California Institute of Technology

Amorphous Technologies International

Eric Bakke

William L Johnson

Atakan Peker

The surface features of an article are replicated by preparing a master model having a preselected surface feature thereon which is to be replicated, and replicating the preselected surface feature of the master model. The replication is accomplished by providing a piece of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy, contacting the piece of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy to the surface of the master model at an elevated replication temperature to transfer a negative copy of the preselected surface feature of the master model to the piece, and separating the piece having the negative copy of the preselected surface feature from the master model.

Replication of surface features from a master model to an amorphous

A metallic article is fabricated by providing a die and a piece of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy having a glass transition temperature. The bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy is heated to a forming temperature of from about 0.75 T.sub.g to about 1.2 T.sub.g and forced into the die cavity at the forming temperature under an external pressure of from about 260 to about 40,000 pounds per square inch, thereby deforming the piece of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy to a formed shape that fills the die cavity. Preferably, a pressure is applied to the piece of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy as it is heated, and the heating rate is at least about 0.1.degree. C. per second. The die may be a male die or a female die. When the die has a re-entrant comer therein, the formed shape of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy is mechanically locked to the die.

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Murrieta, CA, United States of America

Eric Bakke