Micromechanical Component with Localized Diamond Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing micromechanical components with uniform diamond or DLC coatings cannot be optimally adapted to specific mechanical load cases, leading to suboptimal performance due to non-uniform force distribution, and are often costly and heavy, limiting their application in complex geometries and watch components.
Innovation Solution
A micromechanical component with a diamond and/or DLC coating that varies in thickness on side surfaces, creating locally reinforced areas, using nanocrystalline diamond layers with specific grain sizes and textures to enhance mechanical stability, adhesion, and friction properties, while allowing for complex geometries and reduced material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a uniform diamond or DLC coating is applied to the entire surface of micromechanical components, then the components gain improved hardness and friction properties, but they cannot be optimally adapted to specific mechanical load cases and become costly and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different coating thicknesses to different regions of the component surface. The coating is thickest at the top and bottom surfaces where maximum protection is needed, and thinnest at the side surfaces where less protection is required. This local variation in coating quality allows optimal adaptation to the specific load case, providing enhanced hardness and friction properties only where mechanically necessary, while reducing overall weight and cost.
2Reliability
If a uniform diamond or DLC coating is applied to the entire surface, then comprehensive protection is achieved, but the components become heavy and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The coating thickness is locally optimized based on the functional requirements of each surface region. The top and bottom surfaces receive a thicker coating (first layer thickness) for maximum protection against wear and friction, while the side surfaces receive a thinner coating (second layer thickness). This selective approach maintains comprehensive protection where needed while significantly reducing the total amount of coating material, thereby reducing component weight and cost.
3Area of stationary object
If a uniform diamond or DLC coating is applied to the entire surface, then complete surface coverage is achieved, but complex geometries and reduced material usage are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-layer coating structure with different thicknesses applied to different surface regions. The first coating layer is applied to the top and bottom surfaces with a greater thickness, while the second coating layer is applied to the side surfaces with a lesser thickness. This approach achieves complete surface coverage while accommodating complex geometries, as the coating process can be precisely controlled to deposit varying thicknesses on different faces of the component.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides improved mechanical stability, reduced susceptibility to breakage, better adhesion, and enhanced friction properties, enabling optimal adaptation to specific load cases, reduced material consumption, and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining low mass and allowing for complex geometries.
Implementation Method 1
The micromechanical component consists of a carrier material with an upper side and an underside and at least two side surfaces and a coating surrounding the carrier material, the coating being formed from diamond and/or diamond-like carbon
Implementation Method 2
the coating of diamond and/or DLC is designed in such a way that it has a smaller layer thickness on at least one side surface
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
The micromechanical component (2) has upper and lower faces (2.5,2.6) and side faces (2.3,2.4), whose entire area is provided with coating (6) of micro-or nano-crystalline diamond and/or diamond-like carbon (DLC). The thickness of coating over a portion of side face is smaller than thickness of top face and bottom face, so as to define a reinforced area in reference to side face. The thickness of coating is set to 0.5-50 mu m. The side face coating thickness that is normalized on one or both of the upper face and bottom faces is varied by 100%. An independent claim is included for method for manufacturing micromechanical component, which involves providing a carrier material consisting of substrate plate made of silicon. The substrate is patterned to form a gap. The nucleation of carrier material is performed with carbonaceous starting materials for the formation of diamond nuclei and diamond is produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD).