METHOD FOR PRODUCING METAL OXIDE LAYERS THROUGH ARC VAPORIZATION

• US 20090269600A1
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oerlikon Surface Solutions Ag, PfAffikon (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Original Assignee: Oerlikon Trading AG (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Inventors: Widrig, Beno, Ramm, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 9,611,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/472.200
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/15 Hot isostatic pressing
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/0416 Aluminium-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0036 Reactive sputtering
• 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 14/325 Electric arc evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12028 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, etc.]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing oxidic layers by means of PVD (physical vapor deposition), in particular by means of cathodic arc vaporization, wherein a powder-metallurgical target is vaporized and the powder-metallic target is formed of at least two metallic or semi-metallic components, the composition of the metallic or semi-metallic components resp. of the target being chosen in such a manner that during heating in the transition from the room temperature into the liquid phase no phase boundary of purely solid phases, based on the phase diagram of a molten mixture of the at least two metallic or semi-metallic components, is crossed.

Claims

1. :

Method for producing oxidic layers by means of PVD, physical vapor deposition, wherein a powder-metallurgical target is vaporized and the powder-metallurgical target is formed of at least two metallic or semi-metallic elements, the composition of the metallic or semi-metallic components of the target being chosen in such a manner that during heating in a transition from the room temperature into a liquid phase no phase boundary of purely solid phases, based on the phase diagram of a molten mixture of the at least two metallic or semi-metallic elements, is crossed.

2. :

Method according to claim 1, characterized in that for depositing an oxidic layer with a composition that lies outside a composition where the metallic or semi-metallic elements during heating in the transition from the room temperature into the liquid phase, based on the phase diagram, do not cross any phase boundary of purely solid phases, the powder-metallurgical target is formed of at least two components, wherein a first component has a first composition of the metallic and semi-metallic elements where during heating in the transition from the room temperature into the liquid phase with the first composition no phase boundaries of purely solid phases, based on the phase diagram, are crossed, and at least second component is metallic or semi-metallic or has another composition of the metallic and semi-metallic elements where during heating in the transition from the room temperature into the liquid phase with the second composition no phase boundaries of purely solid phases, based on the phase diagram, are crossed, and the first component and the second component and if needed other components and/or the primary metals or primary semi-metals are mixed in such a way that the desired composition of the metal oxide layer is achieved.

3. :

Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the oxidic layer has a proportion of more than 70 at % aluminum oxide in corundum structure by using at least one powder-metallurgical produced target consisting of aluminum and a further metallic or semi-metallic element, wherein its composition has a transition into the liquid phase between 1000°

C. and 12000°

C.

4. :

Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the further metallic or semi-metallic element is chosen from at least one of the following elements in the atomic percentage indicated hereafter;

Au;

10 to 50

B;

smaller 3

Be;

20 to 30

C. smaller 3

Cr;

10 to 20

Fe;

5 to 15

Hf;

5 to 10

Ir;

10 to 15

La;

10 to 15

Mo;

2 to 5

Nb;

1 to 3

Ta;

1 to 3

Ti;

2 to 6

V;

3 to 8

W;

5 to 8

Y;

12 to 16

Zr;

2 to 4

5. :

Method according to claim 1, characterized in that powder-metallurgical targets are used with particle sizes smaller than 300 μ

m, made of at least two metallic or semi-metallic elements.

6. :

Method according to claim 1, characterized in that for the production of ternary or higher oxides stable at high temperatures by means of PVD by using an alloy target of at least two metallic or semi-metallic elements, the composition of the alloy is chosen in such a way that, according to the phase diagram, with the transition into the liquid phase the formation temperature is essentially determined.

7. :

Method according to claim 1, characterized in that for the production of the powder-metallurgical targets for the production of oxide layers while avoiding splatters, primary powders from phase mixtures are used that each has its own compositions for which, during heating in the transition from the room temperature into the liquid phase no phase boundaries of purely solid phases are crossed.

15. :

Metal oxide layer produced according to a method according to claim 1 by using a target, wherein the target is for the production of oxidic layers by means of PVD, physical vapor deposition where a powder-metallurgical target is vaporized and the powder-metallurgical target is composed of at least two elements that are metallic and/or semi-metallic, wherein the composition of the metallic or semi-metallic elements of the target is chosen in such a manner that during heating in a transition from the room temperature into a liquid phase no phase boundaries of purely solid phases, based on the phase diagram of a molten mixture of the at least two metallic or semi-metallic elements, are crossed.

16. :

Metal oxide layer according to claim 15, characterized in that it is an aluminum oxide layer in corundum structure, wherein the layers have admixtures of higher-melting metallic or semi-metallic components with a proportion smaller than 30 at %.

17. :

Metal oxide layer according to claim 16, characterized in that it contains one or several admixtures in at % from the group of the following elements;

Au;

10 to 50

B;

smaller 3

Be;

20 to 30

C. smaller 3

Cr;

10 to 20

Fe;

5 to 15

Hf;

5 to 10

Ir;

10 to 15

La;

10 to 15

Mo;

2 to 5

Nb;

1 to 3

Ta;

1 to 3

Ti;

2 to 6

V;

3 to 8

W;

5 to 8

Y;

12 to 16

Zr;

2 to 4

18. :

Use of metal oxide layers, produced in a method with the characteristics of claim 1 by using targets for wear-protection, components, parts, barrier layers, ferroelectrica, superconductors, fuel cells, wherein the target is for the production of oxidic layers by means of PVD, physical vapor deposition, where a powder-metallurgical target is vaporized and the powder-metallurgical target is composed of at least two elements that are metallic and/or semi-metallic, wherein the composition of the metallic or semi-metallic elements of the target is chosen in such a manner that during heating in a transition from the room temperature into a liquid phase no phase boundaries of purely solid phases, based on the phase diagram of a molten mixture of the at least two metallic or semi-metallic elements, are crossed.

19. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein the PVD is cathodic arc vaporization.

20. :

Method according to claim 5, wherein the particle sizes are smaller than 200 μ

m.

21. :

Method according to claim 5, wherein the particle sizes are smaller than 100 μ

m.

8. :

Powder-metallurgical target for the production of oxidic layers by means of PVD, physical vapor deposition, where a powder-metallurgical target is vaporized and the powder-metallurgical target is composed of at least two elements that are metallic and/or semi-metallic, wherein the composition of the metallic or semi-metallic elements of the target is chosen in such a manner that during heating in a transition from the room temperature into a liquid phase no phase boundaries of purely solid phases, based on the phase diagram of a molten mixture of the at least two metallic or semi-metallic elements, are crossed.

9. :

Powder-metallurgical target according to claim 8, characterized in that for depositing an oxidic layer with a composition that lies outside a composition where the metallic or semi-metallic elements during heating in the transition from the room temperature into the liquid phase do not cross any phase boundary of purely solid phases, the target is formed of at least two components, wherein a first powder-metallurgical component has a first composition of the metallic and/or semi-metallic elements where during heating in the transition from the room temperature into the liquid phase with the first composition no phase boundaries of purely solid phases are crossed, and the at least second component is metallic or semi-metallic or has another composition of the metallic and semi-metallic elements than the first component, where during heating in the transition from the room temperature into the liquid phase with the second composition no phase boundaries of purely solid phases are crossed, and the first component and the second component and if need be other components and/or the pure metals or semi-metals are mixed in such a way that the desired composition of the metal oxide layer is achieved.

10. :

Target according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the components and/or elements and/or metals or semi-metals forming the powder-metallurgical produced target have a particle size smaller than 300 μ

m.

11. :

Target according to claim 8, characterized in that it consists of aluminum and at least one further metallic or semi-metallic element, wherein its composition has the transition into the liquid phase between 1000°

C. and 1200°

C.

12. :

Target according to claim 11, characterized in that it is produced by means of a bonded-cast or powder-metallurgical or plasma-arc spraying step, consisting of aluminum and at least one further metallic or semi-metallic element, wherein the further metallic or semi-metallic element is chosen from at least one of the following elements in the atomic percentage indicated hereafter;

Au;

10 to 50

B;

smaller 3

Be;

20 to 30

C. smaller 3

Cr;

10 to 20

Fe;

5 to 15

Hf;

5 to 10

Ir;

10 to 15

La;

10 to 15

Mo;

2 to 5

Nb;

1 to 3

Ta;

1 to 3

Ti;

2 to 6

V;

3 to 8

W;

5 to 8

Y;

12 to 16

Zr;

2 to 4

13. :

Target according to claim 8, characterized in that the elements are differentiated in their melting point by at least 100°

C. to 500°

C.

14. :

Target according to the claim 8, characterized in that at least one of the primary powders is mixed from two phases or mixed crystals or from one or several phases and one or several mixed crystals.

22. :

Powder-metallurgical target according to claim 8, the PVD is cathodic arc vaporization.

23. :

Powder-metallurgical target according to claim 10, wherein the particle sizes are smaller than 200 μ

m.

24. :

Powder-metallurgical target according to claim 10, wherein the particle sizes are smaller than 100 μ

m.