Making metal eutectic fine wire arrays

Claim 1

A method of making arrays of fine metallic wires comprising the process steps of: (a) depositing sequentially the components of a binary metallic eutectic alloy system as two overlying thin planar layers on a substrate to form a preform, the thicknesses of said layers being determined in accordance with the formula: ##EQU2## where W 1 equals the weight percent of the first component of said eutectic, ρ 1 and ρ 2 equal the density of the first and second components of said eutectic, respectively, and t 1 and t 2 equal the thicknesses of the layers of the first and second components, respectively; (b) creating a molten zone of said components, said molten zone extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the plane of said substrate and extending vertically through said planar layers and being contiguous with at least a portion of said substrate; (c) moving said molten zone across at least a portion of said preform at a substantially uniform rate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction thereby melting said components of said metallic eutectic alloy at the leading edge of said zone, mixing said components in said zone, and freezing said components at the trailing edge of said zone, forming thereby a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components, said thin film having an aligned lamellar structure of two phases, the thickness of said thin film being equal to or less than about 4 microns; and (d) selectively removing one of said phases to form an array of fine metallic wires in a substantially parallel spaced-apart relationship situated on said substrate.

Claim 2

A method of making arrays of fine metallic wires comprising the process steps of: (a) depositing sequentially the components of a binary metallic eutectic alloy system as two overlying thin planar layers on a substrate to form a preform, the thicknesses of said layers being determined in accordance with the formula: ##EQU2## where W 1 equals the weight percent of the first component of said eutectic, ρ 1 and ρ 2 equal the density of the first and second components of said eutectic, respectively, and t 1 and t 2 equal the thicknesses of the layers of the first and second components, respectively; (b) creating a molten zone of said components, said molten zone extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the plane of said substrate and extending vertically through said planar layers and being contiguous with at least a portion of said substrate; (c) moving said molten zone across at least a portion of said preform at a substantially uniform rate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction thereby melting said components of said metallic eutectic alloy at the leading edge of said zone, mixing said components in said zone, and freezing said components at the trailing edge of said zone, forming thereby a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components, said thin film having an aligned lamellar structure of two phases, the thickness of said thin film being equal to or less than about 4 microns; and (d) selectively removing one of said phases to form an array of fine metallic wires in a substantially parallel spaced-apart relationship situated on said substrate.

Claim 15

A method for making a plurality of arrays of fine metallic wires in a series relationship comprising the process steps of: (a) depositing sequentially the components of a binary metallic eutectic alloy system as two overlying thin planar layers on a substrate to form a preform, the thicknesses of said layers being determined in accordance with the formula: ##EQU3## where W 1 equals the weight percent of the first component of said eutectic, ρ 1 and ρ 2 equal the density of the first and second components of said eutectic, respectively, and t 1 and t 2 equal the thicknesses of the layers of the first and second components, respectively; (b) creating a molten zone of said components, said molten zone extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the plane of said substrate and extending vertically through said planar layers and being contiguous with at least a portion of said substrate; (c) moving said molten zone across at least a portion of said preform at a substantially uniform first rate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction thereby melting said components of said metallic eutectic alloy at the leading edge of said zone, mixing said components in said zone, and freezing said components at the trailing edge of said zone, forming thereby a first region of a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components, said first region having an aligned lamellar structure of two phases and a first interlamellar spacing; (d) changing said rate at least once to at least a substantially uniform second rate forming thereby a second region of a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components and a transition region between said first and second regions, said second region having an aligned lamellar structure of the same phases as said first region and a second interlamellar spacing, said eutectic thin film having a substantially uniform thickness of about 4 microns or less; and (e) selectively removing one of said phases to form a plurality of arrays of fine metallic wires situated on said substrate in a series relationship with a transition region between each array, the wires of each array being in a substantially parallel spaced-apart relationship.

Claim 16

A method for making a plurality of arrays of fine metallic wires in a series relationship comprising the process steps of: (a) depositing sequentially the components of a binary metallic eutectic alloy system as two overlying thin planar layers on a substrate to form a preform, the thicknesses of said layers being determined in accordance with the formula: ##EQU3## where W 1 equals the weight percent of the first component of said eutectic, ρ 1 and ρ 2 equal the density of the first and second components of said eutectic, respectively, and t 1 and t 2 equal the thicknesses of the layers of the first and second components, respectively; (b) creating a molten zone of said components, said molten zone extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the plane of said substrate and extending vertically through said planar layers and being contiguous with at least a portion of said substrate; (c) moving said molten zone across at least a portion of said preform at a substantially uniform first rate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction thereby melting said components of said metallic eutectic alloy at the leading edge of said zone, mixing said components in said zone, and freezing said components at the trailing edge of said zone, forming thereby a first region of a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components, said first region having an aligned lamellar structure of two phases and a first interlamellar spacing; (d) changing said rate at least once to at least a substantially uniform second rate forming thereby a second region of a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components and a transition region between said first and second regions, said second region having an aligned lamellar structure of the same phases as said first region and a second interlamellar spacing, said eutectic thin film having a substantially uniform thickness of about 4 microns or less; and (e) selectively removing one of said phases to form a plurality of arrays of fine metallic wires situated on said substrate in a series relationship with a transition region between each array, the wires of each array being in a substantially parallel spaced-apart relationship.

Claim 17

A method for making a plurality of arrays of fine metallic wires in a parallel relationship comprising the process steps of: (a) depositing sequentially the components of a binary metallic eutectic alloy system as two overlying thin planar layers on a substrate to form a preform, the thicknesses of said layers being determined in accordance with the formula: ##EQU4## where W 1 equals the weight percent of the first component of said eutectic, ρ 1 and ρ 2 equal the density of the first and second components of said eutectic, respectively, and t 1 and t 2 equal the thicknesses of the layers of the first and second components, respectively; (b) creating a first molten zone of said components, said molten zone extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the plane of said substrate and extending vertically through said planar layers and being contiguous with at least a portion of said substrate; (c) moving said first molten zone across at least a portion of said preform at a substantially uniform first rate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction thereby melting said components of said metallic eutectic alloy at the leading edge of said zone, mixing said components in said zone, and freezing said components at the trailing edge of said zone, forming thereby a first region of a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components, said first region having an aligned lamellar structure of two phases and a first interlamellar spacing; (d) creating at least a second molten zone of said components, said second molten zone extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the plane of said substrate and substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of said first molten zone, extending vertically through said planar layers, being contiguous with at least a portion of said substrate, and being adjacent to said first region; (e) moving said second molten zone across at least a portion of said preform adjacent to at least a portion of said first region at a substantially uniform second rate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction thereby melting said components of said metallic eutectic alloy at the leading edge of said zone, mixing said components in said zone, and freezing said components at the trailing edge of said zone, forming thereby at least a second region of a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components and a transition region between said first and second regions, said second region of said eutectic thin film having an aligned lamellar structure of the same phases as said first region and a second interlamellar spacing, said eutectic thin film having a substantially uniform thickness of about 4 microns or less; and (f) selectively removing one of said phases to form a plurality of arrays of fine metallic wires situated on said substrate in a parallel relationship with a transition region between each array, the wires of each array being in a substantially parallel spaced-apart relationship.

Claim 18

A method for making a plurality of arrays of fine metallic wires in a parallel relationship comprising the process steps of: (a) depositing sequentially the components of a binary metallic eutectic alloy system as two overlying thin planar layers on a substrate to form a preform, the thicknesses of said layers being determined in accordance with the formula: ##EQU4## where W 1 equals the weight percent of the first component of said eutectic, ρ 1 and ρ 2 equal the density of the first and second components of said eutectic, respectively, and t 1 and t 2 equal the thicknesses of the layers of the first and second components, respectively; (b) creating a first molten zone of said components, said molten zone extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the plane of said substrate and extending vertically through said planar layers and being contiguous with at least a portion of said substrate; (c) moving said first molten zone across at least a portion of said preform at a substantially uniform first rate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction thereby melting said components of said metallic eutectic alloy at the leading edge of said zone, mixing said components in said zone, and freezing said components at the trailing edge of said zone, forming thereby a first region of a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components, said first region having an aligned lamellar structure of two phases and a first interlamellar spacing; (d) creating at least a second molten zone of said components, said second molten zone extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the plane of said substrate and substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of said first molten zone, extending vertically through said planar layers, being contiguous with at least a portion of said substrate, and being adjacent to said first region; (e) moving said second molten zone across at least a portion of said preform adjacent to at least a portion of said first region at a substantially uniform second rate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction thereby melting said components of said metallic eutectic alloy at the leading edge of said zone, mixing said components in said zone, and freezing said components at the trailing edge of said zone, forming thereby at least a second region of a eutectic thin film of the eutectic composition of said components and a transition region between said first and second regions, said second region of said eutectic thin film having an aligned lamellar structure of the same phases as said first region and a second interlamellar spacing, said eutectic thin film having a substantially uniform thickness of about 4 microns or less; and (f) selectively removing one of said phases to form a plurality of arrays of fine metallic wires situated on said substrate in a parallel relationship with a transition region between each array, the wires of each array being in a substantially parallel spaced-apart relationship.