Method for preventing gases and fluids to penetrate a surface of an object

• US 10,190,932 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inficon Holding AG
• Original Assignee: INFICON GmbH (Inficon Holding AG)
• Inventors: Bjorkman, Per, Hjorvarsson, Bjorgvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Webb, Gregory E
• Application Number:
  US15/033,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20160252419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 257419
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/021 Cleaning or etching treatments
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/14 Metallic material, boron or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 22/02 using non-aqueous solutions
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/323 with at least one amorphous metallic material layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/325 with layers graded in composition or in physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/06 using gases C23C8/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/10 Oxidising
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0627 Protection against aggressive medium in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/082 construction or mounting of diaphragms of semiconductive diaphragms G01L9/0042
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0044 Constructional details of non-semiconductive diaphragms

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for preventing gases and fluids to penetrate a surface of an object, comprising the steps of: depositing (S1) an amorphous metal (5) on a surface of an object (4); forming (S2) a continuous layer of the amorphous metal (5) on the surface of the object (4); binding (S3) the amorphous metal (5) to the surface of the object by chemical binding; and passivation (S4) of a surface of the amorphous metal (5) facing away from the surface of the object (4).

Claims

1. A method for preventing gases and fluids to penetrate a surface of an object, comprising the steps of:

depositing (S1) an amorphous metal (5) on a surface of an object (4), wherein the depositing comprises;

depositing a first amorphous metal on said surface of said object forming a continuous layer (5a) thereon; and

depositing a second amorphous metal on the continuous layer formed by the first amorphous metal forming a continuous layer (5b) thereon, wherein the composition of said second amorphous metal differs from the composition of said first amorphous metal;

forming (S2) a continuous layer of said amorphous metal (5) on said surface of said object (4);

binding (S3) said amorphous metal (5) to said surface of said object by chemical binding; and

passivation (S4) of a surface of said amorphous metal (5) facing away from said surface of said object (4).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said object is made of at least one of the following materials:

a metal, in particular zirconium;

a metal alloy, in particular a zirconium alloy;

a metal alloy comprising a combination of at least two of the elements Ni, Cr, Fe, Mo, Co, Si, Cu and possible trace elements;

a metal alloy, forming oxides or hydroxides upon exposure to air, moisture or water;

a ceramic material, such as aluminium oxide, aluminium nitrate, zirconium oxide or silicon carbide;

a polymer.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

cleaning (S) said surface of said object before said step of depositing (S1) to remove possible oxides of said surface of said object.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of depositing (S2) is performed by Atomic Layer Deposition, sputtering or Chemical Vapor Deposition.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of passivation (S4) is performed with oxide or nitride.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composition of the amorphous metal varies with the distance from said surface of said object.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said composition gradually changes from mainly a first amorphous metal to mainly a second amorphous metal.

8. A membrane (4), characterized in that a surface thereof is covered with a layer of an amorphous metal (5) wherein the layer of amorphous metal comprises a first layer having a first composition and a second layer having a second composition, wherein the two compositions differ from each other, and

wherein said amorphous metal is chemically bound to said surface of said membrane and wherein said layer comprises a passive surface facing away from said surface of said membrane.

9. The membrane of claim 8, wherein said membrane being made of at least one of the following materials:

a metal, in particular zirconium;

a metal alloy, in particular a zirconium alloy;

a metal alloy, forming oxides or hydroxides upon exposure to air, moisture or water;

a metal alloy comprising a combination of at least two of the elements Ni, Cr, Fe, Mo, Co, Si, Cu and possible trace elements;

a ceramic material, such as aluminium oxide, aluminium nitrate, zirconium oxide or silicon carbide;

a polymer.

10. The membrane of claim 8, wherein the composition of the amorphous metal varies with the distance from said surface of said membrane.

11. The membrane of claim 10, wherein said composition gradually changes from mainly a first amorphous metal to mainly a second amorphous metal.

12. A pressure transducer comprising a membrane according to claim 8.