Patent ID: 8608049

Claim:
A method for bonding a porous tantalum structure to a substrate, comprising: providing a substrate comprising cobalt or a cobalt-chromium alloy; providing a preformed solid sheet consisting essentially of a metal or a metal alloy, said metal or metal alloy including at least one of hafnium, manganese, niobium, palladium, zirconium, titanium, or alloys or combinations thereof, said preformed solid sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface; providing a porous tantalum structure; applying heat and pressure to the substrate and the preformed solid sheet for a time sufficient to achieve solid-state diffusion between the substrate and the bottom surface of the preformed solid sheet; and applying heat and pressure to the preformed solid sheet and the porous tantalum structure for a time sufficient to achieve solid-state diffusion between the top surface of the preformed solid sheet and the porous tantalum structure, wherein the preformed solid sheet of metal defines an interlayer between the substrate and the porous tantalum structure, wherein said applying heat and pressure to the substrate and the preformed solid sheet and said applying heat and pressure to the preformed solid sheet and the porous tantalum structure occur concurrently.