1. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising:
forming a contact tip having a desired configuration; and
forming compliant probe structure electrochemically, wherein the compliant probe structure is formed on the contact tip.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part from the mushrooming of an electrodeposited sacrificial material over a dielectric material.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part from a pattern etched in silicon.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via molding contact tip material in voids formed in patterned photoresist.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via etching of a patterned tip material.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via isotropic etching of a tip material around etching shields.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via hot pressing.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a different material than the compliant probe structure.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises the same material as the probe structure.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a coating material.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a coating material and the probe structure comprises a coating material.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the coating material on the tip is different from the coating material on the probe structure.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the coating material on the tip is the same as the coating material on the probe structure.
14. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising:
forming a contact tip having a desired configuration; and
forming compliant probe structure from a plurality of adhered layers of deposited conductive material, wherein the compliant probe structure is formed on the contact tip.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. In a marine jet drive powered by an engine having an exhaust line, the jet drive having an impeller and an impeller housing, a diffusor having a diffusor housing and stator vanes, a nozzle having a rearward end, and a water intake duct in front of the impeller housing, the improvement wherein:
an inner housing (a) is disposed inside the diffusor housing, (b) forms an inner exhaust chamber, (c) has an exhaust discharge tube portion extending rearwardly into the nozzle and terminating in a rearward opening, and (d) is attached to the diffusor housing by the stator vanes;
the exhaust line extends to the diffusor housing;
at least one of the stator vanes is hollow and open at its opposite ends for exhaust flow from the exhaust line to the inner exhaust chamber,
whereby exhaust exits through the exhaust discharge tube portion into the jet water flow.
2. The marine jet drive of claim 1 further comprising a plenum on the outside of the diffusor housing and a plurality of the hollow stator vanes.
3. The marine jet drive of claim 2 further comprising a valve on the plenum, the valve configured to vent the plenum when pressure in the plenum is greater than ambient pressure and to close when pressure in the plenum is not greater than ambient pressure, thereby allowing continued outflow of exhaust during other than forward jet drive operation.
4. The marine jet drive of claim 2 wherein the exhaust discharge tube portion is removably attached to the remainder of the inner housing.
5. In a marine jet drive powered by an engine having an exhaust line, the jet drive having an impeller and an impeller housing, a diffusor having stator vanes, a nozzle having a rearward end, and a water intake duct, the improvement comprising an exhaust discharge outlet disposed inside the nozzle, the discharge outlet being in fluid communication with the exhaust line.
6. The marine jet drive of claim 5 wherein the fluid communication is through at least one of the stator vanes.
7. A method for improving performance of an engine driving a marine jet drive having a nozzle for water outflow, comprising producing suction to facilitate exhaust flow from the engine by discharging exhaust within the water outflow at the nozzle.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein exhaust discharge is from an exhaust discharge tube surrounded by water outflow from the jet drive nozzle.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the exhaust discharge is substantially flush with the water discharge.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the exhaust discharge tube and the jet drive nozzle have substantially flush discharge ends.