Abstract: The invention is a method of bonding a ceramic part to a metal part by heating a component assembly comprised of the metal part, the ceramic part, and a compatible interlayer material such as titanium-nickel alloy placed between the two parts and heated at a temperature that is greater than the eutectic temperature of the interlayer material, where alloys, intermetallics or solid solution formed between the metal part and the metal interlayer material, but that is less than the melting point of either the ceramic part or the metal part. The component assembly is held in intimate contact at temperature in a non-reactive atmosphere for a sufficient time to develop a hermetic and strong bond between the ceramic part and the metal part. The bonded component assembly is optionally treated with acid to remove unwanted materials, to assure a biocompatible component assembly for implantation in living tissue.

Abstract: The invention is a method of bonding a ceramic part to a metal part by heating a component assembly comprised of the metal part, the ceramic part, and a very thin essentially pure interlayer material of a compatible interlayer material placed between the two parts and heated at a temperature that is greater than the temperature of the eutectic formed between the metal part and the metal interlayer material, but that is less than the melting point of either the interlayer material, the ceramic part or the metal part. The component assembly is held in intimate contact at temperature in a non-reactive atmosphere for a sufficient time to develop a hermetic and strong bond between the ceramic part and the metal part. The bonded component assembly is optionally treated with acid to remove any residual free nickel and nickel salts, to assure a biocompatible component assembly for implantation in living tissue.

Abstract: Methods are provided for hermetically sealing the reservoirs of microchip devices and for hermetically sealing the substrate assemblies in a hermetic packaging structure.

Abstract: A novel method of packaging electronic devices (e.g. any device that receives or transmits electronic signals) including microelectromechanical devices, semiconductor devices, light emitting devices, light modulating devices, light modulating devices, and light detecting device has been provided herein. The electronic device is placed between two substrates, at least one of which has a cavity for holding the electronic device. The two substrates are then bonded and hermetically sealed with a sealing medium. The adhesion of the sealing medium to the substrates, especially when one of the two substrates is ceramic, can be improved by applying a metallization layer to the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Seaming apparatus and method for seaming ends to cans are described. The seaming apparatus includes a seaming chuck received by the can end. The chuck includes an anvil portion and a peripheral upper anvil wall. The upper anvil wall is inclined at an angle &agr; of greater than or equal to 6 degrees. The seaming apparatus also includes a seaming roll having a seaming surface for engaging the peripheral curl of the can end in a seaming operation to compress the peripheral curl against the peripheral flange and the peripheral upper anvil wall of the seaming chuck. The seaming surface of the seaming roll is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis by an angle &bgr;. The value of &bgr; is selected to be greater than about 4 degrees, and more preferably from between about 8 and about 14 degrees. Additionally, the value of &bgr; bears a close approximate relationship to the value of &agr;, and in particular the value of angle &bgr;=&agr;±up to about 4 degrees.

Abstract: The interfacial joint area of a target/backing plate assembly is sealed so as to inhibit the migration of air and/or water vapor that may be present or trapped along the interfacial surfaces. A pool or bead of molten solder is placed along the interfacial joint and moved continuously around the full 360° circumference of the assembly so as to cover and seal the boundary area. The solder is melted, preferably, by e-beam welding in a vacuum or the like.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming a seal between members of an assembly are disclosed. In one embodiment, a seal is formed between a first member and a second member by establishing within the members a bounded volume and creating within the bounded volume a pressure differential with respect to the ambient pressure outside the bounded volume. The pressure differential results in a uniformly applied clamping force to the members thereby creating a reliable seal. A sealing member (such as solder, epoxy, or other sealant) is positioned between the first and second members and the resulting assembly is mechanically positioned such that heat can then be applied to melt the solder. Concurrently, the pressure differential is created which allows the externally applied mechanical positioning to be relaxed while the members are being sealed together. This system and method can be used to create hermetic seals.

Abstract: Fluxless soldering processes use pressure variations and vented cavities within large-area solder joints to reduce void volumes and improve the properties of the large-area solder joints. The vents can be sealed after soldering if closed cavities are desired. A cavity can also improve hermeticity of a solder joint by providing an additional solder fillet around the cavity in addition to the solder fillet around the perimeter of the solder joint.

Abstract: A bonding method using a bonding agent is provided, which has the steps of forming an underlayer on a first member, providing a bonding agent on the underlayer, forming a contact member, different from the bonding agent, on a second member, bringing the bonding agent into contact with the contact member so that the first member and the second member are bonded to each other. In the method described above, the wettability of the bonding agent to the underlayer is superior to that of the bonding agent to a surface of the first member before the underlayer is formed thereon, and the bondability of the bonding agent to the contact member is superior to that of the bonding agent to a surface of the second member before the contact member is formed thereon.

Abstract: There is provided a method of hermetically sealing electronic parts, comprising the step of bonding a base having semiconductor devices mounted thereon and a cap together via a solder. The solder is composed, by weight, of 78% or more but less than 79.5% Au, and the balance Sn. It is particularly preferred that the bonding is performed with the use of a solder composition composed, by weight, of 78% or more but 79% or less Au, and the balance Sn as the solder and furthermore through plating the cap with gold.

Abstract: A method of securing a cap on a piston body includes forming a first annular V-shaped surface at an open end of a cylindrical piston body; forming a second annular V-shaped surface on an annular surface of an oil conduit in the interior center of the piston body; forming a cap to close the open end of the piston body and forming a pair of annular surfaces therein which are flat in shape and in contact with first and second annular V-shaped surfaces on the piston body; placing the cap over the open end of the piston body and thereby placing the annular surface on the cap and the body in close intimate contacting relation; and welding the respective annular surface of the cap and the piston body together by subjecting the cap and body to an extreme high current density to fuse respective contacting annular surfaces together.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing heat-insulating structural and/or light elements composed of at least two wall elements of glass, a glass alloy or metal, wherein the wall elements are separated from each other by support elements and are provided on at least one of surfaces thereof facing each other with a layer reflecting heat radiation, and wherein the structural and/or light elements further are composed of a deformable sealing element for connecting the wall elements to obtain a hollow space between the wall elements which can be evacuated or supplied with gas.

Abstract: A refractory braze composition and process for assembling alumina-containing parts to another alumina-based material, metal or a metal alloy by reactive or non-reactive refractory brazing using a braze composition provide assemblies entirely of alumina or containing alumina and a metal or metal alloy. The braze composition is non-reactive with alumina or a reactive composition, whose reactivity with alumina is controlled, and it is formed of aluminium, of titanium, and of a matrix made up either of palladium, or of nickel, or of a nickel and palladium alloy.

Abstract: The invention includes a brazed ceramic ring that separates the positive and negative ends of the battery while still providing a leak-tight seal. The ceramic is aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide or zirconium oxide with 3% yttrium. The invention includes a brazing material that is greater than 50% gold. The invention includes a titanium alloy case (Ti-6Al-4V) which is titanium with 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium as its major alloying elements. The case has the desirable properties of titanium such as high strength for a relatively low weight; and the case has the requisite ability and electro-activity to be used as a positive current carrying element where the battery's positive electrode exhibits more than 3.5 V vs. Li/Li+.

Abstract: A method for attaching an electronic die to a substrate is disclosed. Preferably, the method includes depositing a pad of low temperature die attachment material within a die attachment area on the substrate, positioning the die over the pad of low temperature die attachment material, and compressing the die against the substrate to expel air trapped within the pad of low temperature die attachment material. Further, a bead of containment material is deposited onto the substrate to define the die attachment area. In this manner, the die attachment material is contained on the substrate. Thus, the method of the present invention improves the reliability of the electronic die.

Abstract: A method of joining metal and ceramic parts, wherein an alumina forming metal part and a ceramic part are provided. A braze material in placed between the alumina forming metal part and the ceramic part, and the combination is then heated in an oxidizing atmosphere, preferably in air at a temperature of between 500° C. and 1300° C. The alumina forming metal parts are selected from the group consisting of high temperature stainless steels, such as Durafoil (alpha-4), Fecralloy, Alumina-coated 430 stainless steel and Crofer-22APU, and high temperature superalloys such as Haynes 214, Nicrofer 6025, and Ducraloy. The braze material is selected as a metal oxide-noble metal mixture, preferably Ag—CuO, Ag—V2O5, and Pt—Nb2O5, and more preferably between 30.65 to 100 mole % Ag in CuO.

Abstract: This invention is an improved method for making a battery case feedthrough. It utilizes stainless steel or titanium metal clad with aluminum. The use of the clad metal enables the fabrication of the battery case and cover and feedthrough pin assembly where a high temperature ceramic-metal hermetic seal is needed between a stainless steel feedthrough pin and a ceramic insulator; and between a ceramic insulator and a surrounding hollow cylinder. A high temperature hermetic seal is also used to fasten the feedthrough pin assembly to the upper stainless steel part of the stainless steel-aluminum clad cover. Titanium can be substituted for stainless steel. Lower temperature metal-metal hermetic seals are needed between the aluminum-clad part of the cover and the aluminum battery casing.

Abstract: A vacuum chamber-forming method for forming a vacuum chamber in a power element of a control valve for a variable capacity compressor through a reduced number of steps. A power element is assembled in the atmospheric air by arranging a disk, a diaphragm, a disk, a spring and an upper housing on a lower housing, caulking the periphery of the lower housing to the periphery of the upper housing, and then soldering the junction of the upper and lower housings. The assembled power element is placed in a vacuum container, and a small hole formed in the upper housing is subjected to spot welding in the vacuum atmosphere, whereby the small hole is sealed by a weld metal.

Abstract: A method of glass frit bonding wafers to form a package, in which the width of the glass bond line between the wafers is minimized to reduce package size. The method entails the use of a glass frit material containing a particulate filler material that establishes the stand-off distance between wafers, instead of relying on discrete structural features on one of the wafers dedicated to this function. In addition, the amount of glass frit material used to form the glass bond line between wafers is reduced to such levels as to reduce the width of the glass bond line, allowing the overall size of the package to be minimized. To accommodate the variability associated with screening processes when low volume lines of paste are printed, the invention further entails the use of storage regions defined by walls adjacent the glass bond line to accommodate excess glass frit material without significantly increasing the width of the bond line.

Abstract: The invention is a method of bonding a ceramic part to a metal part by heating a component assembly comprised of the metal part, the ceramic part, and a very thin essentially pure interlayer material of a compatible interlayer material placed between the two parts and heated at a temperature that is greater than the temperature of the eutectic formed between the metal part and the metal interlayer material, but that is less than the melting point of either the interlayer material, the ceramic part or the metal part. The component assembly is held in intimate contact at temperature in a non-reactive atmosphere for a sufficient time to develop a homogeneous and strong bond between the ceramic part and the metal part. The bonded component assembly is optionally treated with acid to remove any residual free nickel and nickel salts, to assure a biocompatible component assembly for implantation in living tissue.

Abstract: There is provided a method of hermetically sealing electronic parts, comprising the step of bonding a base having semiconductor devices mounted thereon and a cap together via a solder. The solder is composed, by weight, of 78% or more but less than 79.5% Au, and the balance Sn. It is particularly preferred that the bonding is performed with the use of a solder composition composed, by weight, of 78% or more but 79% or less Au, and the balance Sn as the solder and furthermore through plating the cap with gold.

Abstract: A method of assembly of a fuel injector having a valve plunger reciprocable in a guide tube for movement from a closed position engaging a valve seat to an open position engaging a valve stop by energizing of a solenoid coil to move the plunger against a biasing spring, wherein the method includes setting the valve stop at a position effective to establish the desired valve stroke, and fixing the valve stop to the guide tube by first laser spot welding the valve stop in the guide tube to fix the position of the valve stop without changing the set gap, and then laser seam welding the valve stop in the guide tube at an axial location beyond the spot welds, relative to a plunger-engagable end of the valve stop, to provide a hermetic seal around the valve stop.

Abstract: A thermally enhanced semiconductor package includes a sheet metal cap having flexible flanges provided with solder contacts for reliable attachment to a circuit board. The package assembly further includes a semiconductor chip with a contact-bearing front surface facing forwardly, and chip bonding contacts overlying the front face of the chip. The flange bonding contacts are coplanar with the chip bonding contacts, or can be brought into coplanar alignment by flexure of the cap. The package can be surface-mounted to a circuit board by placing the package onto pads of solder paste, and then heating the assembly to melt the solder paste in order to join the bonding contacts on the chip and on the flange to corresponding contacts on the circuit board.

Abstract: A method of attaching a lid with at least a metallic surface thereon to a substrate to enclose a surface acoustic wave electronic circuit using a fluxless solder preform having an undesired oxide surface and associated with the metallic surface on the lid and in superimposed and abutting relationship with a gold seal ring surrounding the electronic circuit to form a unit that is heated in a furnace having a hydrogen atmosphere such that the hydrogen removes any undesired oxide surfaces from the solder preform and the metallic surface on the lid by combining with the oxygen therein to form moisture so as to remove any oxide surfaces from the solder preform and the lid metallic surface and enable a complete bonding of the fluxless solder preform with the gold seal ring and the lid metallic surface thereby forming a hermetically sealed package.

Abstract: The process of bonding a first workpiece to a second workpiece is disclosed comprising the steps of fabricating a sintered bonding pad formed from a matrix of randomly oriented metallic fibers. The bonding pad is interposed between the first and the second workpiece and the first and second workpieces are biased into engagement with the bonding pad. Heat is applied to the first workpiece to the second workpiece for transforming substantially all of the metallic fibers into a liquid for bonding the first workpiece to the second workpiece.

Abstract: The method for hermetically encapsulating microsystems in situ consists, in a first phase, of mounting on a common substrate (1), several microsystems (6) surrounded by a metal adhesion layer (4) deposited on the substrate (1). In a second phase, in a common deposition step a first metal layer (7) is deposited by electrolytic means on each microsystem (6) and on an annular zone (7a) of the adhesion layer (4) surrounding each microsystem (6), so as to completely cover each microsystem by overlap. Subsequently a second metal layer (9) is deposited by electrolytic means on the first metal layer (7) and on the adhesion layer so as to cover most of the first layer with the exception of at least one passage (10) per microsystem (6), providing access to the first layer (7). The metal of the first layer is different from the metals of the adhesion layer, the second layer and the microsystem.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to a method for making a hermetically sealed package which includes a housing, a lid and a feedthrough for at least one stripped fiber. The method includes the following steps: 1) placing at least one optical fiber and at least one solder preform between the sealing surface of the lid and the sealing surface of the housing; and 2) sealing the assembly by applying pressure and heat so as to press the fiber (or fibers) into the solder.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for sealing a filter element to a support member. An array of bonding fibers is interposed between the filter element and the support member. Infrared energy is applied for a period of time sufficient to at least partially melt the array of bonding fibers to sinter bond the filter element to the support member.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for thermally coupling a heat sink directly to a surface mount heat generating device package in a manner which provides a more efficient thermal path between the heat sink and the device package, and which allows for a simplified assembly process. The heat sink is mounted in direct thermal communication with the heat generating device package which is surface mounted to a printed circuit board or other substrate. The inventive heat sink has a reservoir of thermal preform which allows the heat sink to be secured to a device package at the same time as the device package is being secured to the surface mount substrate, as opposed to doing so in a separate step in the assembly process after the electronic device packages have already been secured to the surface mount substrate. The inventive heat sink thereby simplifies the assembly process by eliminating steps in the manufacturing process and by allowing for the further automation of the assembly process.