US4872905A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of producing non-agglomerating submicron size particles
Assignee: United States Department of Energy
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Filing: 1988-05-11
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Granted: 1989-10-10
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Expires: 2008-05-11
Abstract
Abstract Submicron size particles are produced by using a sputtering process to deposit particles into a liquid. The liquid is processed to recover the particles therefrom, and the particles have sizes in the range of twenty to two hundred Angstroms. Either metallic or non-metallic particles can be produced, and the metallic particles can be used in "metallic inks".
Inventors
- 👤 Roy S. Bourne
- 👤 Clarence C. Eichman
- 👤 William W. Welbon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 07:25
CPC Classifications
B; B22; B22F; B22F9/00; B22F9/02; B22F9/14; B22F1/00; B22F1/05; B22F1/054; B22F1/0545; B82; B82Y; B82Y30/00; B22F2998/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/70; Y10S977/773; Y10S977/775; Y10S977/777; Y10S977/84; Y10S977/89
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
57 words
A process for forming non-agglomerating metallic particles having a size of less than one micron in diameter, comprising: providing particles by a sputtering technique; capturing said particles in a high molecular weight low vapor pressure oil; and recovering the captured particles from the oil, said particles being covered with a molecular layer of oil that prevents agglomeration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process for forming non-agglomerating metallic particles having a size of less than one micron in diameter, comprising: providing particles by a sputtering technique; capturing said particles in a high molecular weight low vapor pressure oil; and recovering the captured particles from the oil, said particles being covered with a molecular layer of oil that prevents agglomeration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein the step of recovering the captured particles from the liquid includes adding a solvent to the liquid having the particles therein to result in a thinned mixture of liquid/particles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein the steps of conducting the sputtering technique and capturing the particles are conducted in a vacuum chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process defined in claim 1 further including a step of processing the captured particles to form a metallic ink.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein the sputtering technique includes magnetron sputtering.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein the particles recovered have a size in the range of twenty to two hundred Angstroms in diameter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein the step of recovering the captured particles from the liquid includes adding kerosene to the oil in an amount of about ten times the volume amount of oil to form a thin mixture.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process defined in claim 1 further including a step of controlling the temperature of the liquid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein the sputtering technique includes using a target electrode, and the process further includes forming the target electrode from gold.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein the sputtering technique includes using a target electrode, and the process further includes forming the target electrode from tungsten.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein the liquid is polyphenylether.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
The process defined in claim 2 wherein the step of recovering captured particles from the liquid further includes adding a mixing agent to the thinned mixture of liquid/particles which causes the original liquid and the solvent to be uniformly mixed to form a uniform mixture containing the particles.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process defined in claim 3 wherein the step of recovering captured particles form the liquid further includes removing the mixing agent and causing sedimentation of coated particles.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process defined in claim 4 wherein the step of recovering the captured particles includes separating the solvent from the particles.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process defined in claim 5 wherein the sputtering technique is conducted in an argon gas atmosphere.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process defined in claim 7 wherein the step of recovering the captured particles from the liquid includes adding acetone to the thin mixture to make the oil, kerosene, acetone and particles to form a stable suspension.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process defined in claim 8 wherein the sputtering technique produces electrons and the temperature of the liquid is controlled by controlling the number of electrons which contact the liquid.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process defined in claim 15 further including establishing a vacuum pressure for the argon gas atmosphere of less than about fourteen microns.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
The process defined in claim 17 wherein the step of recovering the captured particles from the liquid includes boiling off the acetone form the stable suspension and allowing the particles to separate with the particles falling to the bottom to form a particle precipitate and the oil, kerosene, and acetone rising to the top.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process defined in claim 17 wherein the sputtering technique includes using a target electrode and the number of electrons contacting the liquid is controlled by establishing a secondary bias between the liquid and the sputtering target electrode.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process defined in claim 17 wherein the step of controlling the temperature of the liquid includes heating the liquid by means of a quartz heater.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process defined in claim 18 further including a step of flowing the argon gas through the vacuum chamber.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process defined in claim 19 wherein the step of recovering the captured particles from the liquid includes decanting the oil, kerosene, and acetone off of the particle precipitate.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process defined in claim 22 wherein the argon gas flow is held at between about seventy and one hundred fifty standard cubic centimeters per minute.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-10-09 | 1993-04-10 | 1993-10-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-10-09 | 1997-04-10 | 1997-10-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-10-09 | 2001-04-10 | 2001-10-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |