Nickel-niobium alloy targets are sputtering targets made by melting nickel (Ni) and niobium (Nb) as the main elements in a certain proportion. They are mainly used in physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes, especially magnetron sputtering, to prepare functional thin films on various substrates.
Preparation Method for Nickel-Niobium Alloy Targets
1. Raw Material Preparation: Select high-purity nickel and niobium powders as raw materials, ensuring their purity meets target preparation requirements. For example, the purity of nickel and niobium powders can each reach over 99.9%.
2. Powder Mixing: Accurately weigh the nickel and niobium powders according to the designed alloy composition ratio and thoroughly mix them in a mixing device. To ensure uniform mixing, ball milling can be used, controlling the appropriate milling time and ball-to-material ratio.
3. Pressing: The uniformly mixed powders are placed in a mold and pressed using cold isostatic pressing (CIP) or hot isostatic pressing (HIP) to produce a target blank with a certain density and strength. Cold isostatic pressing (CIP) allows for initial powder compaction at relatively low pressure, while HIP further increases the density of the target blank at high temperature and high pressure.
4. Sintering: The pressed target blank is sintered in a vacuum furnace to eliminate pores between the powder particles and improve the density and performance of the target. Sintering temperature and time are key parameters. Sintering temperatures typically range from 1000°C to 1500°C, and sintering times range from a few hours to several dozen hours. Optimization depends on the target's composition and size.
5. Machining: After sintering, the target requires machining, such as turning and grinding, to achieve the desired dimensions and surface finish.
Applications of Nickel-Nibium Alloy Targets
Semiconductor: They can be used for sputtering to form barrier layers, electrodes, and interconnects. Nickel-Nibium alloy thin films effectively prevent the diffusion of metal atoms, improving the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices, and are crucial for integrated circuit manufacturing.
Display Technology: In flat-panel displays like OLEDs and liquid crystal displays, nickel-nibium alloy targets can be used to form electrodes or reflective layers, helping to improve screen brightness, response speed, and color stability.
Optical Coating: They can be used to form various optical coatings, such as infrared reflective films and laser damage-resistant films, for applications in precision optical devices, laser systems, and optical instruments to meet diverse optical performance requirements.
Wear-Resistant and Corrosion-Resistant Coating: Due to their excellent wear and corrosion resistance, nickel-Nibium alloy targets can be used to form wear- and corrosion-resistant thin films on mechanical parts and tool surfaces, enhancing component life and performance. They have broad application prospects in industries such as aerospace, automotive manufacturing, and machining.
