Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Coating – forming or etching by sputtering
Patent
1994-06-14
1996-06-04
Breneman, R. Bruce
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Coating, forming or etching by sputtering
20429812, 156 89, 4273762, 264 60, 264 65, 264 66, 419 35, 419 37, 419 64, 419 39, 419 45, 419 48, C23C 1434, C04B 3700, B22F 100
Patent
active
055229760
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a target component for cathode sputtering. It relates further to a process for the preparation of the said component and also relates to targets, especially targets of large area, made from this component.
The coating of various materials using thin layers with special properties is undergoing considerable development at present. Particular mention may be made of the deposition of anticorrosion layers on metals, of antireflection layers on optical glasses, or of the deposition of ultrahard materials on mechanical components.
Many methods have been proposed for the production of such layers, the said methods depending, inter alia, on the nature of the compound(s) giving rise to the coating layer. Thus, when the said generating compounds are gaseous, various methods of chemical deposition in a vapour phase, unassisted or assisted by plasma, can be used. With liquid or soluble generating compounds it is possible to employ electrochemical methods if a layer of a metal is to be deposited, or else to employ methods such as those known as deposition with a spinner ("spin coating") or deposition by spraying a hot mist ("hot spray").
In the case where the source which gives rise to the coating is a solid material the method most widely employed for producing the coating is cathode sputtering.
In such a method the solid material generating the coating, which is usually referred to as "target material" or "target", and which may consist of a metal or a metal alloy or else of an inorganic chemical compound with a very high melting point, for example a ceramic or a refractory oxide, is bombarded with ions which have a sufficient energy to eject particles from the target material and the said particles are deposited on the object to be coated, forming the required coating on the latter.
For reasons of homogeneity and of rate of growth of the deposit formed by the particles ejected from the target material, the surface of the said target material to be deposited on the object must be of sufficient size. In the case of the coating of objects of large area, for example windows, it thus becomes necessary to employ targets of large area, whose area is advantageously larger than that of the object to be coated.
While the manufacture of targets of large area from metals or metal alloys does not present problems, this is no longer so when materials such as inorganic chemical compounds with a high melting point are involved. In fact, in the case of such materials the manufacture of the target involves the intermediate production of a ceramic or of a sintered product consisting of said materials. The production of a ceramic or of a sintered product of large area requires a step-by-step development of the most suitable process, such a development being in most cases protracted, difficult and consequently costly and, furthermore, it is essential that it be done by a specialist.
The invention proposes a target component for cathode sputtering, which makes it possible to produce targets of large area with ease, it being possible for the said component to be obtained by a simple, rapid and inexpensive process which can be carried out by persons who do not have any special competence in the art of ceramics or of sintering.
The target component for cathode sputtering which forms the subject of the invention is characterized in that it consists of a layer of an inorganic chemical compound with a melting point higher than 300.degree. C., deposited on a support layer consisting of a metal foam or felt so that the layer of the inorganic compound enters, over at least a part of its thickness, the support layer to form with the latter a composite layer in which the inorganic compound and the support interpenetrate and whose thickness is smaller than or equal to that of the support layer.
Advantageously, the thickness e of the composite layer may represent 10% to 100% and preferably 50% to 100% of the total thickness e.sub.s of the support layer, that is to say of the sum of the thickness of the part of the support lay
REFERENCES:
patent: 3791955 (1974-02-01), Klein
patent: 4341816 (1982-07-01), Lauterbach et al.
patent: 4421628 (1983-12-01), Quaderer
patent: 4783613 (1988-11-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5086351 (1992-02-01), Coupot et al.
patent: 5190630 (1993-03-01), Kikuchi et al.
patent: 5244556 (1993-09-01), Inoue
Campet Guy
Chabagno Jean-Michel
Delmas Claude
Portier Joseph
Salardenne Jean
Breneman R. Bruce
McDonald Rodney G.
Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine
LandOfFree
Target component for cathode sputtering does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Target component for cathode sputtering, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Target component for cathode sputtering will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-380962