Formation of AIFeCu Quasicrystalline Thin Films by Solid State Diffusion

This technology describes the fabrication and coating of quasicrystalline films (less than about 3000 A� thick) of AlCuFe on different substrate materials such as strontium titanate, and sapphire by radio-frequency sputtering and subsequent anneal. The applications of this technology are quite broad based; from electronic devices to medical devices. AlCuFe quasicrystals offer great mechanical and electrical performance, especially when deposited over soft materials. The high hardness and low friction characteristics of quasicrystalline materials, when compared to materials such as steel or aluminum, make them well suited as coatings for a variety of applications. For example they have better resistance to wear or scratch when compared to Teflon.

Benefits
This invention could be used to in a variety of applications including but not restricted to
*Electronic circuits for devices
*Coatings to reduce friction and wear in machines, cutting tools and circuits
*Protection of hard disk surfaces against hard crashes and to provide low friction surfaces
*Medical and surgical applications

Stage of Development
A patent (US 6,294,030) and a continuation in part (US 6,712,915 B2) have been issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This technology is available for developmental research support/licensing under either exclusive or non-exclusive terms.

Additional Info
*"Quasicrystal Thin Films for Biomedical Applications", O. Symko, W. Park and D. Kieda, in Proc. of the 11th Intern. Conf. On Surface Modification Technologies, ed. T.S. Sudarshan, M. Jeandin, and K. Khor (1998), p. 1051.
*http://www.physics.utah.edu/people/faculty.html

Inventor(s): Orest Symko, Thierry Klein

Type of Offer: Licensing



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