Method for hermetic electrical connections
View Patent ↗A method of providing a hermetic, electrical connection between two electrical components by mating at least one metal pin in a glass-ceramic to metal seal connector to two electrical components, wherein the glass-ceramic to metal seal connector incorporates at least one metal pin encased (sealed) in a glass-ceramic material inside of a metal housing, with the glass-ceramic material made from 65-80% SiO 2 , 8-16% Li 2 O, 2-8% Al 2 O 3 , 1-5% P 2 O 5 , 1-8% K 2 O, 0.5-7% B 2 O 3 , and 0-5% ZnO. The connector retains hermeticity at temperatures as high as 700° C. and pressures as high as 500 psi.
1. A method of providing a hermetic, electrical connection between two electrical components at a temperature greater than 200° C. comprising mating at least one metal pin in a glass-ceramic to metal seal connector to two electrical components and maintaining a hermetic, electrical connection between said two electrical components at a temperature greater than 200° C., wherein said glass-ceramic to metal seal connector comprises the at least one metal pin encased in a glass-ceramic material inside of a metal housing, said glass-ceramic material comprised of 65-80% SiO 2 , 8-16% Li 2 O, 2-8% Al 2 O 3 , 1-5% P 2 O 5 , 1-8% K 2 O, 0.5-7% B 2 O 3 , and 0-5% ZnO, and wherein the at least one metal pin comprises a palladium-based alloy.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said hermetic, electrical connection is maintained for a time period greater than 15 minutes at the temperature greater than 200° C.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said hermetic, electrical connection is maintained at a temperature greater than 200° C. and at a pressure greater than 300 psi.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said hermetic, electrical connection is maintained at a temperature greater than the glass transition temperature of the glass-ceramic material and less than approximately 700° C.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the palladium-based alloy comprises a composition of approximately 34% Pd, approximately 30% Ag, approximately 10% Pt, approximately 10% Au, approximately 15% Cu and less than or equal to 1% Zn.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the palladium-based alloy comprises a composition of approximately 43-45% Pd, approximately 37-39% Ag, approximately 0.8-1.2% Pt, approximately 15-17% Cu and less than or equal to 1.2% Ni.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal housing comprises a stainless steel material.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal housing comprises 304L stainless steel.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein said at least one metal pin has a hardness greater than approximately 300 Knoop.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the at least one metal pin is approximately the same or less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass-ceramic material.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal housing is approximately the same or greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass-ceramic material.