HIGH-SPEED FABRICATION OF HIGHLY UNIFORM METALLIC MICROSPHERES__

Title:

HIGH-SPEED FABRICATION OF HIGHLY UNIFORM METALLIC MICROSPHERES__

Document Type and Number:

WIPO Patent Application WO2001091524

Kind Code:

A3

Abstract:

In a high-speed fabrication process for producing highly uniform metallic microspheres, a molten metal (16) is passed through a small orifice (30), producing a stream of molten metal therefrom. A series of molten metal droplets forms from the break up of the capillary stream (32). To achieve high uniformity of the spheres and avoid defects, the droplets are cooled before being captured. Separating the droplets, by causing them to travel in different paths than their adjacent droplets, helps to facilitate the cooling of the droplets. The droplets can be separated by electrostatically charging them as they break off from the capillary stream. The droplets are then passed through an electric field, which can be produced by a pair of deflection plates (44). The droplets are dispersed by varying the electric field - e.g., by rotating the plates or by varying the voltage applied thereto - or by varying the charge of the droplets. Advantageously, the droplets can be actively cooled in flight by passing them through a cryogenic gas chamber.

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Inventors:

ORME-MARMERELIS MELISSA
SMITH ROBERT

Application Number:

PCT/US2001/016401

Publication Date:

December 27, 2002

Filing Date:

May 21, 2001

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

UNIV CALIFORNIA (US)

International Classes:

B22F9/08; H05K3/34; (IPC1-7): B22F9/08; B06B1/20

Foreign References:

US5266098A	1993-11-30
US5520715A	1996-05-28
US5746844A	1998-05-05
US5891212A	1999-04-06
US6007183A	1999-12-28

Other References: