Patents by Inventor Alan Paul Constant

Alan Paul Constant has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Ultra-hard low friction coating based on A1MgBfor reduced wear of MEMS and other tribological components and system
    Patent number: 7238429
    Abstract: Performance and reliability of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) components enhanced dramatically through the incorporation of protective thin film coatings. Current-generation MEMS devices prepared by the LIGA technique employ transition metals such as Ni, Cu, Fe, or alloys thereof, and hence lack stability in oxidizing, corrosive, and/or high temperature environments. Fabrication of a superhard, self-lubricating coating based on a ternary boride compound AlMgB14 is described in this letter as a potential breakthrough in protective coating technology for LIGA microdevices. Nanoindentation tests show that hardness of AlMgB14 films prepared by pulsed laser deposition ranges from 45 GPa to 51 GPa, when deposited at room temperature and 573 K, respectively. Extremely low friction coefficients of 0.04-0.05, which are thought to result from a self-lubricating effect, have also been confirmed by nanoscratch tests on the AlMgB14 films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Allan Cook, Yun Tian, Joel Lee Harringa, Alan Paul Constant, Alan Mark Russell, Palaniappa A. Molian