A method of furnace-less brazing of a substrate is provided. The method includes providing a substrate having a braze region thereon; disposing braze precursor material containing a nickel powder, an aluminum powder, and a platinum group metal powder on the braze region; and initiating an exothermic reaction of the braze precursor material such that the exothermic reaction produces a braze material that reaches a braze temperature above the solidus temperature of the braze material. A braze precursor material is also provided.

A method of furnace-less brazing of a substrate is provided. The method includes providing a substrate having a braze region thereon; disposing braze precursor material containing a nickel powder, an aluminum powder, and a platinum group metal powder on the braze region; and initiating an exothermic reaction of the braze precursor material such that the exothermic reaction produces a braze material that reaches a braze temperature above the solidus temperature of the braze material. A braze precursor material is also provided.

A method for fabricating a single electron transistor is provided. A substrate includes a substantially planar surface with a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode thereon, with the source and drain electrodes spaced apart from one another by a gap. The source electrode and the drain electrode are electrified, and a single nanometer-scale conductive particle is electrospray deposited in the gap. The single nanometer-scale conductive particle has an effective size of not greater than 10 nanometers. At least one carbon nanotube is deposited on the substrate and subjected to dielectrophoresis to position the carbon nanotube within 1 nanometer of the single nanometer-scale conductive particle. The at least one carbon nanotube establishes a first connection between the source electrode and the single nanometer-scale conductive particle and a second connection between the drain electrode and the single nanometer-scale conductive particle.

Disclosed is a method for preparing silver-copper mixed powder having a core-shell structure. The method includes: dissolving silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) in an aqueous nitric acid solution; adding a reducing agent to the solution; and preparing silver-copper mixed powder having a core-shell structure by performing plasma post-treatment, after performing the adding the reducing agent to the solution.

Disclosed is a method for preparing silver-copper mixed powder having a core-shell structure. The method includes: dissolving silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) in an aqueous nitric acid solution; adding a reducing agent to the solution; and preparing silver-copper mixed powder having a core-shell structure by performing plasma post-treatment, after performing the adding the reducing agent to the solution.

Some implementations of the disclosure are directed to liquid metal pastes that can be used as thermal interface materials. In one implementation, a liquid metal paste configured to be applied as a thermal interface material between electronic components, includes: 92.5 wt % of 99.9 wt % of a liquid gallium or liquid gallium alloy; and 0.1 wt % to 7.5 wt % of a powder of metal particles, the metal particles including Ag, Au, Cu, W, Ti, Cr, Ni, Cu or Ni. The liquid metal paste can also include an organic compound coating a surface of the metal particles, the organic compound configured to prevent the metal particles from forming an intermetallic compound with the liquid gallium or liquid gallium alloy.

A method for synthesis of PtNi smooth surface core/shell particles or Nano cages and porous nanocages from segregated nanoparticles.

A method for synthesis of PtNi smooth surface core/shell particles or Nano cages and porous nanocages from segregated nanoparticles.

A method for producing a catalyst or catalyst precursor is described including: applying a slurry of a particulate catalyst compound in a carrier fluid to an additive layer manufactured support structure to form a slurry-impregnated support, and drying and optionally calcining the slurry-impregnated support to form a catalyst or catalyst precursor. The mean particle size (D50) of the particulate catalyst compound in the slurry is in the range 1-50 μm and the support structure has a porosity ≧0.02 ml/g.

A method for producing a catalyst or catalyst precursor is described including: applying a slurry of a particulate catalyst compound in a carrier fluid to an additive layer manufactured support structure to form a slurry-impregnated support, and drying and optionally calcining the slurry-impregnated support to form a catalyst or catalyst precursor. The mean particle size (D50) of the particulate catalyst compound in the slurry is in the range 1-50 μm and the support structure has a porosity ≧0.02 ml/g.