Patents Examined by Timothy Speer
  • Patent number: 8043703
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide composite bodies having a discontinuous graphite preform and at least one silicon-bearing metal alloy infiltrant. Embodiments of the present invention also provide methods for producing such composite bodies. The metal alloy is preferably comprised of aluminum, copper, or magnesium, or combinations thereof. Certain preferred embodiments provide at least one aluminum alloy having from about 5% silicon to about 30% silicon, more preferably from about 11% to about 13% silicon, as an alloying element. Certain presently preferred embodiments provide an aluminum-silicon eutectic composition having about 12.5% silicon. Embodiments of the invention provide composite materials be “tuned” to more closely match thermal expansion characteristics of a number of semiconductor or integrated circuit materials such as, but not limited to, silicon, alumina, aluminum nitride, gallium nitride, and gallium arsenide while also providing high thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Metal Matrix Cast Composites LLC
    Inventors: James A. Cornie, Mark Montesano, Stephen S. Cornie, Himanshu Pokharna
  • Patent number: 8043720
    Abstract: A CMC article and process for producing the article to have a layer on its surface that protects a reinforcement material within the article from damage. The method entails providing a body containing a ceramic reinforcement material in a matrix material that contains a precursor of a ceramic matrix material. A fraction of the reinforcement material is present and possibly exposed at a surface of the body. The body surface is then provided with a surface layer formed of a slurry containing a particulate material but lacking the reinforcement material of the body. The body and surface layer are heated to form the article by converting the precursor within the body to form the ceramic matrix material in which the reinforcement material is contained, and by converting the surface layer to form the protective layer that covers any fraction of the reinforcement material exposed at the body surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Scot Corman, Henry Charles McGuigan, Milivoj Konstantin Brun
  • Patent number: 8043731
    Abstract: A III-V nitride, e.g., GaN, substrate including a (0001) surface offcut from the <0001> direction predominantly toward a direction selected from the group consisting of <10-10> and <11-20> directions, at an offcut angle in a range that is from about 0.2 to about 10 degrees, wherein the surface has a RMS roughness measured by 50×50 ?m2 AFM scan that is less than 1 nm, and a dislocation density that is less than 3 E6 cm?2. The substrate may be formed by offcut slicing of a corresponding boule or wafer blank, by offcut lapping or growth of the substrate body on a corresponding vicinal heteroepitaxial substrate, e.g., of offcut sapphire. Both upper and lower surfaces may be offcut. The substrate is usefully employed for homoepitaxial deposition in the fabrication of III-V nitride-based microelectronic and opto-electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Xueping Xu, Robert P. Vaudo, Jeffrey S. Flynn, George R. Brandes
  • Patent number: 8039131
    Abstract: A modification of PbTiO3 perovskite wherein at least part of Pb is replaced by a smaller atom with a similar ionic charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Carnegie Institution of Washington
    Inventors: Ronald Cohen, Panchapakesan Ganesh
  • Patent number: 8034468
    Abstract: A translucent ceramic having a high linear transmittance and a high refractive index, substantially not causing double refraction, and exhibiting a high anomalous dispersion has a pyrochlore compound represented by the general formula AxByOw (wherein 1.00?x/y?1.10 and w represents a positive number maintaining electroneutrality) as a main component. The main component has a cubic crystal system. Preferably, the A site comprises a trivalent metallic element, and the B site comprises a tetravalent metallic element. More preferably, A is at least one of La, Y, Gd, Yb, and Lu, and B is of at least one of Ti, Sn, Zr, and Hf. The translucent ceramic is useful as a material of, for example, an objective lens used in an optical pickup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8029916
    Abstract: A brazing filler metal capable of improving both of oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance is obtained. This brazing filler metal (1, 1d, 51 and 51a) consists of at least a three-layer structure of an Ni—Cr brazing layer (2 and 2a) consisting of an Ni—Cr alloy layer, a Ti brazing layer (3, 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d) consisting of a Ti layer or a Ti alloy layer and an Ni brazing layer (4, 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d) consisting of an Ni layer or an N alloy layer arranged between the Ni—Cr brazing layer and the Ti brazing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Neomax Materials Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, Masaaki Ishio, Yoshimitsu Oda
  • Patent number: 8029903
    Abstract: Provided are a silicon nitride substrate and a silicon nitride circuit board with excellent electrical characteristics, and power control parts utilizing them. A silicon nitride substrate comprises a silicon nitride sintered body obtainable by sintering a silicon nitride powder in the presence of a sintering aid comprising MgO, Y2O3 and SiO2 in a proportion of (1) MgO/(MgO+SiO2)=34-59 mol %, and (2) Y2O3/(Y2O3+SiO2)=50-66 mol %, and a silicon nitride circuit board utilizes it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Gotoh, Motoharu Fukazawa, Tetsumi Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 8029907
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing wear-resistant layers on materials of barrier-layer-forming metals, such as aluminum, magnesium and titanium and their alloys and mixtures, preferably aluminum or its alloys, by means of laser treatment, the material surface being exposed to a laser irradiation in the presence of an atmosphere containing oxygen in such a way that the upper or outer layer of the material surface reacts with the oxygen to form an oxide of the metal constituting the material, preferably aluminum oxide, and the layer of the material lying under that is remelted without reacting with the atmosphere containing oxygen. This results in a multilayer structure with excellent wear-resistant properties, including excellent corrosion resistance, excellent abrasion resistance and extreme hardness that does not exhibit any brittleness as a result of the hardness gradient within the layer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: AHC Oberflachentechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Kurze, Hermann H. Urlberger, Jürgen Koch
  • Patent number: 8029913
    Abstract: A panel is disclosed formed of sheet material, the panel having opposite edges and being profiled to include a plurality of formations spaced along the length of the panel and extending between the edges, each formation including a substantially convex section and a substantially concave section which meet at a peak, and wherein each formation meets an adjoining formation at a trough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Gram Engineering Pty Limited
    Inventor: Ronald Leslie Mann
  • Patent number: 8025992
    Abstract: The invention relates to a block (10) made of ceramic compounds, in particular dental compounds, of at least one ceramic compound (15) with predetermined first optical properties and at least a second ceramic compound (17) with predetermined second optical properties, and of a transition area between the two ceramic compounds, which transition area is composed of changing mixtures of the at least two ceramic compounds, the variation gradient of the mixtures being substantially constant. The invention further relating to a process for making such a block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Ivoclar Vivadent AG
    Inventors: Alexander Engels, Alfred Hämmerle
  • Patent number: 8017230
    Abstract: This invention relates to ceramic powders comprising a zirconia-based component, e.g., yttria-stabilized zirconia, and an (alumina+silica)-based component, e.g., mullite. The ceramic powders are useful for forming thermal shock resistant coatings having the same composition, through deposition by thermal spray devices. This invention also relates to thermal barrier coating systems suitable for protecting components exposed to high temperature environments, such as the thermal environment of a gas turbine engine. This invention further relates to forming free-standing solid ceramic articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Praxair S.T. Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Alan Taylor
  • Patent number: 8012598
    Abstract: The invention relates to metal foam bodies having an open-porous structure as well as a method for producing thereof wherein according to the set task such metal foam bodies are to be provided which achieve an increased oxidation resistance and/or an increased corrosion resistance. With the metal foam bodies having an open-porous structure according to the invention, for such metal foam bodies within the webs of the open-porous structure there are channel shaped cavities formed as being determined by the production. At the same time, the webs and cavities will be provided with a metallic protective layer made of a material differing from the metallic starting material of the foam body or the channel shaped cavities will be filled with this material. For this, an adequate metal powder or an alloy component being included in the powder will be used which becomes liquid and forms a liquid phase respectively during thermal treatment below a temperature at which the metal of the base foam body is melting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignees: Alantum Corporation, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Naumann, Gunnar Walther, Alexander Böhm
  • Patent number: 8007922
    Abstract: An article includes a working portion including cemented carbide, and a heat sink portion in thermal communication with the working portion. The heat sink portion includes a heat sink material having a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the cemented carbide. Also disclosed are methods of making an article including a working portion comprising cemented carbide, and a heat sink portion in thermal communication with the working portion and including a heat sink material having a thermal conductivity that is greater than a thermal conductivity of the cemented carbide. The heat sink portion conducts heat from the working portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: TDY Industries, Inc
    Inventors: Prakash K. Mirchandani, Alfred J. Mosco, Eric W. Olsen, Steven G. Caldwell
  • Patent number: 8007870
    Abstract: Plasma-sprayed layers of aluminium oxide on a substrate are produced by using a pyrogenically produced aluminium oxide, for example selected from the group consisting of borosilicate and steel, as starting powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Evonik Degussa GmbH
    Inventors: Yi Deng, Monilca Oswald, Klaus Deller, Rolf Clasen, Georg Fehringer
  • Patent number: 8003217
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a ceramic comprising: at least two different metal oxides, the at least two different metal oxides comprising TiO2 and La2O3 or TiO2 and BaO; less than 20% by weight SiO2; less than 20% by weight B2O3; and less than 40% by weight P2O5; the ceramic having a glass transition temperature, Tg, and a crystallization onset temperature, Tx, and the difference between Tg and Tx is at least 5K. The ceramic may comprise additional metal oxides. Also disclosed herein is a method of making an article using the ceramic; typically, the ceramic is heated above the Tg, shaped, and then cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Anatoly Z. Rosenflanz
  • Patent number: 7998589
    Abstract: An article, as well as the process of producing the article, wherein the article is produced by a process that includes the steps of providing a substrate; applying a viscous coating that contains a ferromagnetic or paramagnetic component to at least a selected portion of the substrate; causing the selected portion of the substrate to be under the influence of a magnetic field; and transforming the viscous coating so as to form a wear-resistant coating on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Kennametal Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin M. Singer, Donald W. Bucholz
  • Patent number: 7989069
    Abstract: An organometallic coating deposited from a metal alkoxide composition under conditions sufficient to form a polymeric metal oxide coating with unreacted alkoxide and hydroxyl groups is disclosed. Also disclosed are substrates coated with the organometallic coating and a method for applying the organometallic coating to a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Aculon, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric L. Bruner, Eric L. Hanson, Gerald W. Gruber
  • Patent number: 7989094
    Abstract: A sheet-like pane bearing a low-maintenance coating on one surface and a low-emissivity coating on the opposite surface, wherein one of the low-maintenance coating and the low-emissivity coating has a single surface reflectivity of less than 3 times, and more than one-third, that of the other coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Cardinal CG Company
    Inventors: Annette J. Krisko, Kari B. Myli, Gary L. Pfaff, James Brownlee
  • Patent number: 7914877
    Abstract: A thin plate member has a uniform thickness of not less than 5 ?m and not more than 100 ?m, includes at least a ceramic sheet, formed by sintering. The thin plate member has plural convex portions protruding from one plane P of the thin plate member, and plural concave portions caved in from the plane P. Accordingly, the deflection amount obtained when the thin plate member is supported at a predetermined support section of the thin plate member in a direction orthogonal to the plane P is smaller than the deflection amount of a thin plate member that is flat without having convex and concave portions. Therefore, a thin plate member which is difficult to be deformed is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ohmori, Natsumi Shimogawa, Takahiro Maeda, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Patent number: 7910217
    Abstract: Embodiments of a coated substrate (for example, a coated race land region of a roller bearing element) comprise a metallic substrate, a ceramic underlayer comprising a nitride, a carbide, a carbonitride, a boride, or combinations thereof disposed over the metallic substrate, and a mixed layer comprising titanium nitride and silver disposed over the ceramic underlayer; and an overlayer disposed over the mixed layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: UES, Inc.
    Inventors: Amarendra K. Rai, Rabi Bhattacharya, Hitesh K. Trivedi