Diamond brazing method for slow wave energy propagating structures
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorRobert Harper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Diamond heat sink members are now employed to conduct thermal energy from slow wave structures in traveling wave type interaction devices to permit operation at high power levels. The diamond members are bonded to adjacent desired components by a method including heating an intermediate metal alloy of an inactive conductive metal and a small amount of a carbide constituent in a vacuum and the application of pressure. A critical temperature slightly above the melting point of the alloy of between 1000.degree. C and 1100.degree. C is required to wet and bond the alloy material to the diamond and any desired surface.
Claims6
A slow wave electromagnetic energy propagating structure for traveling wave devices comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected periodically spaced elements;
- means for positioning said elements within an envelope and dissipating thermal energy including diamond heat sink members;
- said diamond members having one surface contacting said spaced elements and being thermally bonded by a metal alloy interface to a noncontacting surface and a support member;
- said metal alloy interface comprising predominately an inactive metal selected from group including copper, silver or gold and a carbide forming metal including titanium, zirconium or niobium and being heated to a temperature at or above its melting point.
A method of bonding diamond members to adjacent supporting structures comprising the steps of:
- positioning said diamond member in contacting relationship with a member of a metal alloy of predominantly an inactive metal selected from group including copper, silver or gold and a small percentage of a carbide-forming metal selected from the group including titanium, zirconium or niobium;
- positioning said contacting members in a vacuum furnace;
- and
- heating the members to approximately the melting point temperature of said metal alloy while exerting pressure thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.