Kevin J Walter, 76130 River Walk Farm Pkwy, Covington, GA 30014

6572933, Jun 3, 2003

Sep 24, 1998

09/160227

Michael A. Nastasi - Espanola NM
Kevin C. Walter - Los Alamos NM
Donald J. Rej - Los Alamos CA

The Regents of the University of California - Los Alamos NM

H05H 124

427523, 427530, 427531, 427576, 427577, 20419216, 2041923

Process for forming adherent coatings using plasma processing. Plasma Immersion Ion Processing (PIIP) is a process where energetic (hundreds of eV to many tens of keV) metallic and metalloid ions derived from high-vapor-pressure organometallic compounds in a plasma environment are employed to deposit coatings on suitable substrates, which coatings are subsequently relieved of stress using inert ion bombardment, also in a plasma environment, producing thereby strongly adherent coatings having chosen composition, thickness and density. Four processes are utilized: sputter-cleaning, ion implantation, material deposition, and coating stress relief. Targets are placed directly in a plasma and pulse biased to generate a non-line-of-sight deposition without the need for complex fixturing. If the bias is a relatively high negative potential (20 kV-100 kV) ion implantation will result. At lower voltages (50 V-10 kV), deposition occurs, and the extent of the surface modification can routinely be extended between 1 m and 10 m.

6572935, Jun 3, 2003

Oct 27, 1999

09/428269

Xiao-Ming He - Los Alamos NM
Michael A. Nastasi - Santa Fe NM
Kevin C. Walter - Boerne TX
Michel G. Tuszewski - Los Alamos NM

The Regents of the University of California - Los Alamos NM

C23C 1627

427577, 4272497, 427534, 427902, 427904

A plasma-based method for the deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings is described. The process uses a radio-frequency inductively coupled discharge to generate a plasma at relatively low gas pressures. The deposition process is environmentally friendly and scaleable to large areas, and components that have geometrically complicated surfaces can be processed. The method has been used to deposit adherent 100-400 nm thick DLC coatings on metals, glass, and polymers. These coatings are between three and four times harder than steel and are therefore scratch resistant, and transparent to visible light. Boron and silicon doping of the DLC coatings have produced coatings having improved optical properties and lower coating stress levels, but with slightly lower hardness.

6319367, Nov 20, 2001

Jun 30, 2000

9/582837

Don Mayo Coates - Santa Fe NM
Kevin Carl Walter - Los Alamos NM

E.I. duPont de Nemours and Co. - Wilmington DE
The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

B01J 1908

204164

Plasma treatment for producing carbonaceous field emission electron emitters is disclosed. A plasma of ions is generated in a closed chamber and used to surround the exposed surface of a carbonaceous material. A voltage is applied to an electrode that is in contact with the carbonaceous material. This voltage has a negative potential relative to a second electrode in the chamber and serves to accelerate the ions toward the carbonaceous material and provide an ion energy sufficient to etch the exposed surface of the carbonaceous material but not sufficient to result in the implantation of the ions within the carbonaceous material. Preferably, the ions used are those of an inert gas or an inert gas with a small amount of added nitrogen.