Co-, Fe-, Or Ni-base Components, Alternative To Each Other Patents (Class 428/678)
  • Patent number: 6183880
    Abstract: This invention provides a composite foil comprising an aluminum carrier layer and an ultra-thin copper foil having a protective layer disposed between them comprising a porous copper layer and an interpenetrating zinc layer. A process for producing such composite foils comprises the steps of preparing the surface of the aluminum carrier, electrodepositing a porous copper layer on the aluminum carrier layer followed by electrodepositing a zinc layer, and then electrodepositing two layers of copper to form the ultra-thin copper foil. The composite foil provides a uniform bond strength between the aluminum carrier and the protective layer which is adequate to prevent separation of the carrier and ultra-thin copper foil during handling and lamination, but which is significantly lower than the peel strength of a copper/substrate bond, so that the carrier can easily be removed after lamination of the composite foil to an insulating substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junshi Yoshioka, Shinichi Obata, Makoto Dobashi, Takashi Kataoka
  • Patent number: 6183884
    Abstract: A metallic article includes a bond coating and a ceramic thermal barrier coating on the bond coating. The ceramic thermal barrier coating includes a plurality of columnar grains, which extend perpendicularly to the surface of the metallic article. Each columnar grain includes a plurality of layers. Some of the layers include sub-grains extending at an acute angle to the surface of the metallic article to form voids between adjacent sub-grains. The voids are arranged at an acute angle to the surface of the metallic article and reduce the thermal conductivity of the ceramic thermal barrier coating. Some of the layers include sub-grains extending perpendicularly to the surface of the metallic article to provide erosion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce PLC, Chromalloy United Kingdom Limited
    Inventor: David S Rickerby
  • Patent number: 6183888
    Abstract: A process for producing a coating for protecting superalloy articles against high temperature oxidation and hot corrosion comprises forming, on the surface of the article, a first deposit of an agglomerated powdered alloy containing at least chromium, aluminum and an active element, and filling the open pores of the powder deposit by a second, electrolytically applied, deposit of a precious platinum group metal. An appropriate thermal treatment is then carried out to effect interdiffusion between the powder based deposit and the electrolytic deposit and produce a coating including chromium, an active element such as yttrium, and a precious platinum group metal throughout its thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation “SNECMA”
    Inventors: Alexandre Serge Alperine, Jean-Paul Fournes, Louis Jacques Leger
  • Patent number: 6180259
    Abstract: In order to advantageously solve problems such as lowering of the productivity, contamination of alloy coating due to the adoption of different metal, increase of the cost due to the adoption of different coating process, a coating of MCrAlX alloy containing an oxide such as CoO, NiO or the like is directly formed at a thickness of 10˜500 &mgr;m through a low pressure plasma spraying process containing substantially no oxide and thereafter the same MCrAlX alloy xontaining no oxide is applied thereonto at a thickness of 100˜800 &mgr;m through a low pressure plasma spraying process in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to form a composite sprayed coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Tocalo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Harada, Tatsuo Suizu, Takema Teratani
  • Patent number: 6177204
    Abstract: A multi-layer magnetic material (10) has magnetic vectors (21,22) that point along a length (27) of the material (10). Opposing magnetic fields cause the vectors to snap past the perpendicular position with a rapid change in the resistance of the material. The material is used as a memory cell (37,38,39,41) of a memory (36).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene Chen, Saied N. Tehrani
  • Patent number: 6174736
    Abstract: There is provided a method of fabricating a ferromagnetic tunnel junction device, including the steps of (a) forming a first ferromagnetic layer on a substrate, (b) forming a tunnel barrier layer on the first ferromagnetic layer, (c) forming a second ferromagnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer, (d) mechanically polishing end surfaces of the first ferromagnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer, and (e) etching the surfaces of the first ferromagnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer. The method provides a ferromagnetic tunnel junction device having a height defined with high accuracy, and including a tunnel barrier layer keeping first and second ferromagnetic layers in electrical isolation with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Tsukamoto, Hisanao Tsuge, Nobuyuki Ishiwata, Hisao Matsutera, Masafumi Nakada, Atsushi Kamijo
  • Patent number: 6165628
    Abstract: An article is described, which includes a metal-based substrate, such as a superalloy; a dense, primary bond layer; and a spongy secondary bond layer. A thermal barrier coating is applied over the secondary bond layer. The spongy layer has a microstructure which includes an open network of interconnected pores. A process is also described. It includes the step of applying a spongy, metallic bond layer over the substrate, followed by the application of a thermal barrier coating. A dense, primary bond layer may optionally be applied before the application of the spongy layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Marcus Preston Borom, Dennis Michael Gray, Yuk-Chiu Lau, Surinder Singh Pabla
  • Patent number: 6149389
    Abstract: On a turbine blade a protective corrosion resistant surface layer consisting of a MCrAlY alloy is generated by melting the surface of the turbine blade with the MCrAlY alloy uniformly distributed over the surface of the turbine blade by a pulsed electron beam to a depth of 5-50 .mu.m whereby a smooth surface is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Henning Hennies, Gunther Kessler, Gerd Krafft, Georg Muller, Gustav Schumacher
  • Patent number: 6150046
    Abstract: A thin film magnetic head includes an upper core layer and a lower core layer which are made of an Fe--M--O alloy, an Fe--M--T--O alloy or an NI--Fe--X alloy so that the upper core layer has a high saturation magnetic flux density, low coercive force and high resistivity, and the lower core layer has a lower saturation magnetic flux density than the upper core layer, low coercive force, high resistivity, and a low magnetostriction constant. Also the lower core layer is formed so that the thickness gradually decreases toward both side ends, and a gap layer can be formed on the lower core layer to have a uniform thickness. Since the lower core layer is formed by sputtering, a material having excellent soft magnetic material can be used, thereby enabling recording at high frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Watanabe, Akira Takahashi, Fumihito Koike, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Yoshihiro Kanada, Kiyoshi Sato, Eiji Umetsu, Takashi Hatanai, Akihiro Makino
  • Patent number: 6139976
    Abstract: The invention relates to an article of manufacture comprising: a substrate composed of a superalloy containing chromium and a base element selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel; and an enrichment layer containing chromium and placed on the substrate. Therein, the enrichment layer comprises a continuous matrix composed of a gamma-phase solid solution of chromium in the base element. The invention also relates to the manufacture of such an article. The article may in particular be a gas turbine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Norbert Czech, Knut Halberstadt, John Smith, Adrian Kempster
  • Patent number: 6132890
    Abstract: In order to advantageously solve problems such as lowering of the productivity, contamination of alloy coating due to the adoption of different metal, increase of the cost due to the adoption of different coating process, a coating of MCrAlX alloy is directly formed on a substrate surface of a member exposed to a high temperature at a thickness of 10.about.300 .mu.m through atmospheric plasma spraying process in air or flame spraying process (including low-velocity flame spraying process, high-velocity flame spraying process) and thereafter the same MCrAlX alloy is applied thereonto at a thickness of 100.about.800 .mu.m through low pressure plasma spraying process in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Tocalo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Harada, Tatsuo Suizu, Takema Teratani
  • Patent number: 6127045
    Abstract: A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device is usable as a magnetic field sensor in magnetic disk drives or as a memory cell in a magnetic random access (MRAM) array. The MTJ device has a "pinned" ferromagnetic layer whose magnetization is oriented in the plane of the layer but is fixed so as not to be able to rotate in the presence of an applied magnetic field in the range of interest, a "free" ferromagnetic layer whose magnetization is able to be rotated in the plane of the layer relative to the fixed magnetization of the pinned ferromagnetic layer, and an insulating tunnel barrier layer located between and in contact with both ferromagnetic layers. The pinned ferromagnetic layer is pinned by interfacial exchange coupling with an adjacent antiferromagnetic layer. A high spin polarization ferromagnetic layer (Ni.sub.40 --Fe.sub.60) is placed near the tunnel barrier layer in both the pinned and free layers to enhance the magnetoresistive effect. The undesirable positive magnetostriction coefficient of the Ni.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Hardayal Harry Singh Gill
  • Patent number: 6127048
    Abstract: An article of manufacture includes a substrate and an anchoring layer disposed on a surface of the substrate. The substrate is capable of developing a first oxide on the surface which is tightly bonded thereto and includes a first metallic element. Alternatively, the surface is formed of the first oxide. The anchoring layer is formed with a ternary oxide of the first metallic element, a second metallic element and oxygen. A second oxide layer, which contains an oxide of the second metallic element, is disposed on the anchoring layer. The anchoring layer is formed on the substrate in a series of process steps, which include: establishing an atmosphere containing oxygen around the article; evaporating a compound of the first metallic element and a compound of the second metallic element into the atmosphere and forming a ternary gas phase containing the first metallic element, the second metallic element and the oxygen; and precipitating the ternary gas phase on the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Wolfram Beele
  • Patent number: 6127047
    Abstract: High temperature alloys resistant to degradation and oxidation are provided. In accordance with preferred embodiments, alloys comprising from about 0.1 to about 50 atomic percent silicon, from about 10 to about 80 atomic percent aluminum, and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of chromium, iridium, rhenium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium and tantalum are formed. Shaped bodies and structural members comprising such alloys are also described as are methods for their fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    Inventors: Wayne L. Worrell, Kang N. Lee
  • Patent number: 6120617
    Abstract: For manufacturing a pulse generator wherein a voltage pulse dependent on the change in magnetic field can be achieved by sudden magnetic reversal (Barkhausen skip) given an applied magnetic field, an iron alloy is employed for one of the materials of the composite member, the additional alloy constituents of this iron alloy being selected such that a structural conversion with volume change respectively occurs at different temperatures. For producing the stressed condition, a thermal treatment is then implemented, which includes heating above the upper transition temperature and a cooling below the lower transition temperature. As a result, substantially greater stresses between the materials of the composite member arise, causing a pulse behavior significantly improved in comparison to known pulse generators of the type capable of recognizing constant or alternating magnetic fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Vacuumschmelze GmbH
    Inventors: Gernot Hausch, Christian Radeloff, Gerd Rauscher
  • Patent number: 6106959
    Abstract: The present invention generally describes multilayer thermal barrier coating systems and methods of making the multilayer thermal barrier coating systems. The thermal barrier coating systems comprise a first ceramic layer, a second ceramic layer, a thermally grown oxide layer, a metallic bond coating layer and a substrate. The thermal barrier coating systems have improved high temperature thermal and chemical stability for use in gas turbine applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Vance, John G. Goedjen, Stephen M. Sabol, Kelly M. Sloan
  • Patent number: 6099976
    Abstract: This invention discloses new and improved multi-layer coatings for gas turbine engine parts that are exposed to elevated temperatures, such as blades and vanes in the high pressure compressor and turbine of multi-stage aircraft engines, by applying a diamond film over columnar thermal barrier coatings such as yttria-stabilized zirconia, improving the erosion resistance of the thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Inventors: Jerome H. Lemelson, James G. Conley
  • Patent number: 6090496
    Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having sufficiently low noise and high coercive force suitable for use with a MR head. The magnetic recording medium comprises a non-magnetic substrate 1, a non-magnetic underlayer 2, a magnetic layer 3 and a protective layer 4. The magnetic layer comprises a Co alloy and the non-magnetic underlayer comprises a first underlayer 21 comprising an Al--Co--Ni alloy and a second underlayer 22 comprising Cr or a Cr alloy laminated on the first underlayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kanazawa, Hiroshi Sakai, Kazunori Ohnami
  • Patent number: 6087027
    Abstract: A magnetic head of storage/read separation type in which both a reproducing head of magnetoresistive type and a write head of magnetic induction type are formed through a magnetic shield. The magnetic head includes a ferromagnetic material and an antiferromagnetic material in intimate contact with said ferromagnetic material. At least a part of the antiferromagnetic material acts to bring about unidirectional anisotropy in the ferromagnetic material, and is made of Cr--Mn-based alloy, and at least a part of the ferromagnetic material in intimate contact with the antiferromagnetic material is made of Co or Co-based alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hoshiya, Yoshihiro Hamakawa, Susumu Soeya, Shigeru Tadokoro
  • Patent number: 6087023
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved near net-shape VPS formed multilayered combustion system component having an inner surface consisting of a smooth protective thermal barrier coating, and an outer layer of superalloy capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of 700.degree. C. The invention also includes the method of forming such components by first vacuum plasma spraying a suitable mold with a ceramic top coat, followed by a bond coat and followed by a thick structural layer of superalloy. The mold is then separated from the multilayered structure which results in the desired near net-shape component. Combustor liners and transition ducts of gas turbine engines can be advantageously formed in this manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Progenesis Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Tsantrizos, George E. Kim, Alexander P. Cavasin, Serge Grenier
  • Patent number: 6083632
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive effect film is formed by laminating a plurality of magnetic thin films onto a substrate with an intervening non-magnetic thin film, an antiferromagnetic thin film being provided so as to neighbor to one of the ferromagnetic thin film via this intervening non-magnetic thin film. With the bias magnetic field applied to the antiferromagnetic thin film being Hr and the coercivity of the other ferromagnetic thin film being Hc.sub.2, the condition Hc.sub.2 <Hr is satisfied. The antiferromagnetic thin film is made of either a cobalt oxide, a nickel oxide, or an a-phase ion oxide, or of an alloy of two or more of these materials, this being formed as a two-layer film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Fujikata, Masafumi Nakada
  • Patent number: 6074750
    Abstract: A composite comprised of reinforcement fibers having a continuous coating of a metal nitride wherein the metal is from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum, and mixtures thereof, and a molten silicon infiltration formed silicon carbide matrix. The reinforcement fibers are fibers from the group consisting of elemental carbon, silicon carbide, and mixtures thereof. A method of forming the composite comprises depositing a continuous coating of the metal nitride on the fibers. A carbonaceous material is admixed with the coated fibers so that at least 5 volume percent of the mixture is the coated fibers. The mixture is formed into a preform having an open porosity ranging from about 25 volume percent to about 90 volume percent of the preform. The preform is heated in an inert atmosphere or partial vacuum, and infiltrated with molten silicon to produce an infiltrated product having the composition of the composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Milivoj Konstantin Brun, Krishan Lal Luthra, Raj Narain Singh
  • Patent number: 6071628
    Abstract: An alloy substrate is protected by a thermal barrier coating formed from a layer of metallic bond coat and a top coat formed from generally hollow ceramic particles dispersed in a matrix bonded to the bond coat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignees: Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation
    Inventors: Roland D. Seals, Rickey L. White, Ralph B. Dinwiddie
  • Patent number: 6060666
    Abstract: A metallic foil, and a process for producing the same, having a metallic micro-layer electrodeposited on a surface of the foil, wherein the micro-layer comprises two co-deposited metals each being a metal other than the metal forming the foil, and does not change the topography of the surface on which it is deposited. The foil may be formed of copper, and the micro-layer may be formed of iron and nickel. When bonded to a polymeric substrate the peel strength of the foil is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Foil Technology Development Corporation
    Inventor: John E. Thorpe
  • Patent number: 6060174
    Abstract: A substrate (12) such as a superalloy turbine component is coated with a basecoat (14) of the type MCrAlY which also contains boron, where the amount of boron in the basecoat is in a concentration gradient where more boron is present near the top (16) than the bottom (20) of the basecoat (14) and boron is present in an average amount of over 0.50 wt. % throughout the basecoat cross-section (14) of the composite (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M. Sabol, John G. Goedjen
  • Patent number: 6007924
    Abstract: An improvement in a magnetic recording medium having an underlayer and first and second magnetic recording layers is described. The improvement, effective to reduce media noise, includes deposition of an interlayer between the first and second magnetic recording layers. The interlayer is deposited to a thickness of between 5-50 .ANG. and is composed of an CoCr-based alloy having a defined saturation magnetization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: HMT Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Brij Bihari Lal, Sudhir S. Malhotra, Michael A. Russak
  • Patent number: 6001492
    Abstract: A bond coat (20) of a thermal barrier coating system for components designed for use in a hostile thermal environment, such as turbine, combustor and augmentor components of a gas turbine engine. The composition of the bond coat (20) has graded thermal expansion properties that moderate the transition between a metal substrate (10) and a thermal-insulating ceramic layer (12) of a TBC protecting the substrate (10), while also reducing the service temperature of the bond coat (20) so as to reduce its rate of oxidation. Preferably, the bond coat (20) has multiple layers (20a, 20b, 20c), with the coefficients of thermal conductivity of the individual bond coat layers (20a, 20b, 20c) being very close to that of the substrate (10) in order to promote heat transfer from the outward layer (20c) of the bond coat (20) to the substrate (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Melvin Robert Jackson, Ann Melinda Ritter, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5993980
    Abstract: A protective coating for protecting a component from corrosion and oxidation at a high temperature and from excessive thermal stress, has a heat insulation layer including a ceramic material and an adhesion-promoting layer including a rhenium containing metal alloy. The metal alloy belongs to the alloys covered by the general term MCrAlY, where M represents cobalt and/or nickel and Y represents yttrium and/or at least one equivalent metal from the group including scandium and the rare earth elements. The protective coating is distinguished by high oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance of the alloy, by outstanding thermal fatigue properties and an effective and permanent bond between the alloy and the ceramic heat insulation layer. As a result of the heat insulation, the temperature at the outer surface of the protective coating can be considerably higher than with purely metallic protective coatings, without an increased thermal load being exerted on the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Friedheim Schmitz, Norbert Czech
  • Patent number: 5989733
    Abstract: A CVD outwardly grown platinum aluminide diffusion coating on a nickel or cobalt base superalloy substrate wherein the platinum modified aluminide diffusion coating is modified to include silicon, hafnium, and optionally zirconium and/or other active elements (e.g. Ce, La, Y, etc.) each in a concentration of about 0.01 weight % to about 8 weight % of the outer additive (Ni,Pt)(Al,Si) layer of the coating. A particular coating includes about 0.01 weight % to less than 2 weight % of each of silicon, hafnium, and zirconium in the outer additive layer, preferably with a Hf/Si ratio less than about 1 and, when Zr also is present, a Hf+Zr/Si ratio of less than about 1. A coating microstructure is provided characterized by an inner diffusion zone or region adjacent the substrate and the outer additive (Ni,Pt)(Al,Si) layer including hafnium silicide second phase particles or regions dispersed throughout the outer additive layer of the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Howmet Research Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce M. Warnes, Daniel L. Near, David C. Punola, William C. Basta
  • Patent number: 5981018
    Abstract: The present invention relates to high-coercivity magnetic recording media used in a hard disk drive. The magnetic recording medium comprises a nonmagnetic substrate, a seed layer comprising NiAl alloy sputtered onto the substrate, a sublayer comprising CrV alloy sputtered onto the seed layer, a magnetic layer comprising CoCrPtTaNb alloy sputtered onto the sublayer, and a carbon overcoat sputtered onto the magnetic layer. The magnetic recording medium of such a structure has improved signal-to-noise ratio, coercivity, overwrite capability, and orientation ratio thereby greatly improving the storage density and read/write capacity of the magnetic recording medium. Furthermore, the coercivity of the magnetic layer of CoCrPtTaNb alloy according to the present invention can be as high as 4000 Oersteds even without the use of the NiAl seed layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Trace Storage Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Tai-Hwang Lai, Yu-Yun Lo, Chiun-Yen Tung, James Liang, Hung-Huei Liang
  • Patent number: 5952110
    Abstract: An abrasive coating suitable for forming an abrasive blade tip of a gas turbine engine. The coating is characterized as being capable of abrading a ceramic shroud at elevated temperatures during the in-service operation of the engine, and being resistant to oxidation and hot corrosion within the engine environment. The abrasive coating includes an MCrAl alloy layer, a ceramic layer overlying the alloy layer so as to form an outer surface of the abrasive coating, and abrasive particles dispersed between the alloy layer and the ceramic layer so that at least some of the abrasive particles are partially embedded in the alloy layer and also partially embedded in the ceramic layer. In addition, at least some of the abrasive particles project above the outer surface of the abrasive coating formed by the ceramic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jerry D. Schell, Howard J. Farr
  • Patent number: 5942337
    Abstract: A multi-layer thermal barrier coating (42) for a superalloy article (40) comprises a platinum enriched superalloy layer (44), an MCrAlY bond coating (46) on the platinum enriched superalloy layer (44), a platinum enriched MCrAlY layer (48) on the MCrAlY bond coating (46), a platinum aluminide coating (50) on the platinum enriched MCrAlY layer (48), an oxide layer (54) on the platinum aluminide coating (50) and a ceramic thermal barrier coating (56) on the oxide layer (54). The platinum aluminide coating (50) and the platinum enriched MCrAlY layer (48) reduce movement of transition metals from the superalloy substrate (40) and the MCrAlY bond coating (46) to the oxide layer (54) so that the oxide layer is very pure alumina.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce, PLC, Chromalloy United Kingdom Limited
    Inventors: David S Rickerby, Rodney G Wing
  • Patent number: 5939186
    Abstract: A magnetic head having a laminated magnetic film in which crystal orientation of precipitated small crystal particles can be controlled and the soft magnetic characteristic in the thickness of the laminated magnetic film can easily be controlled. The magnetic head has the laminated magnetic film formed by laminating thin magnetic layers, each having a composition as Fe.sub.x M.sub.y N.sub.z, and metal layers. The laminated magnetic film is subjected to heat treatment so that metal atoms forming the metal layers are diffused into the thin magnetic films. Thus, the laminated magnetic film contains small crystal particles of .alpha.Fe, the direction of crystal of which is controlled by the diffused metal atoms. Therefore, the laminated magnetic film has an excellent soft magnetic characteristic also in the direction of the thickness thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Fusashige Tokutake, Junichi Honda, Yoshihiko Inoue
  • Patent number: 5912087
    Abstract: A bond coat of a thermal barrier coating system for components designed for use in a hostile thermal environment, such as turbine, combustor and augmentor components of a gas turbine engine. The composition of the bond coat has graded thermal expansion properties that moderate the transition between a metal substrate and a thermal-insulating ceramic layer of a TBC protecting the substrate, while also reducing the service temperature of the bond coat so as to reduce its rate of oxidation. Preferably, the bond coat has multiple layers, with the coefficients of thermal conductivity of the individual bond coat layers being very close to that of the substrate in order to promote heat transfer from the outward layer of the bond coat to the substrate. By minimizing the service temperature of the bond coat while grading the thermal expansion properties through the coating system, a more spall-resistant coating system is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Melvin Robert Jackson, Ann Melinda Ritter, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5900326
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermal barrier coated article with spallation and delamination inhibiting metallic bond coat. The metallic bond coat contains a reactive element oxide, preferably yttria, which reacts with sulfur, typically migrating from the substrate to the thermal barrier coating, to prevent the sulfur from inducing spallation of the oxide scale at the interface of the thermal barrier coating and the metallic bond coat. This metallic bond coat is preferably multi-layered having a reactive element oxide containing layer sandwiched between two reactive element oxide-free layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Norman S. Bornstein, Raymond A. Zatorski
  • Patent number: 5895712
    Abstract: The coercivity of a magnetic recording medium is increased without any substantial change in magnetic remanence by depositing a fresh non-magnetic sub-underlayer on an underlayer or composite underlayer comprising a plurality of sub-underlayers, and immediately depositing a magnetic layer on the fresh sub-underlayer. In an embodiment of the present invention, a fresh chromium sub-underlayer having a thickness of about 55 .ANG. to about 135 .ANG. is sputter deposited on a chromium underlayer in the magnetic layer deposition chamber, and a cobalt magnetic layer deposited on and within 1.2 seconds after depositing the fresh sub-underlayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Seagate Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Qixu Chen, Ga-Lane Chen
  • Patent number: 5867762
    Abstract: A masking tape for preventing the formation of coatings such as nickel aluminide on localized areas of a surface is formed from a tape comprising a first separating layer containing powdered metal oxide and a polytetrafluoroethylene binder; a second brazing alloy layer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of brazing alloy, nickel, cobalt, iron, mixtures thereof, and alloys thereof in a fibrillated polytetrafluoroethylene binder; and an optional third layer comprising a powdered metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, and iron in a fibrillated polytetrafluoroethylene binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Inventors: Kevin Rafferty, Bruce Rowe
  • Patent number: 5863668
    Abstract: A improved thermal barrier coating and method for producing and applying such is disclosed herein. The thermal barrier coating includes a high temperature substrate, a first bond coat layer applied to the substrate of MCrAlX, and a second bond coat layer of MCrAlX with particles of a particulate dispersed throughout the MCrAlX and the preferred particulate is Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. The particles of the particulate dispersed throughout the second bond coat layer preferably have a diameter of less then the height of the peaks of the second bond coat layer, or a diameter of less than 5 .mu.m. The method of producing the second bond coat layer may either include the steps of mechanical alloying of particles throughout the second bond coat layer, attrition milling the particles of the particulate throughout the second bond coat layer, or using electrophoresis to disperse the particles throughout the second bond coat layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: William J. Brindley, Robert A. Miller, Beverly J. M. Aikin
  • Patent number: 5856027
    Abstract: A thermal barrier protected nickel based or cobalt based superalloy component for use in a gas turbine engine includes a thermal barrier coating system having a multi-layered structure. The first bondcoat layer of the thermal barrier coating system comprises a chemical vapor deposited, platinum modified diffusion aluminide layer on the superalloy component (substrate). The diffusion aluminide layer includes an inner diffusion zone proximate the substrate and an outer layer region comprising a platinum modified (platinum-bearing) intermediate phase of aluminum and at least one of nickel and cobalt depending on the superalloy composition. The intermediate phase is a non-ordered solid solution having a range of compositions and is free of other phase constituents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Howmet Research Corporation
    Inventor: Kenneth S. Murphy
  • Patent number: 5851643
    Abstract: A magnetic recording media with a magnetic film made from at least two layers stacked via a non-magnetic intermediate layer, wherein the magnetic film is formed on a structure control underlayer situated on a non-magnetic substrate. A magnetic recording system is also disclosed which includes this magnetic recording media and a magnetic recording head for recording on and reading back from the magnetic recording media. The system further includes a disk drive system, which generates relative motion between the magnetic recording media and the magnetic recording head, and an actuator which determines an appropriate location, on the magnetic recording media, over which the head should be located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Honda, Nobuyuki Inaba, Mikio Suzuki, Masaaki Futamoto, Hiroyuki Awano, Yoshibumi Matsuda, Yoshihiro Shiroishi
  • Patent number: 5846648
    Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided with a structured nucleation layer. The structured nucleation layer comprises a fine-grained seed layer and an intermediate layer. The seed layer (e.g., NiAl, Ti, Cr--Cu, etc.) serves as a template for fine grained-growth of the intermediate layer. The intermediate (e.g., Cr, etc.) layer has preferred crystal textures and an appropriate lattice match to a subsequently deposited magnetic recording layer to allow epitaxial growth of the magnetic recording layer. The intermediate layer provides morphology and orientation to the magnetic recording layer. The magnetic recording layer (e.g., Co-alloy) includes a material which segregates to the alloy grain boundaries to isolate the grains thereof. Each grain of the magnetic recording layer is predominantly a single crystal of small size and uniformly spaced from adjacent grains. The easy axis of the magnetic recording material is predominantly in the plane of the disk, with a random in-plane orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Komag, Inc.
    Inventors: Tu Chen, Michinobu Suekane, Makoto Imakawa, Kazuhiko Mitarai
  • Patent number: 5843589
    Abstract: A ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic material having a high exchange coupling and a high thermal stability, and a magnetic storage system using this material which has excellent reliability and recording density, and a magnetoresistive storage/read separation head having a high sensitivity and a low noise property. The magnetic storage/read system of the invention mounts a magnetoresistive head using a chromium-manganese antiferromagnetic layer/a cobalt alloy layer as a pinning layer or the longitudinal bias layer of the spin-valve type magnetoresistive layered film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hoshiya, Yoshihiro Hamakawa, Susumu Soeya, Shigeru Tadokoro
  • Patent number: 5843587
    Abstract: A process for treating a high temperature corrosion resistant composite surface is disclosed. The process includes the steps of forming a first alloy layer by coating a metallic base material with a NiCr alloy or a MCrAlY alloy (M being made of one or more selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni and Co) with low pressure plasma spraying, forming a second alloy layer on the first alloy layer by coating the first layer with an alloy having identical composition with atmospheric plasma spraying and then subjecting these layers to thermal diffusion treatment in a vacuum furnace or an inert gas atmosphere furnace. Thus, high temperature corrosion resistance is provided for a metallic material used at high temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Nakamori, Kouji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5834111
    Abstract: A bilayer magnetic recording medium having first and second magnetic recording layers separated by a nonmagnetic isolation layer is disclosed. The medium is characterized by a high coercivity, low noise and an improved overwrite. In producing the medium, the second magnetic layer is deposited under sputtering conditions effective to produce a higher coercivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: HMT Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Brij Bihari Lal, Tadashi Shinohara
  • Patent number: 5830569
    Abstract: A magnetic recording medium of this invention includes an underlayer formed on a substrate and made of a material containing vanadium as a main constituent, and a magnetic film formed on the underlayer and made of a CoPtO-based alloy. Another magnetic recording medium of this invention includes a first underlayer formed on a substrate and made of a crystal having a crystal structure for forming a body-centered cubic lattice, a second underlayer formed on the first underlayer and made of an amorphous material, and a magnetic film formed on the second underlayer and made of a CoPtO-based alloy. Further, the magnetic recording medium according to the present invention includes an underlayer formed on a substrate, a plurality of magnetic films laminated on the underlayer and interlayers provided respectively between the plurality of magnetic films, in which the underlayer and the interlayers are made of vanadium or an alloy mainly containing vanadium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Hikosaka, Tsutomu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5830586
    Abstract: An article having a spallation resistant TBC comprises a metal substrate, such as a high temperature superalloy, and a TBC, such as a coating of yttria stabilized zirconia. The TBC comprises a plurality of plasma-sprayed layers. The TBC has a coherent, continuous columnar grain microstructure, wherein at least one layer has a plurality of continuous columnar grains which have been extended by directional solidification into an adjacent layer. In a preferred embodiment, the coherent, continuous columnar microstructure comprises substantially all of the volume of TBC. A coherent, continuous columnar grain microstructure is also taught wherein at least some of the plurality of coherent, continuous columnar grains which comprise a TBC extend through essentially the entire thickness of the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dennis Michael Gray, Yuk-Chiu Lau, Curtis Alan Johnson, Marcus Preston Borom, Warren Arthur Nelson
  • Patent number: 5830565
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for performing reliability screening on semi-conductor wafers and particularly to a highly planar burn in apparatus and method for uses including wafer level burn-in (WLBI), diced die burn-in (DDBI), and packaged die burn-in (PDBI). The burn-in system includes a burn-in substrate with a planar base, a temporary Z-axis connecting member, and a Z-axis wafer level contact sheet electrically coupled to one another for screening wafers, diced die, and packaged electronic components, their assembly and use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Budnaitis
  • Patent number: 5827613
    Abstract: Articles having a diamond-like protective film formed thereon, each comprising a substrate of a material selected from the group consisting of alloys containing at least Co, Ni, or Fe, ceramics, and glass and which has only a slight affinity for a diamond-like thin film, an Mo film formed on the substrate, and a diamond-like thin film formed further thereon. Such articles are manufactured by a method which comprises holding a grid made of Mo close to the surface of the substrate, bombarding the grid and the substrate surface with a bombarding gas consisting of inert gas atoms of Ar or the like, thereby removing contaminants from the surface and depositing Mo atoms on the substrate surface to form an Mo film thereon, ionizing a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon or a feed gas capable of producing a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon upon decomposition or reaction, and then accelerating the resulting ions and depositing the same on the Mo film to form a diamond-like film thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masatoshi Nakayama, Masanori Shibahara
  • Patent number: 5814400
    Abstract: A magneto-optical recording medium comprises in combination: a magneto-optical recording layer capable of writing or erasing information by a laser beam and an external magnetic field and of reading the information by a Kerr effect; and a substrate having the magneto-optical recording layer formed thereon. The magneto-optical recording layer has at least two layers, including a first magneto-optical recording layer and a second magneto-optical recording layer which are magnetically coupled together. The first magneto-optical recording layer is a layer providing a greater magneto-optical effect in a short light wavelength range than the second magneto-optical recording layer though that having less perpendicular magnetic energy than this, as is provided on an irradiation side of the laser beam. It provides advantages in both the magneto-optical effect and perpendicular anisotropy in consideration of the thicknesses or compositions of the first and second magneto-optical recording layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumiyoshi Kirino, Yoshinori Miyamura, Junko Nakamura, Norio Ohta, Masahiko Takahashi, Ryo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5795659
    Abstract: An improved aluminide coating especially for heat resistant superalloy substrates. Slurry coating compositions of eutectic metal alloy powders and of non-eutectic metal powders. A process for coating the substrates and the coated metal parts. The coatings have improved resistance to developing cracks and to hot corrosion and oxidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignees: International Inc., Rolls-Royce, Inc, plc.
    Inventors: Mehar C. Meelu, Alan T. Jones, Bruce G. McMordie