Effects of methods of manufacturing sputtering targets on characteristics of coatings

• US 20050258030A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitro Flat Glass LLC (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Buhay, Harry, Finley, James J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,051,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/192.260
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/09 by deposition from the vapour phase
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/225 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/27 by oxidation of a coating previously applied
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3652 the coating stack containing at least one sacrificial layer to protect the metal from oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3694 one layer having a composition gradient through its thickness
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/23 Mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/27 Mixtures of metals, alloys
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/281 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/29 Mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/91 Coatings containing at least one layer having a composition gradient through its thickness
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/155 by reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/156 by magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/322 Oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/326 Nitriding
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/328 Partly or completely removing a coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0641 : Nitrides C23C14/0617 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0676 : Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/08 : Oxides C23C14/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/081 : of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/083 : of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/185 : by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 : Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy

Abstract

Titanium and aluminum cathode targets are disclosed for sputtering absorbing coatings of titanium and aluminum-containing materials in atmospheres comprising inert gas, reactive gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, and mixtures thereof, which can further comprise inert gas, such as argon, to form nitrides, oxides, and oxynitrides, as well as metallic films. The titanium and aluminum-containing coatings can be utilized as an outer coat or as one or more coating layers of a coating stack.

Claims

1. A method for depositing a multilayer coating having a varying composition versus depth, comprising:

a. maintaining a substrate in a chamber;

b. providing at least one cathode having a predefined ratio of a first component to a second component; and

c. spatially positioning the substrate with respect to the cathode to form a multilayer coating having differing concentrations of the first and/or second component versus depth.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step c includes passing the substrate under the cathode and varying the speed of the substrate during coating.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first component comprises aluminum.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second component comprises titanium.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein step c includes reciprocally moving the substrate with respect to the cathode.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the chamber includes a gas selected from argon, nitrogen, oxygen, helium, xenon, krypton, and mixtures thereof.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method includes varying the gas pressure during coating.

18. A coated article formed by the method of claim 1.

8. A method for depositing a multilayer coating having a substantially uniform composition versus depth, comprising:

a. maintaining a substrate in a chamber;

b. providing at least one cathode having a first component and a second component; and

c. spatially positioning the substrate with respect to the cathode to form a multilayer coating having a substantially uniform concentration of the first and/or second component versus depth.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein step c includes passing the substrate under the cathode and varying the speed of the substrate during coating.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein step c includes reciprocally moving the substrate with respect to the cathode.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein step c includes varying the substrate speed based on coating angle.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the chamber includes a gas selected from argon, nitrogen, oxygen, helium, xenon, krypton, and mixtures thereof.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method includes varying the gas pressure during coating.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first component comprises aluminum.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second component comprises titanium.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the cathode includes regions of differing concentrations of the first and second components.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the cathode includes strips of differing materials.

19. A coated article formed by the method of claim 8.