Converting ceramic materials to electrical conductors and semiconductors
US5145741A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 28, 1991 |
| Grant date | Sep 8, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 28, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/315
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
In a preferred embodiment room temperature electrically conductive or semiconductive ceramic paths or areas are produced on carbide and nitride ceramic substrates by a process of controlled oxidation using localized thermal heating (e.g., laser heating) by tracing desired paths onto the substrates, where air is the source of oxygen. In another embodiment, nitride and carbide ceramic substrates are converted to electroconductive or semiconductive ceramics where the substrate is characterized as whiskers, fibers, flakes or platelets whose dimensions are in the micron range, by controlled oxidation as prescribed by laser beam processing. The resulting conductive or semiconductive paths or surfaces of the substrate comprise electrically conductive or semiconductive nonstoichiometric aluminum-nitrogen-oxygen ceramic, when the initial ceramic substrate material is aluminum nitride(A1N); and electrically conductive or semiconductive nonstoichiometric silicon-carbon-oxygen ceramic, when the initial ceramic material used is silicon carbide (SiC). The path cut into the surface on a flat substrate can serve e.g. as electrical interconnects akin to printed circuitry on a wiring board and patte…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.