Patent ID: 7947134

Claim:
A method of forming an at least partially amorphous metallic joint between at least two surfaces comprising: providing a joining material at an initial temperature, said joining material having the ability to form an amorphous phase when cooled at a rate of 500° C/s or lower; disposing said joining material on at least one of the surfaces to be joined; adjusting the temperature of said joining material to a temperature sufficient such that the joining material is able to flow across the at least one surface to be joined; pressing the at least two surfaces together such that both of the at least two surfaces contact the joining material and such that the joining material is spread across the entire interface between the at least two surfaces; and quenching the joining material to form a metallic joint between the at least two surfaces, wherein the joining material is quenched at a rate sufficient in relation to the crystallization curve of the joining material such that the material passes through a crystallization region of the joining material to ensure the formation of a composite joint formed of a partial amorphous phase and a partial dendritic phase in the solidified joining material.