US5356485A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Intermetallic thermocouples
Assignee: United States Department of Commerce
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Filing: 1992-04-29
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Granted: 1994-10-18
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Expires: 2012-04-29
Abstract
Abstract An intermetallic film thermocouple has an amorphous phase and a Seebeck coefficient above 900 μV/° C. Such thermocouples can be prepared by vapor-depositing an intermetallic and quenching the resulting intermetallic film.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth G. Kreider
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:46
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10N; H10N10/00; H10N10/80; H10N10/81; H10N10/817; G; G01; G01K; G01K7/00; G01K7/02; G01K7/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
36 words
A thin film thermocouple comprising two legs at least one of said legs having a thin film of an intermetallic system, said film having a fixed amorphous phase and a Seebeck coefficient above 900 μV/° C.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
36 words
A thin film thermocouple comprising two legs at least one of said legs having a thin film of an intermetallic system, said film having a fixed amorphous phase and a Seebeck coefficient above 900 μV/° C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The thermocouple according to claim 1, wherein the intermetallic system is selected from the group consisting of indium-gallium-arsenic, indium-gallium-antimony, aluminum-gallium-phosphorus, gallium-indium-phosphorus, indium-aluminum-phosphorus, antimony-tellurium, cadmium-tin-arsenic, tin-tellurium, lead-tellurium, tin oxide-antimony, tin oxide-zinc oxide and bismuth-tellurium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The thermocouple according to claim 1, wherein the intermetallic system is antimony-zinc.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The thermocouple according to claim 3, wherein zinc is present in an amount of from about 40 to about 60 atomic percent.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The thermocouple according to claim 3, wherein the amount of zinc is about 45-55 atomic percent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The thermocouple according to claim 1, wherein the Seebeck coefficient for increasing and decreasing temperatures ranges from about 900 μV/° C. to about 1100 μV/° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The thermocouple according to claim 1, wherein the Seebeck coefficients for increasing and decreasing temperatures ranges from about 940 μV/° C. to about 980 μV/° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The thermocouple according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of said film ranges from about 0.01 μm to about 10.0 μm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The thermocouple according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of said film ranges from about 1 μm to about 2 μm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The thermocouple according to claim 1, wherein said film is produced by physical vapor deposition.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
62 words
A method for preparing an intermetallic thin film thermocouple comprising two legs at least one of said leg having a film of an intermetallic system, said film having a fixed amorphous phase and a Seebeck coefficient above 900 μV/° C., comprising: a) sputtering depositing the intermetallic on a substrate; and b) quenching the itnermetallic to fix the amorphous structure of the thermocouple.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
62 words
A method for preparing an intermetallic thin film thermocouple comprising two legs at least one of said leg having a film of an intermetallic system, said film having a fixed amorphous phase and a Seebeck coefficient above 900 μV/° C., comprising: a) sputtering depositing the intermetallic on a substrate; and b) quenching the itnermetallic to fix the amorphous structure of the thermocouple.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the intermetallic is quenched at a quenching rate between about 10 16 ° C./second and about 10 18 ° C./second.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the quenching rate is between 10 15 ° and 10 17 ° C./second.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the sputtering depositing is carried out using a sputtering gas.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the sputtering gas is argon.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the intermetallic is sputter deposited at a target-substrate distance from about 5 cm to about 14 cm.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the target-substrate distance is about 10-12 cm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein a rate of deposition of the intermetallic is inversely proportional to a square of a target-substrate distance.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the intermetallic is sputter deposited at a power density from about 1 watt/cm 2 to about 20 watts/cm 2 .
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the intermetallic is sputer deposited at a power density of about 14-16 watts/cm 2 .
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein a pressure of the sputtering gas ranges from about 0.03 Pa to about 3.0 Pa.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the pressure of the sputtering gas is about 0.2-0.5 Pa.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein a diffusion distance of individual atoms in the intermetallic film is controlled by growth rate of the intermetallic and temperature of the substrate.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 23, wherein the growth rate of the intermetallic ranges from about 1.0 μm per hour to about 2.0 μm per hour
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 23, wherein the growth rate of the intermetallic film is about 1.2-1.7 μm per hour.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 23, wherein a temperature of the substrate is not greater than 100° C.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 23, wherein a substrate temperature ranges from about 30°-80° C.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the intermetallic is selected from the group consisting of indium-gallium-arsenic, indium-gallium-antimony, aluminum-gallium-phosphorus, gallium-indium-phosphorus, indium-aluminum-phosphorus, antimony-tellurium, cadmium-tin-arsenic, tin-tellurium, lead-tellurium, tin oxide-antimony, tin oxide-zinc oxide and bismuth-tellurium.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the intermetallic is antimony-zinc.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-10-17 | 1998-04-18 | 1998-10-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-10-17 | 2002-04-18 | 2002-10-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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