Method for improving electrical conductivity of a metal oxide layer on a substrate utilizing high energy beam mixing
First Claim
1. A method of improving electrical conductivity of metals, metal alloys and metal oxides in making an electrode comprising:
- a) providing a substrate having an electrically insulating native oxide layer on a surface thereof, said substrate being selected from the group consisting of Group IVA, Group VA and Group VIA metals, aluminum, manganese, nickel, copper and stainless steel;
b) depositing on said native oxide layer a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IA and Group VIIIA metals;
c) directing a high energy beam onto said deposited metal and said native oxide layer to intermix the deposited metal with the native oxide;
d) controlling the depth of intermixing of the deposited metal with the native oxide so as not to affect the bulk structure of said substrate;
e) whereby said native oxide layer is changed from being electrically insulating to being more electrically conductive; and
f) applying electrode material onto the native oxide layer so that the substrate is usable as an electrode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for improving the electrical conductivity of a substrate of metal, metal alloy or metal oxide comprising depositing a small or minor amount of metal or metals from Group VIIIA metals (Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt) or from Group IA metals (Cu, Ag, Au) on a substrate of metal, metal alloys and/or metal oxide from Group IVA metals (Ti, Zr, Hf), Group VA metals (V, Nb, Ta), Group VIA metals (Cr, Mo, W) and Al, Mn, Ni and Cu and then directing a high energy beam onto the substrate to cause an intermixing of the deposited material with the native oxide of the substrate metal or metal alloy. The native oxide layer is changed from electrically insulating to electrically conductive. The step of depositing can be carried out, for example, by ion beam assisted deposition, electron beam deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, plasma assisted, low pressure plasma and plasma spray deposition and the like. The high energy beam can be an ion beam from a high energy ion source or it can be a laser beam. The deposition may be performed on either treated or untreated substrate. The substrate with native oxide layer made electrically conductive is useable in the manufacture of electrodes for devices such as capacitors and batteries.
62 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of improving electrical conductivity of metals, metal alloys and metal oxides in making an electrode comprising:
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a) providing a substrate having an electrically insulating native oxide layer on a surface thereof, said substrate being selected from the group consisting of Group IVA, Group VA and Group VIA metals, aluminum, manganese, nickel, copper and stainless steel;
b) depositing on said native oxide layer a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IA and Group VIIIA metals;
c) directing a high energy beam onto said deposited metal and said native oxide layer to intermix the deposited metal with the native oxide;
d) controlling the depth of intermixing of the deposited metal with the native oxide so as not to affect the bulk structure of said substrate;
e) whereby said native oxide layer is changed from being electrically insulating to being more electrically conductive; and
f) applying electrode material onto the native oxide layer so that the substrate is usable as an electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of improving electrical conductivity of metals, metal alloys and metal oxides in making an electrode comprising:
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a) providing a substrate having an electrically insulating native oxide layer on a surface thereof, said substrate being of a material operative for use as an electrode in a capacitor;
b) depositing on said native oxide layer a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IA and Group VIIIA metals;
c) directing a high energy beam onto said deposited metal and said native oxide layer to intermix the deposited metal with the native oxide;
d) controlling the depth of intermixing of the deposited metal with the native oxide so as not to affect the bulk structure of said substrate;
e) whereby said native oxide layer is changed from being electrically insulating to being more electrically conductive; and
f) applying electrode material onto the native oxide layer so that the substrate is usable as an electrode. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeGreatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
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Original AssigneeWilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.
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InventorsStephenson, Donald H., Shah, Ashish, Muffoletto, Barry C.
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Primary Examiner(s)Bareford, Katherine A.
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Application NumberUS08/847,946Publication NumberTime in Patent Office2,280 DaysField of Search427/533, 427/554, 427/455, 427/456, 427/454, 427/531, 427/585, 427/250US Class Current427/454CPC Class CodesC23C 14/5833 Ion beam bombardmentC23C 14/5893 Mixing of deposited materialC23C 16/56 After-treatmentC23C 26/00 Coating not provided for in...C23C 26/02 applying molten material to...H01G 4/008 Selection of materialsH01G 9/042 characterised by the materi...H01M 4/661 Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy...Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteriesY10S 148/90 Ion implantedY10S 428/926 Thickness of individual lay...Y10S 428/931 Components of differing ele...Y10T 428/8305 Miscellaneous [e.g., treate...
