Low-friction moving interfaces in micromachines and nanomachines

• US 6,802,646 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2002
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terraspan LLC
• Original Assignee: General Nanotechnology LLC
• Inventors: Kley, Victor B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland, Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US10/094,149
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 384/42, 384/26, 384/29, 384/297, 384/129, 384/907.1, 74/894.3
• US Class Current: 384/42
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 5/00 Devices comprising elements which are movable in relation to each other, e.g. comprising slidable or rotatable elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0619 the female part comprising a blind socket receiving the male part
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/043 Sliding surface consisting mainly of ceramics, cermets or hard carbon, e.g. diamond like carbon [DLC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/724 Devices having flexible or movable element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/902 Specified use of nanostructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18736 Pressurized fluid introduced between nut and screw

Abstract

A low-friction device having a moving interface comprising first and second members. Each of the members has a maximum dimension of about 100 μm or less between any two points. At least the first member is formed of diamond and the first and second members are in sliding contact or meshing contact.

Claims

1. A low-friction device having a moving interface, the low-friction device comprising first and second members wherein:

each of the members has a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points;

at least the first member is formed of diamond; and

the first and second members are in sliding contact.

2. The low-friction device of claim 1 wherein the second member is formed of a material chosen from the group consisting of diamond, silicon, quartz, and a III-V semiconductor material.

3. The low-friction device of claim 2 wherein one of the members has a cylindrical shape with an aperture.

4. The low-friction device of claim 3 wherein the other of the members has a spindle shape.

5. The low-friction device of claim 2 wherein:

one of the members has a ball end and the other of the members has a socket; and

the first and second members form a ball-and-socket joint.

6. The low-friction device of claim 2 wherein;

one of the members is a bushing and the other of the members is a spindle.

7. The low-friction device of claim 2 wherein each of the members has a maximum dimension of about 50 μ

m or less between any two points.

8. The low-friction device of claim 2 wherein each of the members has a maximum dimension of about 25 μ

m or less between any two points.

9. The low-friction device of claim 2 wherein each of the members has a maximum dimensions of about 5 μ

m or less between any two points.

10. A low-friction device having a moving interface comprising:

a toothed member having a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points; and

a tooth-engaging member having a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points;

at least one of the toothed member and tooth-engaging member being diamond; and

the toothed member and the tooth-engaging member being in meshing contact.

11. The low-friction device of claim 10 wherein the other of the toothed member and tooth-engaging member is chosen from the group consisting of diamond, silicon, quartz, and a III-V semiconductor material.

12. The low-friction device of claim 11 wherein the toothed member is a gear.

13. The low-friction device of claim 12 wherein the tooth-engaging member is a gear.

14. The low-friction device of claim 12 wherein the tooth-engaging member is a rack.

15. The low-friction device of claim 14 and further comprising an electric linear actuator coupled to the rack, wherein the actuator causes the rack to be translated causing the gear to rotate.

16. The low-friction device of claim 14 and further comprising a piezoelectric transducer coupled to the rack, wherein the piezoelectric transducer causes the rack to be translated causing the gear to rotate.

17. The low-friction device of claim 14 and further comprising a thermal expansion/contraction device coupled to the rack, wherein the device causes the rack to be translated causing the gear to rotate.

18. The low-friction device of claim 12 wherein the tooth-engaging member is a worm gear.

19. The low-friction device of claim 11 wherein each of the gear and the tooth-engaging member has a maximum dimension of about 50 μ

m or less between any two points.

20. The low-friction device of claim 11 wherein the each of the gear and the tooth-engaging member has a maximum dimension of about 25 μ

m or less between any two points.

21. The low-friction device of claim 11 wherein each of the gear and the tooth-engaging member has a maximum dimension of about 5 μ

m or less between any two points.

22. A low-friction device having a moving interface comprising:

a diamond gear having a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points; and

a silicon gear having a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points;

wherein the diamond gear and the silicon gear are in meshing contact.

23. A low-friction moving interface comprising:

a diamond bearing having a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points; and

a silicon spindle having a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points;

wherein the bearing and spindle are in sliding contact.

24. A low-friction device having a moving interface comprising:

a silicon plate having a diamond coated aperture, the coated aperture having a diameter in the range of about 100 μ

m to about 5 μ

m; and

a spindle fitted into the diamond coated aperture in sliding contact, the spindle having a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points.

25. A low-friction device having a moving interface comprising:

a silicon plate formed with an aperture having a diameter in the range of about 100 μ

m to about 5 μ

m;

a diamond bushing inside the aperture; and

a spindle having a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points;

wherein the diamond bushing and the spindle are in sliding contact.

26. The low-friction device of claim 25 wherein the spindle is chosen from the group consisting of diamond, silicon, quartz, and a III-V semiconductor material.

27. A low-friction device having a moving interface comprising first, second, and third plates, wherein:

each of the first, second, and third plates has a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points; and

the third plate is diamond; and

the third plate has a rotational degree of freedom and is in sliding contact with the first and second plates.

28. The low-friction device of claim 27 wherein the first and second plates are chosen from the group consisting of diamond, silicon, quartz, and a III-V semiconductor material.

29. The low-friction device of claim 28 wherein the first, second, and third plates are a fluid pump.

30. A low-friction device comprising first and second plates, wherein:

each of the first and second plates has a maximum dimension of about 100 μ

m or less between any two points;

one of the first and second plates is diamond;

the other of the first and second plate is silicon; and

the first and second plates are in sliding contact.

31. The low-friction device of claim 30 wherein the first and second plates are chosen from the group consisting of diamond, silicon, quartz, and a III-V semiconductor material.

32. The low-friction device of claim 31 wherein the second plate has a slot, and portions of the first plate are in the slot.

33. The low-friction device of claim 32 wherein the first and second plates are a fluid pump.