The iron-boron (Fe-B) alloy target is a binary alloy sputtering target composed primarily of metallic iron (Fe) and non-metallic boron (B). Serving as a "source material" for thin-film deposition techniques such as PVD magnetron sputtering and electron-beam evaporation, it releases its own atoms or molecules under high-energy particle bombardment; these are then deposited onto a substrate surface to form functional iron-boron-based thin films. Compared to pure iron or boron targets, Fe-B alloy targets achieve-through the atomic-level combination of Fe and B-synergistic properties unattainable by single-element materials. They are critical materials for producing magnetic thin films, wear-resistant coatings, superconducting films, and semiconductor functional layers. They are widely used in high-end manufacturing sectors such as electronics, new energy, and aerospace.
Preparation Method for Iron-Boron Alloy Targets
Raw Materials and Proportions: High-purity iron, boron, and other alloying elements are selected; optimal proportions are determined through theoretical calculations and experimental verification to ensure the target's performance meets specific requirements.
Vacuum Melting and Casting: Vacuum induction melting or arc melting techniques are employed to heat the raw materials to a fully molten state under vacuum or a protective atmosphere, ensuring alloy homogeneity. The molten alloy is cast into molds (such as water-cooled copper molds), and the cooling rate is controlled to refine the grain structure, thereby enhancing mechanical and magnetic properties.
Heat Treatment and Processing: The cast ingot undergoes annealing to optimize its microstructure; solution treatment is performed if necessary to further improve homogeneity. Finally, mechanical processing-such as cutting and grinding-is carried out to obtain the target in the required dimensions and shape.
Applications of Iron-Boron Alloy Targets
Ultra-high-density magnetic storage: Serves as a core material for magnetic recording media layers and read/write heads in hard disk drives (HDDs), playing a key role in achieving breakthroughs in storage density.
Spintronic devices: An indispensable material for fabricating magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) in magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM), used in both the fixed and free layers.
Biomedical sensors: Used to produce magnetic labeling thin films, playing a role in biological detection and targeted therapies.
Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS): Used to fabricate permanent magnet rotor thin films for micromotors and actuation layers for magnetic switches.
