Abstract: The present invention relates to metal coatings and methods thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention relates to ultra-low wear noble metal alloys, such as for use in electrical contact coatings.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a metal material. The method comprises a temperature increasing step of increasing the temperature of a silver material having undergone final plastic working to 700° C. or more and less than a melting point of the silver material in a vacuum or a helium gas atmosphere, a heating step of maintaining the silver material at 700° C. or more and less than the melting point, and a cooling step of cooling the silver material to room temperature in a vacuum or a helium gas atmosphere. For a part of the period of the heating step, the silver material is heated in a mixed atmosphere in which hydrogen gas is mixed with helium gas.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thermal spraying material (5) for the coating of a surface of a workpiece by means of a thermal spraying method, wherein the spraying material (5) contains zinc. The invention further relates to a thermal spraying method and to a thermally sprayed coating sprayed with the material (5).

Abstract: Jewelry articles made from a precious metal alloy having a color that is substantially white and comparable to that of platinum alloys, having liquidus and solidus temperatures comparable to that of white gold alloys, having a relatively slow solidification time when poured from a molten state, having substantial resistance to tarnishing under conditions normally encountered during ordinary human wear, having a cast hardness of about 140 Vickers, and that can be age hardened to at least about 240 Vickers, and whose yield point can be substantially strengthened via age hardening. The preferred composition of the alloy is about forty to fifty-five percent by weight silver; about fifteen to thirty-five percent by weight palladium; about fifteen to twenty-five percent by weight copper; and up to about three percent by weight zinc and/or silicon and up to about one percent by weight of a grain refiner such as iridium and/or ruthenium.

Abstract: A silver-based cylindrical target is provided. The target consists of silver or a single-phase silver alloy in which an additive component is solid-soluted, wherein a ratio A/B is 0.8-1.2, A being a diameter of crystal grains in a direction along a central axis of a cylinder in a cross section including the central axis of the cylinder; and B being a diameter of crystal grains in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, an oxygen content is 100 ppm or less, and a content of non-metallic inclusions is 20 ppm or less.

Abstract: An alloy wire made of a material selected from one of a group consisting of a silver-gold alloy, a silver-palladium alloy and a silver-gold-palladium alloy is provided. The alloy wire is with a polycrystalline structure of a face-centered cubic lattice and includes a plurality of grains. A central part of the alloy wire includes slender grains or equi-axial grains, and the other parts of the alloy wire consist of equi-axial grains. A quantity of the grains having annealing twins was 20 percent or more of the total quantity of the grains of the alloy wire.

Abstract: The present invention is a heat-resistant material comprising a Rh-based alloy, wherein the Rh-based alloy is a high heat-resistant and high strength alloy comprising a Rh-based alloy where Al and W as essential additive elements are added to Rh (0.2 to 15.0 mass % of Al, 15.0 to 45.0 mass % of W and Rh as the remainder), and a ?? phase (Rh3 (Al, W)) having an L12 structure is dispersed as a strengthening phase in a matrix. The Rh-based alloy of the present invention can be further improved in workability and high temperature oxidation characteristics by optionally adding B, C, Mg, Ca, Y, La or misch metals, Ni, Co, Cr, Fe, Mo, Ti, Nb, Ta, V, Zr, Hf, Ir, Re, Pd, Pt or Ru as an additive element. The Rh-based alloy of the present invention is a heat-resistant material having excellent high-temperature-resistant characteristics and a good balance of factors such as weight.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heat treatment jig. A metal wire as a heat treatment target is to be wound around the jig. The jig comprises a cylindrical tubular body whose outer wall surface has a helical groove formed along a circumferential direction to wind the metal wire. A depth of the groove is larger than a length at which the metal wire will isolate from the groove when the metal wire wound along the groove at room temperature is thermally expanded by being heated to a predetermined heat treatment temperature.

Abstract: [Problem to be solved] For an Ag—CuO alloy based electrode material for thermal fuses, rolling workability is significantly decreased as the content of CuO is increasing, and the reduction of a plate thickness is difficult in the rolling process after internal oxidation. [Solution] An electrode material for thermal fuses comprising 50 to 99 mass % of Ag and 1 to 50 mass % of Cu is provided, the material having a structure in which an internal oxidation layer is formed at each of the front and back surfaces, and having a non-oxidized layer in the central portion.

Abstract: Provided is alloy for medical use and a medical device that is novel and useful. The alloy for medical use according to, for example, an embodiment of the present invention is mainly composed of three kinds of elements of gold (Au), platinum (Pt), and niobium (Nb). A total content of the three kinds of elements can be no smaller than 99% by weight, in which a platinum content can be no smaller than 5% by weight and no greater than 50% by weight and a niobium content can be no smaller than 3% by weight and no greater than 15% by weight. By adjusting the content ratio of the three elements, for example, it is possible to reduce or prevent artifacts in an MRI. Non-magnetization is also possible.

Abstract: A solder layer and an electronic device bonding substrate having high bonding strength of a device and low bonding failure even by a simplified bonding method of a device to a substrate and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. A device bonding substrate 1 including a substrate 2 and a lead free solder layer 5 formed on said substrate has a solder layer 5 consisting of a plurality of layers having mutually different phases, and oxygen concentration on the upper surface of the solder layer is lower than 30 atomic % of the concentration of the metal component which is the most oxidizable among the metal components making up the upper layer of the solder layer 5. Carbon concentration on the upper surface of the solder layer 5 may be lower than 10 atomic % of the concentration of the metal component which is the most oxidizable among the metal components making up the upper layer of the solder layer.

Abstract: A bonding wire according to the invention contains a core having a surface, in which the core contains silver as a main component and at least one element selected from gold, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, nickel, copper, and iridium. The wire exhibits at least one of the following properties: I. an average size of crystal grains of the core is between 0.8 ?m and 3 ?m, II. the amount of crystal grains having an orientation in the <001> direction in a wire cross section is in a range of 10-20%, III. the amount of crystal grains having an orientation in the <111> direction in a wire cross section is in a range of 5-15%, and IV. the total amount of crystal grains having orientations in the <001> and <111> directions in a wire cross section is in a range of 15-40%.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a metal material. The method comprises a temperature increasing step of increasing the temperature of a silver material having undergone final plastic working to 700° C. or more and less than a melting point of the silver material in a vacuum or a helium gas atmosphere, a heating step of maintaining the silver material at 700° C. or more and less than the melting point, and a cooling step of cooling the silver material to room temperature in a vacuum or a helium gas atmosphere. For a part of the period of the heating step, the silver material is heated in a mixed atmosphere in which hydrogen gas is mixed with helium gas.

Abstract: A method of making sputter targets using rotary axial forging is described. Other thermomechanical working steps can be used prior to and/or after the forging step. Sputter targets are further described which can have unique grain size and/or crystal structures.

Abstract: An alloy wire made of a material selected from one of a group consisting of a silver-gold alloy, a silver-palladium alloy and a silver-gold-palladium alloy is provided. The alloy wire is with a polycrystalline structure of a face-centered cubic lattice and includes a plurality of grains. A central part of the alloy wire includes slender grains or equi-axial grains, and the other parts of the alloy wire consist of equi-axial grains. A quantity of the grains having annealing twins was 20 percent or more of the total quantity of the grains of the alloy wire.

Abstract: The invention concerns a gold alloy. It comprises at least 75% of gold, 0.5% to 2.1% of aluminium able to form precipitates with gold, an additional metal able to favour a stable face centred cubic structure and able to increase the solubility of aluminium in gold, and a precipitate selected to obtain a hardness of more than 250 HV. The selected precipitate of aluminium with gold is the aluminium and gold precipitate Al2Au5. It includes 0.5% to 2.1% of aluminium and a complement of additional metal including a majority of silver. The method of obtaining this alloy regulates the controlled growth of the precipitate during a structuring tempering treatment following dilution and hardening. The invention concerns the use of the aluminium and gold precipitate Al2Au5 for hardening a gold alloy. The invention concerns a timepiece or piece of jewellery including at least one component made of this type of alloy.

Abstract: A metal fiber based on one or several elements from the group of platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, and iridium with 0 to 30% by weight of one or several additional alloy elements from the group of nickel, cobalt, gold, rhenium, molybdenum, and tungsten, contains 1 to 500 ppm by weight of boron or phosphorus. A non-woven material or netting, in particular for the production of nitrogen oxide or for the production of hydrocyanic acid, is made of such fibers. For the production of fibers based on noble metals having up to 30% by weight of additional alloy metals by drawing the fibers from a melt, the melting point of the metal is reduced by at least 400 ° C., before drawing of the fibers, by additionally alloying with boron or phosphorus, and the boron or the phosphorus is removed again from the fibers.

Abstract: In the formation of sheet material from molten glass, molten glass is formed in a melting furnace and transported through a precious metal delivery system to the forming apparatus. Disclosed herein is a method to eliminate carbon-containing contamination of individual components of the precious metal delivery system prior to their installation and use. The method comprises one or more heat treating steps in an oxygen-containing atmosphere prior to and/or during assembly of the component.

Abstract: A method of recycling ruthenium (Ru) and Ru-based alloys comprises steps of: providing a solid body of Ru or a Ru-based alloy; segmenting the body to form a particulate material; removing contaminants, including Fe, from the particulate material; reducing the sizes of the particulate material to form a powder material; removing contaminants, including Fe, from the powder material; reducing oxygen content of the powder material to below a predetermined level to form a purified powder material; and removing particles greater than a predetermined size from the purified powder material. The purified powder material may be utilized for forming deposition sources, e.g., sputtering targets.

Abstract: In the formation of sheet material from molten glass, molten glass is formed in a melting furnace and transported through a precious metal delivery system to the forming apparatus. Disclosed herein is a method to eliminate carbon-containing contamination of individual components of the precious metal delivery system prior to their installation and use. The method comprises one or more heat treating steps in an oxygen-containing atmosphere prior to and/or during assembly of the component.

Abstract: A surface layer structure of a silver article and a forming method thereof. The silver article is a decoration made of a silver metal body (or silver alloy body) or a silver decoration body such as in the form of a sheet. After the silver metal body is formed, at least a part of the surface of the silver metal body is heated to a recrystallization temperature to form a recrystallized surface layer. Accordingly, the residual stresses of the silver metal body are eliminated and the malleability thereof is enhanced. The crystalline grains of the recrystallized surface layer can regrow to present the specific qualities of cubic lattices. The recrystallized surface layer can be further processed by fine electrolysis to enhance the clearness and brilliance of the recrystallized surface layer. The recrystallized surface layer can be further electroplated with a colored electroplating material to form a colorful electroplated layer.

Abstract: Castings made of boron-containing alloys based on at least one platinum group metal are treated by thermal ageing in the presence of oxygen and at temperatures below the melting point of the alloy. This enables the alloys to be processed at temperatures customary in the jewelry industry. The treated castings can also be processed into medical technology products.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a material for a precious metal tip of a spark plug, which has more excellent durability, particularly oxidation wear resistance than a conventional one. The precious metal alloy for the spark plug according to the present invention contains 0.2 to 6.0 wt. % Cr as an essential component, further at least any one of Fe or Ni, and the balance being Ir. Here, the amount of Fe and Ni to be added is preferably 2.0 to 12.0 wt. % in total. According to the present invention, the surface may be oxidized to form an oxide layer made from a Cr—Fe oxide, a Cr—Ni oxide or a Cr—Fe—Ni oxide. The oxide layer is formed by a diffusion treatment by heating the precious metal alloy at 300 to 900° C. in an oxidative atmosphere, and preferably has a thickness of 5 to 100 ?m.

Abstract: A method for processing CoPt alloys with improved magnetic properties. The method includes sealing a sample of a CoPt alloy in an evacuated quartz tube, and heating the alloy to a temperature of approximately 1000 degrees C. to homogenize the alloy for approximately 3 hours. The sample is then cooled at a controlled cooling rate of 120-150 degrees C. per minute to 600 degrees C. The sample is then held at 600 degrees C. for 10 hours to promote isothermal ordering. Finally, the sample is quenched in mineral oil.

Abstract: A process for making a finished or semi-finished article of silver alloy, said process comprising the steps of providing a silver alloy containing silver in an amount of at least 77 wt %, copper and an amount of germanium that is preferably at least 0.5 wt % and is effective to reduce tarnishing and/or firestain, making or processing the finished or semi-finished article of the alloy by heating at least to an annealing temperature, gradually cooling the article; and reheating the article to effect precipitation hardening thereof. The avoidance of quenching reduces the risk of damage to the article.

Abstract: An iridium alloy is produced having at least 85% by weight iridium, at least 0.005% by weight molybdenum, 0.001 to 0.6% by weight hafnium and, optionally, rhenium, the sum of molybdenum and hafnium being between 0.002 and 1.2% by weight. The iridium alloy is produced in a process, in which an IrMo and an IrHf master alloy, respectively, are created in an electric arc and immersed into an iridium melt, optionally together with Re.

Abstract: The sputtering target made of a Ag—Bi-base alloy contains Bi in solid solution with Ag. The sputtering target has an intensity of precipitated Bi of 0.01 at %?1 or less, as calculated by the following mathematical expression (1) based on analysis results of X-ray diffraction, and/or a sum of area ratios of predetermined intensities (third to sixth intensities in 8 intensities) of 89% or more, wherein the area ratios are obtained by calculating a planar distribution of characteristic X-ray intensities of Bi according to X-ray microanalysis: intensity of precipitated Bi=[IBi(102)/IAg(111)+IAg(200)+IAg(220)+IAg(311))]/[Bi]. Remarkable lowering of the yield of Bi content in resultant films can be suppressed by using the sputtering target.

Abstract: A method for repairing an article comprises providing an article, providing a repair material, and joining said repair material to said article. The repair material comprises, in atom percent, at least about 50% rhodium; up to about 49% of a first material, said first material comprising at least one of palladium, platinum, iridium, and combinations thereof; from about 1% to about 15% of a second material, said second material comprising at least one of tungsten, rhenium, and combinations thereof; and up to about 10% of a third material, said third material comprising at least one of ruthenium, chromium, and combinations thereof. The repair material comprises an A1-structured phase at temperatures greater than about 1000° C., in an amount of at least about 90% by volume.

Abstract: Gold solder compositions for assembling, repairing and sizing jewelry containing about 85% to 95% by weight palladium and an alloy mixture containing about 5% to 15% gallium and indium, in a weight ratio of approximately 7:3. The invention also provides a solder composition for assembling, repairing and sizing jewelry containing white gold and palladium, but not containing nickel. Such a solder contains gold, silver, copper, zinc, palladium, gallium and indium, whereby the gallium and indium is in a weight ratio of 6:4, 7:3 or 8:2, respectively.

Abstract: A manganese alloy sputtering target characterized in that oxygen is 1000 ppm or less, sulfur is 200 ppm or less and a forged texture is provided, and a method for producing a forged manganese alloy target stably by eliminating the drawbacks of manganese alloy that it is susceptible to cracking and has a low rupture strength. A manganese alloy sputtering target which can form a thin film exhibiting high characteristics and high corrosion resistance while suppressing generation of nodules or particles is thereby obtained.

Abstract: A silver alloy sputtering target is provided which is useful in forming a thin silver-alloy film of a uniform thickness by the sputtering method. When crystal orientation strengths are determined at four arbitrary positions by the X-ray diffraction method, the orientation which exhibits the highest crystal orientation strength (Xa) is the same at the four measurement positions, and variations in strength ratio (Xb/Xa) between the highest crystal orientation strength (Xa) and the second highest crystal orientation strength (Xb) is 20% ore less.

Abstract: The invention concerns an electroformed gold alloy part, characterized in that the gold alloy is made up of 88 to 94% by weight of gold, x % by weight of copper and/or silver, and 2x % by weight of zinc, x being comprised between 2 and 4.

Abstract: A method for recovering a catalyst for a fuel cell includes a collection step in which a catalyst is collected by attracting, using a magnetic force, a magnetic material contained in at least one of the catalyst and a carrier on which the catalyst is supported. A system for recovering a catalyst for a fuel cell includes a collection device that attracts, using a magnetic force, a magnetic material contained in at least one of a catalyst and a carrier on which the catalyst is supported.

Abstract: Methods for forming hydrogen sensing materials include forming a palladium alloy thin film having less than about 83 atomic percent of palladium, and annealing the palladium alloy thin film to relieve residual stress and increase atomic intermixing of the nanorystaline lattice, while maintaining a grain size close to the grain size of the nonannealed palladium alloy thin film. For example, the sensing material may include a palladium-gold alloy thin film having about 60 atomic percent of palladium and about 40 atomic percent of gold. The palladium-gold alloy thin film is then annealed at a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius for 1 hour. Methods for detecting hydrogen containing gas in which the hydrogen sensing material is maintained in a single phase when exposed to the hydrogen containing gas, and optical hydrogen sensors are also disclosed.

Abstract: A ruthenium-containing thin film is formed. Typically, the ruthenium-containing thin film has a thickness in a range of about from 1 nm to 20 nm. The ruthenium-containing thin film is annealed in an oxygen-free atmosphere, for example, in N2 forming gas, at a temperature in a range of about from 100° C. to 500° C. for a total time duration of about from 10 seconds to 1000 seconds. Thereafter, copper or other metal is deposited by electroplating or electroless plating onto the annealed ruthenium-containing thin film. In some embodiments, the ruthenium-containing thin film is also treated by UV radiation.

Abstract: A method of rendering an alloy with increased hardness is provided, the method including the steps of heat treating the alloy until the formation of at least one ordered region in the alloy. An alloy prepared according to this method and an item of jewelry fashioned from or including such an alloy are also provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hard precious metal alloy member comprising casting a material consisting essentially of a gold alloy, which has a gold content of from 37.50 to 98.45 wt %, and contains gadolinium in an amount of not less than 50 ppm, but less than 1,5000 ppm; subjecting the material to a solution heat treatment; and subjecting the material to an aging treatment after the solution heat treatment.

Abstract: A palladium-boron composition and methods of making and using same are provided. In one aspect, the invention comprises an alloy comprising palladium and boron, the boron being in solid solution in the palladium and the alloy having a two-phase structure, wherein each phase of the two-phase structure has the same crystal structure as the other phase and has a different set of lattice parameters from the other phase such that the palladium is greatly hardened by the presence of the smaller phase crystals within the spaces between the larger phase crystals. The composition is carefully prepared by a process wherein palladium and an amount of boron sufficient to place the boron in solid solution, but insufficient to combine with the palladium, are placed together and repeatedly are melted, cooled and turned over until sufficiently mixed.

Abstract: Medical devices, such as endoprostheses, and methods of making the devices are disclosed. The endoprostheses comprise a tubular member capable of maintaining patency of a bodily vessel. The tubular member includes a mixture of at least two compositions, where the presence of the second composition gives the mixture a greater hardness than that of the first composition alone. The first composition includes less than about 25 weight percent chromium, less than about 7 weight percent molybdenum, from about 10 to about 35 weight percent nickel, and iron. The second composition is different from the first and is present from about 0.1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent of the mixture.

Abstract: A master metal composition adapted for alloying with silver to give an alloy containing at least 77 wt % Ag and at least 0.5 wt % Ge comprises Cu, Ge and boron together with any further ingredients for said alloy and any impurities. It further provides a process for making silver alloy containing silver in an amount of at least 77 wt % Ag, 1-7.2 wt % Cu copper, at least 0.5 wt % Ge and B together with any further ingredients for said alloy and any impurities, comprising the step of melting together fine silver and a master metal composition which is at least a ternary alloy of copper, germanium and boron, e.g. 92.5-92.8 wt % Ag, 6.0-6.3 wt % Cu, about 1.2 wt % Ge and 1-15 ppm boron as grain refiner. The resulting silver alloy exhibits good tarnish and firestain resistance and can exhibit significant precipitation hardening on gradual air cooling.

Abstract: A method for producing metallic strips having a high-grade cube texture based on nickel, copper, aluminum, silver or alloys of these metals including austenitic iron-nickel alloys makes it possible to obtain, during a subsequent annealing process and with lower total degrees of forming, a recrystallization cube layer of a quality equal to that of one obtained using customary roll forming and produces a better quality cube texture with comparable total degrees of forming. To this end, a forming method is provided during which the materials are formed by cold drawing before their recrystallization annealing thereby rendering them high-grade. The tools used for this include: a) non-driven roll devices with an axially parallel flat pair of rolls or turk's head arrangements with two pairs of rolls or; b) fixed drawing jaws that are slanted toward one another. The strips produced according to the invention can be used, for example, as a coating support for producing strip-shaped high-temperature superconductors.

Abstract: The present invention provides a processing method capable of continuously working an Au—Sn soldering metal having a foil form in room temperature. The foil-form soldering metal containing from 10% by weight to 90% by weight of Au and balance comprising Sn is subjected to heat treatment for five minutes to ten hours at 200° C. to 270° C., and subsequently the foil-form soldering metal is slit. Thus, the heat treatment of the Au—Sn soldering metal before slitting enables continuous slitting of the Au—Sn foil-form soldering metal in room temperature and facilitates the production of a ribbon-form soldering metal.

Abstract: Method for producing platinum/copper alloys which envisages the steps of melting platinum and copper parts and/or powders in a predetermined ratio in a controlled atmosphere, keeping the fusion product at the melting temperature for a given time period and subjecting the fusion product thus obtained to heat treatment so as to produce a platinum/copper alloy which is devoid of phase separation products and can be easily worked in the manner of a gold alloy.

Abstract: Alloys for medical, surgical and microsurgical instruments are proposed which comprise 0.01% to 20% by weight of germanium, from 0-25% of shallow hydrogenic and/or non-hydrogenic acceptor dopants in terms of weight ratio in relation to germanium, from 0% up to 20% by weight of one or more of the following compounds such as platinum, gold, palladium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, aluminium, silicon, hafnium, yttrium, lanthanum, zirconium with the remainder, up to 100% by weight, constituted by silver and inevitable impurities, wherein instruments from these alloys possess properties such as no capacitive impedance in relation to the electrode-tissue interface; a Far Infrared Radiation (FIR) emitting capacity when energized by any form of energy; sulfurization, corrosion and oxidation resistant and have suitable hardness for their intended use; emit anions and may possess fractal surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention provides a gold-plated body, a method for surface treatment of a gold-plated body, a surface-treated product, and an immobilization method which make it possible to immobilize a large number of sulfur-containing molecules. With the surface treatment method in accordance with the present invention, the surface of a gold-plated body is subjected to an annealing treatment at a temperature of 350 to 790° C. so that a large number of sulfur-containing molecules can be immobilized thereon. In particular, the treatment is conducted so as to obtain a structure in which surface gold crystals have no less than 30% planes with (1, 1, 1) orientation. The present invention also provides a method for the manufacture of a gold-plated body that allows a large number of sulfur-containing molecules to be immobilized on the surface thereof, by which surface gold crystals are formed from a starting material comprising a crystal growth enhancer.

Abstract: A palladium-boron composition and methods of making and using same are provided. In one aspect, the invention comprises an alloy comprising palladium and boron, the boron being in solid solution in the palladium and the alloy having a two-phase structure, wherein each phase of the two-phase structure has the same crystal structure as the other phase and has a different set of lattice parameters from the other phase such that the palladium is greatly hardened by the presence of the smaller phase crystals within the spaces between the larger phase crystals. The composition is carefully prepared by a process wherein palladium and an amount of boron sufficient to place the boron in solid solution, but insufficient to combine with the palladium, are placed together and repeatedly arc melted, cooled and turned over until sufficiently mixed.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and kits to form water swellable gel coatings, preferably lubricious coatings, on substrates, and coated substrates thus formed. The coatings contain one or more antimicrobial metals formed with atomic disorder, together with one or more antimicrobial metals formed with atomic disorder such that the coatings provide an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect when wet. The invention also provides a method to produce metal powders by sputtering a coating onto a moving surface, and then scraping the coating with one or more scrapers to produce the metal powder. The method is particularly useful for producing large amounts of nanocrystalline antimicrobial metal powders formed with atomic disorder, useful in the water swellable gel coatings of this invention.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an alloy target used for producing thin film electrodes, consisting of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and at least one precious metal selected from the group consisting of palladium (Pd), gold (Au) and platinum (Pt); wherein the mole ratio of said silver ranges from 0.8 to 0.999; the mole ratio of said copper ranges from 0.001 to 0.1; the mole ratio of said precious metal ranges from 0.001 to 0.1; and the total mole ratio of said alloy target is 1.

Abstract: Medical devices, medical device components, and methods of making the same. For example, one embodiment provides a method of shaping a reinforcing member through annealing. Another exemplary embodiment includes a method of making a medical device that includes such a shaped reinforcement member incorporated therein. Yet another exemplary embodiment provides a medical device including such a shaped reinforcing member therein.

Abstract: A gold-silver alloy bonding wire for a semiconductor device is provided. The bonding wire contains: a Au-Ag alloy including 5-40% Ag by weight in Au having a purity of 99.999% or greater; at least one element of a first group consisting of Pd, Rh, Pt, and Ir in an amount of about 50-10,000 ppm by weight; at least one element of a second group consisting of B, Be, and Ca in an amount of about 1-50 ppm by weight; at least one element of a third group consisting of P, Sb, and Bi in an amount of about 1-50 ppm by weight; and at least one element of a fourth group consisting of Mg, TI, Zn, and Sn in an amount of about 5-50 ppm by weight. The bonding wire is highly reliable with a strong tensile strength at room temperature and high temperature and favourable bondability. When the bonding wire is looped, no rupture occurs in a ball neck region. Also, no chip cracking occurs since the ball is soft.