Coated articles and methods for applying coatings are described. The article may include a base material and a coating comprising silver formed thereon. In some embodiments, the coating comprises a silver-based alloy, such as a silver-tungsten alloy. The coating may, in some instances, include at least two layers. For example, the coating may include a first layer comprising a silver-based alloy and a second layer comprising a precious metal. The coating can exhibit desirable properties and characteristics such as durability (e.g., wear), hardness, corrosion resistance, and high conductivity, which may be beneficial, for example, in electrical and/or electronic applications. In some cases, the coating may be applied using an electrodeposition process.

Microfeature workpieces having alloyed conductive structures, and associated methods are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment includes applying a volume of material to a bond pad of a microfeature workpiece, with the volume of material including a first metallic constituent and the bond pad including a second constituent. The method can further include elevating a temperature of the volume of material while the volume of material is applied to the bond pad to alloy the first metallic constituent and the second metallic constituent so that the first metallic constituent is alloyed generally throughout the volume of material. A thickness of the bond pad can be reduced from an initial thickness T1 to a reduced thickness T2.

A bonding wire for a semiconductor device includes a Cu alloy core material and a Pd coating layer formed on a surface thereof. Containing an element that provides bonding reliability in a high-temperature environment improves the bonding reliability of the ball bonded part in high temperature. Furthermore, making an orientation proportion of a crystal orientation <100> angled at 15 degrees or less to a wire longitudinal direction among crystal orientations in the wire longitudinal direction 30% or more when measuring crystal orientations on a cross-section of the core material in a direction perpendicular to a wire axis of the bonding wire, and making an average crystal grain size in the cross-section of the core material in the direction perpendicular to the wire axis of the bonding wire 0.9 to 1.5 m provides a strength ratio of 1.6 or less.

A bonding wire includes a Cu alloy core material, and a Pd coating layer formed on the Cu alloy core material. The bonding wire contains at least one element selected from Ni, Zn, Rh, In, Ir, and Pt. A concentration of the elements in total relative to the entire wire is 0.03% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less. When measuring crystal orientations on a cross-section of the core material in a direction perpendicular to a wire axis of the bonding wire, a crystal orientation <100> angled at 15 degrees or less to a wire axis direction has a proportion of 50% or more among crystal orientations in the wire axis direction. An average crystal grain size in the cross-section of the core material in the direction perpendicular to the wire axis of the bonding wire is 0.9 m or more and 1.3 m or less.

Coated articles and methods for applying coatings are described. The article may include a base material and a coating comprising silver formed thereon. In some embodiments, the coating comprises a silver-based alloy, such as a silver-tungsten alloy. The coating may, in some instances, include at least two layers. For example, the coating may include a first layer comprising a silver-based alloy and a second layer comprising a precious metal. The coating can exhibit desirable properties and characteristics such as durability (e.g., wear), hardness, corrosion resistance, and high conductivity, which may be beneficial, for example, in electrical and/or electronic applications. In some cases, the coating may be applied using an electrodeposition process.

A composite is obtained by press-molding a mixed powder comprising 20-50 vol % of a metal powder and 50-80 vol % of a diamond powder for which a first peak in a volumetric distribution of particle size lies at 5-25 m, and a second peak lies at 55-195 m, and a ratio between the area of a volumetric distribution of particle sizes of 1-35 m and the area of a volumetric distribution of particle sizes of 45-205 m is from 1:9 to 4:6, thereby obtaining a composite having a high thermal conductivity and a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of semiconductor devices, which is easy to mold into a prescribed shape.

The present invention relates generally to jewelry articles comprising a substrate and a metallic, external coating.

In particular embodiments, the present disclosure provides targets including a metal layer and defining a hollow inner surface. The hollow inner surface has an internal apex. The distance between at least two opposing points of the internal apex is less than about 15 m. In particular examples, the distance is less than about 1 m. Particular implementations of the targets are free standing. The targets have a number of disclosed shaped, including cones, pyramids, hemispheres, and capped structures. The present disclosure also provides arrays of such targets. Also provided are methods of forming targets, such as the disclosed targets, using lithographic techniques, such as photolithographic techniques. In particular examples, a target mold is formed from a silicon wafer and then one or more sides of the mold are coated with a target material, such as one or more metals.

A process of preparing a plurality of nanostructures, each being composed of at least one target material is disclosed. The process comprises sequentially electrodepositing a first material and the at least one target material into pores of a porous membrane having a nanometric pore diameter, to thereby obtain within the pores nanometric rods, each of the nanometric rods having a plurality of segments where any two adjacent segments are made of different materials. The process further comprises and etching the membrane and the first material, thereby obtaining the nanostructures.

Metal nanowires with uniform noble metal coatings are described. Two methods, galvanic exchange and direct deposition, are disclosed for the successful formation of the uniform noble metal coatings. Both the galvanic exchange reaction and the direct deposition method benefit from the inclusion of appropriately strong binding ligands to control or mediate the coating process to provide for the formation of a uniform coating. The noble metal coated nanowires are effective for the production of stable transparent conductive films, which may comprise a fused metal nanostructured network.