TiB2-VB2 Sintered Target for Homogeneous PVD Coatings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing physical vapor deposition processes face challenges in producing highly pure, chemically homogeneous layers with a fine-grained and isotropic microstructure, often resulting in multilayer formation and impurity introduction due to the use of binders and separate targets for titanium diboride and vanadium diboride.
Innovation Solution
A target composed of a mixture of titanium diboride (TiB2) and vanadium diboride (VB2) with optional carbon, sintered at high temperatures to achieve high density and chemical homogeneity, eliminating the need for binders and maintaining a fine-grained microstructure through hot pressing or spark plasma sintering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate targets of titanium diboride and vanadium diboride are used for co-sputtering, then different coating materials can be deposited, but multilayer coatings are formed instead of chemically homogeneous coatings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple diboride materials (titanium diboride, vanadium diboride, and optionally other diborides) into a single sintered target material. This merging of separate coating materials into one homogeneous sintered body allows deposition of chemically uniform coatings while maintaining the ability to deposit different material compositions by adjusting sputtering parameters.
2Ease of manufacture
If binders and sintering aids such as nickel, cobalt or iron are used in target production, then targets can be manufactured with adequate mechanical properties, but the purity of deposited layers is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes binders and sintering aids (nickel, cobalt, iron) from the target composition entirely. Instead, it uses a mixture of diboride powders that can be sintered directly without requiring additional binder materials, thereby achieving high purity deposited layers while maintaining target structural integrity through the diboride matrix itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite sintered body composed of multiple diboride materials (titanium diboride, vanadium diboride, and optionally other diborides) that function together as both the structural matrix and the coating material source, eliminating the need for separate binder phases while maintaining mechanical properties.
3Loss of energy
If relatively low sintering temperatures are used in powder metallurgy, then energy consumption is reduced, but porosity remains high and binder materials are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent increases the sintering temperature to relatively high levels (above 2100°C) to achieve complete densification and eliminate porosity in the sintered body. This parameter change allows production of high-density targets without requiring binders, as the high temperature enables full consolidation of the diboride powder mixture.
4Reliability
If relatively high sintering temperatures are used to achieve high density, then porosity is reduced, but the microstructure becomes considerably coarser
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite powder mixture of multiple diboride materials (titanium diboride, vanadium diboride, and optionally other diborides) that, when sintered at high temperatures, produces a fine-grained microstructure. The interaction between different diboride phases during sintering prevents excessive grain growth, maintaining fine microstructure despite the high processing temperature required for high density.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the production of highly pure, chemically homogeneous layers with a fine-grained and isotropic microstructure, achieving densities close to theoretical values and maintaining chemical consistency across the target surface, thereby improving the quality of deposited films.
Implementation Method 1
The invention specifies that the target is produced by sintering a powder mixture at relatively high temperatures to achieve high density and chemical homogeneity
Implementation Method 2
The invention mentions hot pressing as a method to produce the target, achieving high density while maintaining fine-grained microstructure
Implementation Method 3
The invention specifies spark plasma sintering as an alternative method to achieve high density and fine-grained microstructure
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3b
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AI summary
The invention relates to a target for physical vapor deposition, comprising the following chemical composition: 95 mol% to 100 mol% of a mixture of at least two of the following compounds: titanium boride (TiB2) and/or vanadium boride (VB2) and/or mixed phases ((Ti,V)B2) of titanium boride (TiB2) and vanadium boride (VB2); 0.01 mol% to 5 mol% of carbon (C); less than 0.01 mol% of other borides than titanium boride (TiB2) and/or vanadium boride (VB2) and/or mixed phases ((Ti,V)B2) of titanium boride (TiB2) and vanadium boride (VB2), wherein, in relation to the metallic purity, the sum of the mixture of titanium boride (TiB2) and/or vanadium boride (VB2) and/or mixed phases ((Ti,V)B2) of titanium boride (TiB2) and vanadium boride (VB2) and the carbon (C) is at least 99.8 mol%, and comprising the following physical properties: a density greater than 90%, preferably greater than 95% of the theoretic density of the chemical composition defined above; and an average particle size of particles of the mixture of titanium boride (TiB2) and/or vanadium boride (VB2) and/or mixed phases ((Ti,V)B2) of titanium boride (TiB2) and vanadium boride (VB2) of less than 10 micrometres, preferably less than 3 micrometres.