Thomas Charles Booker

US Patent:

7261914, Aug 28, 2007

Filed:

Mar 26, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/811485

Inventors:

Ronghua Wei - San Antonio TX, US
Thomas L. Booker - San Antonio TX, US
Christopher Rincon - San Antonio TX, US
James H. Arps - San Antonio TX, US

Assignee:

Southwest Research Institute - San Antonio TX

International Classification:

B05D 3/06

US Classification:

427 21, 427 224, 427 225, 427 228, 427530, 427566, 427569

Abstract:

This invention is a method of forming a nitride layer on at least one metal or metal alloy biomedical device, comprising: providing a vacuum chamber with at least one biomedical device positioned thereon on a worktable within the vacuum chamber; reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber; introducing nitrogen into the vacuum chamber so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber is about 0. 01 to about 10 milli-Torr; generating electrons within the vacuum chamber to form positively charged nitrogen ions; providing a negative bias to the worktable so that the positively charged nitrogen ions contact the biomedical devices under conditions such that a nitride layer forms on the at least one prosthetic device.

US Patent:

20050061251, Mar 24, 2005

Filed:

Sep 2, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/932925

Inventors:

Ronghua Wei - San Antonio TX, US
Thomas Booker - San Antonio TX, US
Christopher Rincon - San Antonio TX, US
James Arps - San Antonio TX, US

International Classification:

C23C016/00
C23C014/00

US Classification:

118726000, 427523000, 427569000

Abstract:

This invention is a method for metal plasma ion implantation and metal plasma ion deposition, comprising: providing a vacuum chamber with at least one workpiece having a surface positioned on a worktable within the vacuum chamber; reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber; generating a plasma of metal ions within the vacuum chamber, applying a negative bias to the worktable to thereby accelerate metal ions from the plasma toward at least one workpiece to thereby either implant metal ions into or deposit metal ions onto the workpiece or both. This invention includes an apparatus for metal ion implantation and metal ion plasma deposition, comprising: a vacuum chamber, a metal plasma generator within the vacuum chamber, and at least one worktable within the vacuum chamber.