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SUMMARY
High-Tech Materials Alert reports developments in advanced materials,including new processes to create and manufacture them. Each issue keeps youinformed of important new developments as they emerge from the laboratorytowards commercialization, including advances in electronics and photonicmaterials, biomaterials, composites, ceramics, high-performance metals andalloys, novel polymers, diamond-like materials, and intermetallics. Our analystsgo directly to the primary researchers themselves to find out what is indevelopment and what is likely to have a significant commercial impact. Each month, a special Market Forecast section thoroughly analyzes anindividual advanced material or materials process. In addition to an expertforecast of growth rates, market demand, and market size, this section examineskey factors such as supply and demand, obstacles to commercialization, existingand pending applications, and principle alternatives. High-Tech Materials Alertalso includes a monthly Patent Review highlighting those patents with highcommercial significance. With research occurring across a wide range ofindustries, High-Tech Materials Alert is the most efficient way to stay abreastof significant advances in materials and materials processes regardless of wherethey may originate. Sample Briefing CHEAPER CERAMIC MICRORODS FOR PIEZOCOMPOSITES BY HIP
It is now possible to make lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic microrods forI-III piezoceramic devices by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) with silicon molds.This novel technology, referred to as lost Si mold process, is a marriage ofsilicon micromachining and ceramic sintering techniques. The result ispiezoceramic microrods with high aspect ratios that are useful for makinghigh-resolution micro-ultrasonic transducers.
The process starts by making a Si mold. This is done by making deep holes indesigned shapes and sizes on a Si substrate using reactive ion etching. Then aPZT slurry is cast into the mold, and the PZT is subsequently sintered by HIP.Finally, the microrod array is released by selectively etching away the moldwith XeF2 gas. This is in contrast to conventional lost plastic mold techniquesthat use X-ray synchrotron radiation, which requires large and expensiveequipment. In addition, microrods made traditionally have unavoidable structuredeformation when feature sizes are smaller than 20 micrometers because the moldmust be removed prior to sintering.
The advanced lost Si mold process is the result of a team effort from threemajor materials processing groups at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. Thegroups are the Venture Business Laboratory, which headed the project, theMaterials Processing department, which contributed Silicon micromachiningexpertise, and the Materials Processing and New Industry Creation HatcheryCenter, which offered its HIP expertise and experience. Together, they figuredout how to drive PZT slurry into holes 10 micrometers in diameter and over 100micrometers deep. This resulted in high-density microrods as fine as 7micrometers square in diameter and 90 micrometers in height, with an aspectratio higher than 15.
* The technology can be altered to make complex fine structures other thanmicrorods, and at relatively low costs. PZT microrods can be used to constructhigh-resolution micro-ultrasonic transducers for ultrasonic imaging. Otherapplications include ultrasonic microscopes, piezoelectric actuators, and inkjets.
* The technology was funded in part by Japan's Society for the Promotion ofScience and the Ministry of Science. It is patented by Olympus Optical Co.Ltd., and is currently under commercial exploration.
* Shinan Wang, one of the principle developers, has left Tohoku University towork at Toyota labs and can be reached there. His colleagues at TohokuUniversity are continuing PZT-related work.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sample Weekly Table of Contents * 5-AXIS LASER POWDER DEPOSITION FOR SOLID 3D METAL PARTS * COMPUTER-CONTROLLED SLURRY DEPOSITION OF CERAMICS * PRECISION HIGH-SPEED MACHINING WITH VIBRATION CONTROL * PREDICT WARPAGE PERFORMANCE OF GAIM PARTS * CHEAPER CERAMIC MICRORODS FOR PIEZOCOMPOSITES BY HIP * ELECTRONIC NOSES READY FOR MANY ROLES * SOME IMPORTANT PATENTS FOR YOU TO CHECK
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