Fine and micro feature cold spray deposition of semiconductors, magnetic and other brittle functional materials

Abstract

An apparatus and methods to make a product using supersonic cold-spray deposition of brittle functional materials in fine and micro features down to 10 μm in minimum dimension. The process may use semiconductors such as bismuth and antimony telluride formulations, and hard magnetic materials such as neodymium iron boride and strontium ferrite, and soft magnetic materials such as manganese zinc ferrite, and manganese ferrite materials. In addition, the methods and processes have been demonstrated for materials as soft as graphite and as hard as boron carbide. Micro components have been deposited in square, tapered and elongated shaped features with feature sizes as small as 10 μm in minimum dimensions and applied to flat and highly complex shaped surfaces. This process when combined with other cold spray manufacturing processes allows the total additive manufacturing of complete electronic, magnetic and other complex devices including multiple type of brittle functional materials.