High-alloy metals reinforced by diamond-like framework and method for making the same

Abstract

A new class of high-alloy metals is invented. The metals possess an amorphous, nano crystalline, or combined amorphous-nano-crystalline structure and are reinforced, stabilized and hardened with a framework formed by predominantly sp3-bonded carbon, also known-as diamond like carbon. Optionally, other alloying nonmetallic elements selected from the group of Si, B, O, N may additionally stabilize the structure. The disclosed high-alloy metals comprise a metallic matrix which may include iron, nickel, chromium, refractory, and various other metals. These materials are very stable, and do not suffer a structural degradation up to relatively high temperatures. The disclosed high-alloy metals have the properties of high hardness, corrosion and wear resistance, and low friction. They have a wide range of applications as protective coatings on a wide variety of materials in various industries. They may be further applied as magnetic and electronic devices, such as field emission cathodes. Some of these alloys possess high emissivity, and their electrical conductivity may be varied in a relatively wide range.

1 . A class of high-alloy metals comprising: 
 a metallic matrix; and    a reinforcing framework that penetrates through the metallic matrix to reinforce the metallic matrix, the reinforcing framework comprising a diamond-like sp 3  bonded carbon component interspersed within the metallic matrix.    
     
     
         2 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the framework further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of silicon, boron, oxygen, and nitrogen.  
     
     
         3 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the framework further comprises silicon stabilized by oxygen.  
     
     
         4 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metallic matrix is in an amorphous state comprising less than about 1.0% by weight metallic crystals of any size.  
     
     
         5 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metallic matrix is in a crystalline state comprising greater than about 10% by weight metallic crystals of about 100 nanometers or less in size.  
     
     
         6 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metallic matrix is in a crystalline state comprising greater than about 10% by weight metallic crystals of about 30 nanometers to about 100 nanometers in size.  
     
     
         7 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metallic matrix is in a mixed amorphous and crystalline state comprising metallic crystals in an amount of about 1.0% to about 10% by weight.  
     
     
         8 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the high-alloy metal comprises about 10% to about 50% carbon by volume.  
     
     
         9 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the high-alloy metal comprises about 25% to about 33% carbon by volume.  
     
     
         10 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the high-alloy metal comprises about 50 volume % to about 90 volume % metal.  
     
     
         11 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the framework further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of silicon, boron, oxygen, and nitrogen, and wherein the component comprises less than about 25 volume % of the high-alloy metal.  
     
     
         12 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the framework further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of silicon, boron, oxygen, and nitrogen, and wherein the component comprises between about 5 atomic % and about 50 atomic % of carbon content.  
     
     
         13 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the framework further comprises silicon stabilized by oxygen and wherein an atomic ratio of silicon to oxygen is below 1 to 2.  
     
     
         14 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metal matrix comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Re, Fe, Co, Ni, Pd, Ir, Pt, Rh, Ru, Os, Ag, and Cu.  
     
     
         15 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metal matrix comprises Cr.  
     
     
         16 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metal matrix comprises an alloy of Cr, Ni, and Fe.  
     
     
         17 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metal matrix comprises an alloy of Co, Fe, and Ni.  
     
     
         18 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metal matrix comprises an alloy of Mo, W, and Hf.  
     
     
         19 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metal matrix comprises an alloy of Mo, W, Hf, and Cr.  
     
     
         20 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metal matrix comprises one or more metals selected from the group consisting of W, Hf, Ti, Cr, Ta, and Nb.  
     
     
         21 . The class of high-alloy metals of  claim 1  wherein the metal matrix comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Os, Re, Ni, Cu, Mo, V, and Ag.  
     
     
         22 . A method of forming high-alloy metals comprising a metallic matrix reinforced by a diamond-like framework comprising carbon atoms in an sp 3  state, comprising: 
 (a) depositing on a surface of a substrate a layer of the metal matrix, by directing toward said substrate a first deposition flux comprising at least one constituent metal atomic species selected from the group consisting of metal ions, metal atoms, and metal clusters;    (b) depositing on the metal matrix layer a carbon constituent by directing toward the matrix a second deposition flux comprising carbon;    (c) maintaining the temperature of said substrate during the depositions within less than about 400 degrees C.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein at least about 50% of the atomic species in the first deposition flux possess energies do not exceed about 20 eV, and at least about 50% of the constituent in the second deposition flux possess energies of at least about 10 eV.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein at least about 90% of the atomic species in the first deposition flux possess energies below about 10 eV, and at least about 50% of the constituent in the second deposition flux possess energies within the range of about 20 eV to about 100 eV.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the second deposition flux comprises carbon and silicon.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the second deposition flux comprises carbon, silicon, and oxygen.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22  wherein a mean free path of the first and second deposition fluxes at a time of deposition exceeds a distance between a source of the flux and the surface of the substrate.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the metallic matrix is substantially amorphous, the first deposition flux comprises individual atoms, and the second deposition flux comprises at least one of atoms and low-molecular weight clusters.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the metallic matrix comprises at least about 10% by weight metallic crystals and the first deposition flux comprises predominantly multi atom metallic clusters not exceeding a desired size of crystals in the high metal alloy produced.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22  wherein about one monolayer of atoms is deposited during each of steps (a) and (b).  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22  wherein steps (a) and (b) are alternated and repeated until the deposited layers reach a predetermined thickness.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the second deposition flux comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of silicon, boron, oxygen, and nitrogen.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the second deposition flux comprises a silicon and oxygen constituent.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein at least about 50% of the carbon, silicon, and oxygen atomic species in the second deposition flux possess energies of at least about 10 eV.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein at least about 50% of the carbon, silicon, and oxygen atomic species in the second deposition flux possess energies in the range of about 20 eV to about 100 eV.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 22  wherein at least about 50% of the atomic species in the first deposition flux possess energies not exceeding about 20 eV.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 22  wherein at least about 90% of the atomic species in the first deposition flux contain energies below about 10 eV.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 22  wherein at a time of deposition, a mean free path of the first and second deposition fluxes exceeds a distance between a source of the flux and the surface of the substrate.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the substrate temperature is maintained at less than about 150 degree C.  
     
     
         40 . High alloy metals manufactured by the method of  claim 22.