The present disclosure provides a method of forming a hermetically sealed enclosure that comprises a diamond material. The method comprises providing first and second enclosure components comprising the diamond material and having first and second recesses, respectively, at edge portions. At least one of the first and second enclosure components has a cavity. The enclosure components have respective contact surfaces at the first and second recesses and are shaped such that an outer channel is formed by the co-operation of the first and second recesses when the first and second enclosure components are contacted at the contact surfaces to form the enclosure. The method further comprises bonding a first type of material to at least surface portions of the first and second recesses of the first and second enclosure components, respectively. The method also comprises bonding a second type of material to the first type of material so that the second type of material covers at least portions of the first type of material. The second type of material is biocompatible and suitable for forming a hermetically sealed seal. In addition, the method comprises contacting the enclosure components to form the enclosure and bonding the second type of material of the first enclosure component to the second type of material of the second enclosure component so as to form a hermetically sealed seal in the outer channel.

A method and apparatus for multiple flexible circuit cable attachment is described herein. Gold bumps are bonded on interconnection pads of a substrate to create a columnar structure and solder or conductive epoxy is dispensed on the flexible cable circuit. The substrate and flexible cable circuit are aligned and pressed together using force or placement of a weight on either the substrate or flexible cable circuit. Appropriate heat is applied to reflow the solder or cure the epoxy. The solder wets to the substrate pads, assisted by the gold bumps, and have reduced bridging risk due to the columnar structure. A nonconductive underfill epoxy is applied to increase mechanical strength.

A solder alloy of the disclosure includes Sb of which a content is in a range of 3 wt % to 30 wt %, Te of which a content is in a range of 0.01 wt % to 1.5 wt %, Au of which a content is in a range of 0.005 wt % to 1 wt %, at least one of Ag and Cu, wherein a content rate of at least one of Ag and Cu in the solder alloy is in a range of 0.1 wt % to 20 wt %; and a content rate of a sum of Ag and Cu in the solder alloy is in a range of 0.1 wt % to 20 wt %; and a balance of Sn.

An implantable intravascular device for deployment inside a human or animal, the apparatus comprising a body of crystalline material and a membrane of crystalline material fixed to the body by a hermetic bond an assembly of components carried on said crystalline material and arranged for responding to electrical signals wherein the body and the membrane at least partially encapsulate the assembly.

It is an objective of the invention to provide a conductive joint article exhibiting electrical joinability comparable to that of solder joining of easy-to-solder joinable metals even when a joined member of the conductive joint article is made of a hard-to-solder joinable metal. There is provided a conductive joint article with conductive joined members electrically joined via a joining layer, at least one of the joined members being made of a hard-to-solder joinable metal. The joining layer comprises an oxide glass phase and a conductive metal phase. The oxide glass phase includes vanadium as a major constituent and at least one of phosphorus, barium and tungsten as an accessory constituent, and has a glass transition point of 390 C. or less. And, connection resistance between the joined members exhibits less than 110.sup.5 /mm.sup.2.

A method and apparatus for multiple flexible circuit cable attachment is described herein. Gold bumps are bonded on interconnection pads of a substrate to create a columnar structure and solder or conductive epoxy is dispensed on the flexible cable circuit. The substrate and flexible cable circuit are aligned and pressed together using force or placement of a weight on either the substrate or flexible cable circuit. Appropriate heat is applied to reflow the solder or cure the epoxy. The solder wets to the substrate pads, assisted by the gold bumps, and have reduced bridging risk due to the columnar structure. A nonconductive underfill epoxy is applied to increase mechanical strength.

A co-fired hermetically sealed feedthrough is attachable to an active implantable medical device. The feedthrough comprises an alumina dielectric substrate comprising at least 96 or 99% alumina. A via hole is disposed through the alumina dielectric substrate from a body fluid side to a device side. A substantially closed pore, fritless and substantially pure platinum fill is disposed within the via hole forming a platinum filled via electrically conductive between the body fluid side and the device side. A hermetic seal is between the platinum fill and the alumina dielectric substrate, wherein the hermetic seal comprises a tortuous and mutually conformal interface between the alumina dielectric substrate and the platinum fill.

A method for brazing a metal part onto a surface of a zirconia component. The method involves the steps of altering the surface state of the component to permit the attachment of a first metallization layer, cleaning the component to eliminate the impurities from its surface, depositing a first metallization layer, having mainly titanium, on the surface of the component, depositing a second metallization layer, having mainly niobium, on the first metallization layer, applying the part against the second metallization layer, depositing a gold brazing metal on the part and the second metallization layer, cooling the brazed area in a temperature-controlled manner, and stress-relieving heat treatment being performed under load on the metal part before brazing.

A method of manufacturing a feedthrough dielectric body for an active implantable medical device includes the steps of forming a ceramic body in a green state, or, stacking discrete layers of ceramic in a green state upon one another and laminating together. The ceramic body has a first side opposite a second side. At least one via hole is formed straight through the ceramic body extending between the first and second sides. At least one via hole is filled with a conductive paste. The ceramic body and the conductive paste are then dried. The ceramic body and the conductive paste are isostatically pressed at above 1000 psi to remove voids and to form a closer interface for sintering. The ceramic body and the conductive paste are sintered together to form the feedthrough dielectric body. The feedthrough dielectric body is hermetically sealed to a ferrule.

The invention relates to a method for mounting at least one decorative element (3) on a support (2) comprising the steps of: a. taking a support (2) provided with at least one cavity (4); b. taking at least one decorative element (3); c. filling said cavity with a composite filler material comprising at least one metal powder and at least one organic binder and having, at the moment of filling, a viscosity comprised between 1,000 mPa.Math.s and 1,000,000 mPa.Math.s; d. heating the composite filler material to a higher temperature than its melting point to make it liquid; e. allowing the filler material to cool to form a substrate (6); f. making at least one housing (8) in said substrate (6); g. mounting said decorative element (3) in said housing (8). The present invention also concerns a decorative support (2) provided with at least one cavity (4) filled with said filler material forming a substrate (6) in which at least one housing (8) is formed, said housing (8) being arranged to receive said decorative element (3).