 atomic %. Thus, a soft metal is made up by turning the film into a hard layer (3) made of an amorphous alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventors: Yoshitsugu Shibuya, Eigou Hashimoto, Junji Satoh, Masahiro Satoh, Seiichi Hiroe
  • Patent number: 6500568
    Abstract: Described is an article comprising a biaxially textured metal substrate and a layer of palladium deposited on at least one major surface of the metal substrate; wherein the palladium layer has desired in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic orientations, which allow subsequent layers that are applied on the article to also have the desired orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: William B. Robbins
  • Publication number: 20020197507
    Abstract: A nickel base single crystal compliant layer on a ceramic blade has the capability to sustain high stresses and high operating temperature. Layers of nickel and platinum bonded on a single crystal superalloy over a sputtered gold-chromium layer support the high stress levels at elevated temperature without extrusion of the soft platinum or nickel layer and without destruction of an NiO compliant surface. The compliant layers have survived stress and temperature conditions without failure to the ceramic blade and the system can be stressed/heated and unloaded/cooled repeatedly without damage to the ceramic blades. A single crystal nickel base superalloy (i.e., SC180) has high strength properties at elevated temperature. Thin layers of chromium followed by gold are e-beam evaporated on one side of a polished surface of the alloy. Pure nickel is electroplated over this e-beam gold-chromium layer. Platinum is either electroplated or plated electrolessly over the nickel layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Applicant: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Dave Narasimhan, Alexander S. Kozlov, Margaret Eagan, Milton Ortiz
  • Publication number: 20020197501
    Abstract: Described is an article comprising a biaxially textured metal substrate and a layer of palladium deposited on at least one major surface of the metal substrate; wherein the palladium layer has desired in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic orientations, which allow subsequent layers that are applied on the article to also have the desired orientations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventor: William B. Robbins
  • Patent number: 6495271
    Abstract: A method for producing a spallation-resistant aluminum oxide layer on the surface of a superalloy article is described. An aluminum oxide layer is produced, typically under tensile stress, by chemical vapor deposition at low temperatures on a metal aluminide layer that has been deposited on the surface of the article. The aluminum oxide layer is then heated to induce cracking therein, which imparts spallation-resistance thereto. If desired, a thermal barrier layer may be deposited on the aluminum oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Himanshu Bachubhai Vakil
  • Patent number: 6485780
    Abstract: A method for forming a metal-containing layer on a substrate is disclosed. A slurry of the metal is first deposited on the substrate; followed by heating to remove volatile material from the slurry, and to form a layer of the metal. In another embodiment, a slurry of aluminum is deposited over the slurry of the metal, before or after the metal has been heat-treated to some degree. A diffusion heat treatment results in a coating which includes the noble-metal aluminide compound. Related articles are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: D. Sangeeta, Howard John Farr
  • Publication number: 20020172808
    Abstract: A gas turbine component article has an airfoil section and is formed of a nickel-base superalloy. An unmasked region of the airfoil section has a platinum aluminide protective coating, and a masked region of the airfoil section has an aluminide coating. The platinum aluminide preferably is deposited at a trailing edge of the airfoil section that is susceptible to low-cycle fatigue damage when a platinum aluminide coating is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: Roger D. Wustman, Antonio F. Maricocchi, Jonathan P. Clarke
  • Publication number: 20020164496
    Abstract: A membrane 30 and a method 12 for making the membrane 30 comprising the steps of selectively placing a first material 14 upon a substrate 16, depositing a certain material 26 upon a first material 14, and heating the materials 14, 16, 26, thereby forming a membrane 30.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: George Steve Saloka, Shazad Mahmood Butt
  • Patent number: 6475639
    Abstract: Ion exchange membrane-based sensors, actuators and sensor/actuators and methods of making same for applications requiring sensing, actuating and controlling displacement. Sensors, actuators, and sensor/actuators are useful in biological as well as other applications. Encapsulation of the sensors, actuators, or sensor/actuators further increases the utility of the present invention. Devices according to the present invention made using lithium are preferred over those made using only sodium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Inventors: Mohsen Shahinpoor, Mehran Mojarrad
  • Patent number: 6475646
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a lead frame including the steps of electrocleaning the surface of a thin plate material, electropolishing the electrocleaned thin plate material, removing inclusions on the surface of the electropolished thin plate material, rinsing the inclusion-removed thin plate material with an acidic solution, and forming multi-plated layers on the rinsed material. The lead frame manufactured by the method has 5 or less inclusions each having approximately 1 &mgr;m, on the surface area of 1600 &mgr;m2, which impede a wire bonding property or solder wettability of the lead frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Se-chul Park, Dong-il Shin, Sung-il Kang, Sang-hoon Lee, Bae-soon Jang
  • Patent number: 6468670
    Abstract: A composite perpendicular magnetic recording disk has two distinct magnetic layers formed on the disk substrate, each with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, that are strongly exchange coupled perpendicularly to each other across their interface. The first layer is a CoCr granular layer formed on a growth-enhancing sublayer, such as titanium, so as to have strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The second layer is a continuous layer, preferably a continuous multilayer of Co/Pt or Co/Pd palladium formed on top of the granular layer. An interface layer, such as a layer of platinum or palladium, depending on whether the top multilayer is Co/Pt or Co/Pd, respectively, may be located between the two layers to enhance the growth of the continuous multilayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikeda, Manfred Ernst Schabes, Yoshiaki Sonobe, Kentaro Takano, Dieter Klaus Weller
  • Patent number: 6455175
    Abstract: An composition for electroless plating of rhodium onto a substrate, a process for plating a uniform coating of rhodium onto various substrates using an electroless plating composition, and a rhodium plated article formed therefrom. The plating composition is an aqueous solution of triamminetris(nitrito-N,N,N)rhodium(III); ammonium hydroxide; and hydrazine hydrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander S. Kozlov, Thirumalai Palanisamy, Dave Narasimhan
  • Publication number: 20020127460
    Abstract: A protective coating for fuel cell interconnects particularly for metal interconnects used in stacked solid oxide fuel cells, for preventing corrosion problems at high temperature. The protective coating is composed of precious metals such as platinum, palladium, and silver, which are highly conductive and are stable in both oxidizing and reducing atmosphere. While silver is the most economical, platinum and palladium have a high performance. Silver is cheap enough that its use in form of their film does not drive up the fuel cell costs significantly, and can be readily deposited on the metal interconnect using electrochemical techniques, such as electroplating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ai Quoc Pham, Brandon W. Chung, Robert S. Glass
  • Publication number: 20020127426
    Abstract: A hydride battery electrode is coated with palladium or a palladium alloy to improve hydride storage properties and recycle characteristics. A hydrogen purification membrane including a metallic substrate likewise has improved properties upon coating with palladium and a surface species of an alkali metal, alkaline earth element or alkaline earth cation. Novel metal hydrogen purification membranes include vanadium alloyed with at least 1 to 20 atomic percent nickel and/or 1 to 20 atomic percent cobalt and/or 1 to 20 atomic percent palladium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventor: Robert E. Buxbaum
  • Patent number: 6395405
    Abstract: A hydride battery electrode is coated with palladium or a palladium alloy to improve hydride storage properties and recycle characteristics. A hydrogen purification membrane including a metallic substrate likewise has improved properties upon coating with palladium and a surface species of an alkali metal, alkaline earth element or alkaline earth cation. Novel metal hydrogen purification membranes include vanadium alloyed with at least 1 to 20 atomic percent nickel and/or 1 to 20 atomic percent cobalt and/or 1 to 20 atomic percent palladium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Inventor: Robert E. Buxbaum
  • Patent number: 6391477
    Abstract: This invention relates to electroless autocatalytic plating of platinum onto a substrate, an aqueous platinum plating bath, a process for plating a uniform coating of platinum onto various substrates using an electroless autocatalytic plating composition, and a platinum plated article formed therefrom. The plating bath of this invention allows direct autocatalytic plating of platinum on catalytically active and inactive, conductive and non-conductive substrates, avoiding the extra costs of activating a catalytically inactive substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander S. Koslov, Thirumalai Palanisamy, Dave Narasimhan
  • Publication number: 20020058150
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer having copper bondpads (17) that are free of voids (13) and a method for coating the copper bondpads (17) with solderable or wirebondable metals such that the copper bondpads (17) are free of the voids (13). The void free metal coatings are achieved using a dual activation process. In a first activation step (27), the copper bondpads (17) are activated by placing them in a palladium bath. In a second activation step (28), the bondpads are placed in a nickel—boron bath. After the dual activation, the copper bondpads (17) are coated with a layer of nickel—phosphorous or palladium. The nickel—phosphorous or palladium layer may be coated with a layer of gold for subsequent formation of solder balls or wirebonds thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Jaynal Abedin Molla, Owen Richard Fay
  • Patent number: 6387527
    Abstract: A method for applying at least one bond coating on a surface of a metal-based substrate is described. A foil of the bond coating material is first attached to the substrate surface and then fused thereto, e.g., by brazing. The foil is often initially prepared by thermally spraying the bond coating material onto a removable support sheet, and then detaching the support sheet. Optionally, the foil may also include a thermal barrier coating applied over the bond coating. The substrate can be a turbine engine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wayne Charles Hasz, Marcus Preston Borom
  • Patent number: 6383597
    Abstract: A patterned magnetic recording disk has a magnetic recording layer patterned into discrete magnetic and nonmagnetic regions having substantially the same chemical composition. The nonmagnetic regions have a chemically-ordered L12 crystalline structure and the magnetic regions have a chemically-disordered crystalline structure. The chemically-ordered intermetallic compound FePt3, which is nonferromagnetic, is rendered ferromagnetic by ion irradiation. This FePt3 material can be patterned by irradiating local regions through a mask to create magnetic regions that serve as the magnetic bits. The ions pass through the openings in the mask and impact the chemically-ordered FePt3 in selected regions corresponding to the pattern of holes in the mask. The ions disrupt the ordering of the Fe and Pt atoms in the unit cell and transform the FePt3 into magnetic regions corresponding to the mask pattern, with the regions of the film not impacted by the ions retaining their chemically-ordered structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Edward Fullerton, Dieter Klaus Weller