Abstract:
A coherent material is formed on a substrate ( 10 ) by providing a precursor suspension ( 14 ) in which particulates are suspended in a carrier fluid, and directing the precursor suspension ( 14 ) at the substrate ( 10 ) from a first source ( 12 ). Generally contemporaneously with application of the deposited precursor suspension ( 14 ) to the surface, hot gases, e.g. hot gases produced by a flame ( 16 ), are directed at the substrate ( 10 ) from a remote second source ( 18 ) to fuse the particulates into the coherent material.
Abstract:
Tubular needles have a reduced inner diameter tip portion (12) that increases back pressure behind the tip portion (11). This constricted tip portion promotes improved atomization, particularly when the liquid passes through the needle at near-supercritical conditions. A preferred method for constricting the inner diameter of a needle tip is to dip the tip of the needle in an electroless plating solution, such as an electroless nickel solution.
Abstract:
The present invention involves controlled atomization of liquids for various applications such as particle/droplet seeding for laser-based measurements of flow velocity, temperature, and concentration; flame and plasma based elemental analysis; nano-powder production; spray drying for generation of small-sized particles; nebulizers in the production of sub-micron size droplets and for atomizing fuel for use in combustion chambers. In these and other atomizer applications the control of droplet and/or particle size is very critical. In some applications extremely small droplets are preferred (less than a micron), while in others, droplet diameters on the scale of several microns are required. The present invention has the flexibility of forming droplets within a particular range of diameters, wherein not only the size of the average droplet can be adjusted, but the range of sizes may be adjusted as well. The atomizer (4) itself is in the form of a heated tube (44) having an inlet end (48) and an outlet end (50). As liquid travels through the tube it is heated and upon exiting the tube and entering a reduced pressure area the liquid atomizes to form very fine droplets. By electrically heating the tube by passing a current therethrough, the heating adjustment can be performed on-the-fly, allowing droplet size adjustment during operation of the atomizer. Several different embodiments of the atomization device are disclosed.
Abstract:
Methods for producing coatings on a glass substrate using combined chemical vapor deposition or other heat concentrated deposition (CHD) techniques. The term 'glass' in this context is defined as those materials that crack, break or are otherwise damaged prior to plastic deformation of the material. In combustion chemical vapor deposition CCVD, a reagent and a carrier solution are mixed together to form a reagent mixture. The reagent mixture is then ignited to create a flame (14, 16), or alternatively, the reagent mixture may be fed to a plasma torch or other heat source. The combustion source may vaporize at least part of the reagent, the vapor phase of the reagent contacting the surface of the substrate (A) to be coated. In this manner, a film or coating is formed on the glass substrate (A). In some of the disclosed methods, the glass substrate (A) may be preheated, to avoid differential heating of the glass by the combustion source. Various methods of reducing the differential heating are disclosed. This differential heating may cause thermal shock or breakage of the glass substrate (A).
Abstract:
Thin layer capacitors are formed from a first flexible metal layer, a dielectric layer between about 0.03 and about 2 microns deposited thereon, and a second flexible metal layer deposited on the dielectric layer. The first flexible metal layer may either be a metal foil, such as a copper, aluminum, or nickel foil, or a metal layer deposited on a polymeric support sheet. Depositions of the layers is by or is facilitate by combustion chemical vapor deposition or controlled atmosphere chemical vapor deposition.
Abstract:
Catalytic layers for fuel cells are formed by co-depositing platinum or gold from a combustion chemical vapor deposition flame and carbon particles and ionomer from a non-flame, co-deposition flame. A layer having high platinum or gold loading with high particulate size is deposited. Such layers have high efficiency, whereby the total amount of platinum or gold used in a fuel cell may be reduced.
Abstract:
Optical waveguide composite materials and integrated optical subsystems with low loss connection to optical fibers, are disclosed. The waveguide material has a varying thickness and/or refractive index from one portion (816) to another (820) and can be varied in all three directions. Methods of producing the composite materials and waveguides are also disclosed.
Abstract:
A modified chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and various coatings formed by this method are disclosed. A uniform coating is obtained by the disclosed CVD method by redirecting the energy source and/or the hot gasses produced thereby. The methods disclosed are particularly useful for forming thin film, insulative, oxide coatings on the surface of conductive or superconductive wires. The redirect methods are also useful for producing powders that can be collected for further processing. Metal oxide barrier coatings for polymer food containers are also disclosed.
Abstract:
A thin film product having a nanostructured surface, a laminate product including the thin film and a temporary substrate opposite the nanostructured surface, a laminate product including the thin film and a final substrate attached to the nanostructured surface and a method of producing the thin film products. The thin film is particularly useful in the electronics industry for the production of integrated circuits, touch screen, flat panel display, printed circuit boards and EMF shielding. The nanostructured surface includes surface features that are mostly smaller than one micron, while the dense portion of the thin film is between 10-200mm. The thin film is produced by coating a temporary substrate (such as aluminum foil) with a coating material (such as copper) using any process. One such method is concentrated heat deposition or a combustion, chemical vapor deposition process. The resulting thin film provides a high level of adhesion to a final substrate, by embedding the nanostructures with the material of the final substrate (such as epoxy resin). The surface of the thin film adjacent the temporary substrate substantially conforms to the substrate surface and has a relatively low peel strength. In this manner, the temporary substrate is easily removed from the thin film after attaching the opposite nanostructured side of the thin film to the final substrate with a resulting, higher peel strength.
Abstract:
An improved chemical vapor deposition apparatus and procedure is disclosed. The technique provides improved shielding of the reaction and deposition zones (26, 28) involved in providing CVD coatings by establishing a barrier zone (30) wherein gases flowing from a reaction zone (26) and deposition zone (28) to the ambient atmosphere are made to flow at a velocity of at least 15.24 m/min. Coatings can thus be produced, at atmospheric pressure, of materials which are sensitive to components in the atmosphere on substrates which are sensitive to high temperatures and which are too large, or inconvenient, to process in vacuum or similar chambers. The improved technique can be used with various energy sources and is particularly compatible with Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) techniques.