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High strength vacuum deposited nitinol alloy films and method of making same

  • US 8,083,908 B2
  • Filed: 10/19/2007
  • Issued: 12/27/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for fabricating nitinol film using a vacuum sputter deposition apparatus having a magnetron, a cathode, a cooling device thermally coupled to the cathode and a deposition chamber capable of being selectively isolated from the atmosphere, the method comprising the steps of:

  • a. disposing at least one cylindrical target selected from the group consisting of nickel, titanium and nickel-titanium alloy in the deposition chamber;

    b. disposing a cylindrical substrate that is spatially separated from and concentric with the cylindrical target in the deposition chamber;

    c. supplying a working gas to the deposition chamber;

    d. sputter depositing material from the at least one cylindrical target to form a substantially non-columnar crystalline film under conditions where the mean free path of the sputtered particles is greater than about half the distance between the cylindrical target and the cylindrical substrate;

    e. removing the deposited material from the cylindrical substrate.

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