Micromechanical timepiece part comprising a lubricated surface and method for producing such a micromechanical timepiece part

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10281879-B2
Application number	US-201615231876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A micromechanical timepiece part includes a silicon-based substrate having at least one surface, at least one part of the surface having pores which open out at the external surface of the micromechanical timepiece part and the pores include a tribological agent. A method for producing a micromechanical timepiece part starting from a silicon-based substrate, the silicon-based substrate having at least one surface, at least one part of which is lubricated by a tribological agent, the method includes the steps of forming pores on the surface of the part of the surface of the silicon-based substrate, and depositing the tribological agent in the pores.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micromechanical timepiece part comprising;
a silicon-based substrate including at least one surface;
pores on at least one part of said surface, the pores being configured to open out at an external surface of the micromechanical timepiece part and comprising a tribological agent; and
pillars between the pores, the pillars being silicon-based fibres, wherein at least one polymer brush including fibres covers walls of the silicon-based fibres, a length of the fibres of the polymer brush being shorter than a length of the silicon-based fibres, the polymer brush and the silicon-based fibres being impregnated with the tribological agent.

2. The micromechanical timepiece part according to claim 1 , wherein the pores have an aspect factor (depth:diameter ratio) between 5 and 100.

3. The micromechanical timepiece part according to claim 1 , wherein the pores have a depth greater than 100 μm.

4. The micromechanical timepiece part according to claim 3 , wherein the pores have a depth greater than 200 μm.

5. The micromechanical timepiece part according to claim 4 , wherein the pores have a depth greater than 300 μm.

6. The micromechanical timepiece part according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon-based fibres have an aspect factor (depth:diameter ratio) between 5 and 100.

7. The micromechanical timepiece part according to claim 1 , wherein the tribological agent is a perfluorocarbonated polymer.

8. The micromechanical timepiece part according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon-based substrate is a silicon wafer or an SOI wafer (Silicon-on-Insulator).

9. A method for producing a micromechanical timepiece part including a silicon-based substrate, said method comprising:
forming pores between pillars on a surface of the silicon-based substrate, the pillars being silicon-based fibres;
depositing at least one polymer brush including fibres on walls of the silicon-based fibres, a length of the fibres of the polymer brush being shorter than a length of the silicon-based fibres; and
depositing a tribological agent in said pores.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said forming is achieved by a method chosen from a group including a method by electrochemical etching, a method of stain-etching, and a method of MAC-etching.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said forming is achieved by the method of MAC-etching.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said depositing is achieved by a method of thin-film deposition.

Assignees

• Nivarox Sa

Inventors

• Dubois Philippe

Classifications

• G04B31/08 Primary

  Lubrication {(self-lubricated plastic bearings G04B31/016; lubrication of the escape wheel G04B15/14; lubrication of synchronous clockworks G04C15/009; lubrication devices and lubricant containers G04D5/00)} · CPC title

• B81B2201/035

  Microgears · CPC title

• G04B15/14

  Component parts or constructional details, e.g. construction of the lever or the escape wheel {(assembly and manufacture of the spring G04B1/145; assembly and manufacture of components, e.g. pinions, spindles G04B13/02; lubrication of clockwork bearings G04B31/008; oils for clockwork bearings in general G04B31/08)} · CPC title

• B81C1/00674

  Treatments for improving wear resistance · CPC title

• B32B17/10798

  containing silicone · CPC title