Patent ID: 8642887

Claim:
A feedthrough assembly, which comprises: a) an insulator of electrically non-conductive material comprising an outer insulator sidewall extending from a first insulator end to a second insulator end, the insulator having at least one terminal pin bore extending through the insulator to the first and second insulator ends; b) a metallization comprising a first metal layer contacting at least one of the outer insulator sidewall and the terminal pin bore with a second metal oxide layer adhered to at least a portion of the first metal layer, wherein the first metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, aluminum, vanadium, and alloys thereof, and the second metal oxide layer is an oxide of the first metal, and wherein the metallization comprising the first metal layer and the second metal oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 0.01 micrometers (μm) to about 25 micrometers (μm); c) a terminal pin received in the terminal pin bore, the terminal pin having a sidewall extending to opposed first and second terminal pin ends disposed spaced from the respective first and second insulator ends; d) a ferrule of an electrically conductive material comprising a ferrule opening defined by a surrounding inner ferrule sidewall, wherein the insulator is supported in the ferrule opening; e) a first braze material extending from the second metal oxide layer of the metallization contacting the terminal pin bore in the insulator or, from the first metal layer contacting the terminal pin bore, as the case may be, to the terminal pin sidewall to thereby hermetically seal the terminal pin to the insulator; and f) a second braze material extending from the second metal oxide layer of the metallization contacting the outer insulator sidewall or, from the first metal layer contacting the outer insulator sidewall, as the case may be, to the inner ferrule sidewall to thereby hermetically seal the insulator to the ferrule, g) wherein at least one of the first and second braze materials contact the second metal oxide layer.