Ford Motor Company Limited

David W Hoffman

David Moskowitz

Duane J Schmatz

Joseph M Giachino

William F Horn

Martin R Gaerttner

Cassimer M Kukla

Gerald P Kazmer

The wear life of a high-speed tool steel cutting bit is increased by (a) cleansing the bit by subjection to an ion beam; (b) while preventing the temperature of said cleansed from rising above 350.degree. C., coating the cleansed bit by condensing sputtered atoms of titanium and boron thereonto, the condensation being carried out to provide a coating thickness of 2-6 microns. An argon or krypton beam of ions is accelerated to 1300-1800 volts as a broad-beam ion source to sputter a titanium diboride target arranged as a cathode. The sputtering is carried out for 5-10 minutes while the bit is heated to about 200.degree. C., and a soft vacuum of about 4-6 milli-torr is used during the process.

Method of increasing useful life of tool steel cutting tools

The wear life of a high-speed tool steel cutting bit is increased by (a) cleansing the bit by subjection to an ion beam; (b) while preventing the temperature of said cleansed from rising above 350.degree. C., coating the cleansed bit by condensing sputtered atoms of titanium and boron thereonto, the condensation being carried out to provide a coating thickness of 2-6 microns. An argon or krypton beam of ions is accelerated to 1300-1800 volts as a broad-beam ion source to sputter a titanium diboride target arranged as a cathode. The sputtering is carried out for 5-10 minutes while the bit is heated to about 200.degree. C. and a soft vacuum of about 4-6 milli-torr is used during the process.

A spark plug for providing an ignition spark has a center electrode. At least a portion of the center electrode contains an alloy material from an alloy family of M-CrAlY wherein M is nickel, cobalt, iron or a combination of these elements and Cr is chromium, Al is aluminum, Y is an element from the group yttrium, zirconium, hafnium or titanium.

Spark plug center electrode of alloy material including aluminum and

In measuring stresses present in material coatings deposited by sputtering, a pressure transducer is used as an in-situ sensor. The transducer has a flexible conductive surface clamped about its periphery to a rigid substrate and forms a variable capacitor with a relatively rigid conductor across an underlying evacuated chamber. A mask element having an aperture that covers an area confined within the boundary defined by the underlying evacuated space is located adjacent the flexible conductive surface to limit the exposed surface area to receive sputtered material coating. Electronic circuitry monitors changes in the capacitance of the sensor and reflects the stress types and values attributed to each coating.

Device for measuring stresses in vacuum deposition coatings

In a tubular bodied cathode of a sputtering magnetron, at least one permanent magnet is mounted so as to produce magnetic field flux lines that lie in planes oriented transverse to the axis of the cathode body, along a predetermined length thereof. Through appropriate biasing, in a partial pressure ionizable gas atmosphere, a plasma is generated that resembles a closed loop tunnel extending along said predetermined length on the outer surface of the cylindrical cathode, as defined by the magnetic field. Relative rotation between the cathode and the magnetic field provides for even erosion of sputtering material from the surface of the cathode.

Cylindrical post magnetron sputtering system

Energetic particles modify favorably deposits from sources as evaporant to yield films that have a reduction in tension or even are in compression and with metals as chromium, an increase in reflectance. Only relatively few energetic particles are required to bring about desired change.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

David W Hoffman