A method of forming an article including: contacting a fugitive tool with a powdered parent material; densifying the powdered material; and destructively removing the fugitive tool. A coating of a different material may be formed against the parent material using a similar approach.

A method for directly writing metal traces on a wide range of substrate materials is disclosed. The method includes writing a pattern of particle-free metal-salt-based ink on the substrate followed by a plasma-based treatment to remove the non-metallic components of the ink and decompose its metal salt into pure metal. The ink is based on a multi-part solvent whose components differ in at least one of evaporation rate, surface tension, and viscosity, which improves the manner in which the ink is converted into its metal constituent via the plasma treatment. In some embodiments, a microplasma is used for post-treatment of the deposited ink, where the plasma properties are controlled to provide different material properties, such as porosity and effective resistivity, in different regions of the metal pattern.

A method for directly writing metal traces on a wide range of substrate materials is disclosed. The method includes writing a pattern of particle-free metal-salt-based ink on the substrate followed by a plasma-based treatment to remove the non-metallic components of the ink and decompose its metal salt into pure metal. The ink is based on a multi-part solvent whose components differ in at least one of evaporation rate, surface tension, and viscosity, which improves the manner in which the ink is converted into its metal constituent via the plasma treatment. In some embodiments, a microplasma is used for post-treatment of the deposited ink, where the plasma properties are controlled to provide different material properties, such as porosity and effective resistivity, in different regions of the metal pattern.

This member connection method includes a printing step. In the printing step, a coating film-formed region in which the coating film is formed, and a coating film non-formed region in which the coating film is not formed are formed in the print pattern, and the coating film-formed region is divided into a plurality of concentric regions and a plurality of radial regions by means of a plurality of line-shaped regions provided so as to connect various points, which are separated apart from one another in the marginal part of the connection region.

This member connection method includes a printing step. In the printing step, a coating film-formed region in which the coating film is formed, and a coating film non-formed region in which the coating film is not formed are formed in the print pattern, and the coating film-formed region is divided into a plurality of concentric regions and a plurality of radial regions by means of a plurality of line-shaped regions provided so as to connect various points, which are separated apart from one another in the marginal part of the connection region.

This invention provides, by simple mechanical treatment, a metal powder that generates no smoke phenomenon when laminating and shaping a metal object even when decreasing a preheating temperature. In the metal powder, a solidification structure including a dendritic structure on the surface of the metal powder has been flattened. The solidification structure including the dendritic structure has been flattened by mechanical treatment including collision treatment of the metal powder. The mechanical treatment is performed by heating the metal powder to 100° C. to 300° C. The metal powder is a metal powder that is heated to a predetermined temperature and whose capacitance component of a measured impedance becomes zero. This metal powder is a powder of a metal alloy produced by an atomization process or a plasma rotation electrode process. The metal alloy includes a nickel-based alloy, a cobalt-chrome alloy, an iron-based alloy, an aluminum alloy, and a titanium alloy.

A sputtering target according to the present invention contains Co and one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Cr and Ru, as metal components, wherein a molar ratio of the content of the one or more metals to the content of Co is ½ or more, and wherein the sputtering target contains Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 as a metal oxide component.

A system may include a current source; a first metal or alloy component with a first major surface electrically coupled to the current source; a second metal or alloy component with a second major surface electrically coupled in series to the first component and the current source via an external electrical conductor, where the first and second major surfaces are positioned adjacent to each other to define a joint region; a metal or alloy powder disposed in at least a portion of the joint region; and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the current source to output an alternating current that conducts through the first component and the second component to induce magnetic eddy currents, magnetic hysteresis, or both within at least a portion of the metal or alloy powder disposed in at least the first portion of the joint region.

A system may include a current source; a first metal or alloy component with a first major surface electrically coupled to the current source; a second metal or alloy component with a second major surface electrically coupled in series to the first component and the current source via an external electrical conductor, where the first and second major surfaces are positioned adjacent to each other to define a joint region; a metal or alloy powder disposed in at least a portion of the joint region; and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the current source to output an alternating current that conducts through the first component and the second component to induce magnetic eddy currents, magnetic hysteresis, or both within at least a portion of the metal or alloy powder disposed in at least the first portion of the joint region.

An oxygen solid solution titanium sintered compact includes a matrix made of a titanium component having an α-phase, oxygen atoms dissolved as a solute of solid solution in a crystal lattice of the titanium component, and metal atoms dissolved as a solute of solid solution in the crystal lattice of the titanium component.