# US 10,767,255 B2 · Device and method of evaporating a material from a metal melt > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,255 B2 - Document ID: US10767255B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/721,086 - Filed: 2012-12-20 - Published: 2013-06-27 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-21 - Assignees: Freiberger Compound Materials GmbH - Applicants: Freiberger Compound Materials GMBH - Inventors: Gleb Lukin; Olf Pätzold; Michael Stelter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767255B2 ## CPC - C23C 14/26: by resistance or inductive heating of the source - C23C 14/228: {Gas flow assisted PVD deposition} - C23C 14/243: {Crucibles for source material (C23C14/28, C23C14/30 take precedence)} - C23C 14/246: {Replenishment of source material} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) ## Abstract A device for evaporating a metal melt, the device comprising a first crucible or crucible portion operative to receive the metal melt comprising at least one aperture, from which the evaporated metal may pass off, a second crucible or crucible portion operative to receive a susceptor material, comprising an electromagnetic radiation source, which is arranged such that it can heat susceptor material comprised in the second crucible or crucible portion through incident electromagnetic induction, wherein it does not or only negligibly heats the metal melt in the first crucible or crucible portion, wherein the first crucible or crucible portion and the second crucible or crucible portion are thermally coupled, such that the metal melt can attain a desired temperature. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for evaporating material from a melt, the device comprising: a first hollow-cylindrical crucible comprising a first side wall, a second side wall surrounding but not directly contacting the first side wall and comprising a first chamber shaped to hold a liquid between the first side wall and the second side wall; a second crucible surrounding and thermally coupled to the first hollow-cylindrical crucible as a cylindrical shell, the second crucible comprising the second side wall, a third side wall surrounding but not directly contacting the second side wall and comprising a second chamber shaped to hold a liquid between the second side wall and the third side wall; a reversed funnel-shaped element that opens towards a bottom direction, and is situated to serve as a bottom portion of the first hollow-cylindrical crucible and second crucible; an inner channel bounded by the first side wall; and a bottom opening of the inner channel bounded by the reversed funnel-shaped element, wherein the inner channel, the first hollow-cylindrical crucible, and the second crucible are concentrically arranged. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, comprising an electromagnetic radiation source surrounding the second crucible. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a susceptor material susceptible to being inductively heated by electromagnetic radiation in the chamber of the second crucible; and a metal melt in the chamber of the first hollow-cylindrical crucible. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device according to claim 3, wherein the metal melt and the susceptor material include the same or a similar material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The device according to claim 3, wherein the metal melt and the susceptor material are composed of material or a combination of at least two materials selected from a group consisting of: gallium, indium and aluminium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The device according to claim 3, wherein the second side wall comprises an opening connecting the chamber of the first hollow-cylindrical crucible and the chamber of the second crucible. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1 comprising a siphon between the chambers of the first hollow-cylindrical crucible and second crucible. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the second crucible is closed in its upper portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the first hollow-cylindrical crucible and second crucible are made from a dielectric material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the first hollow-cylindrical crucible and/or the second crucible comprises pyrolytically deposited boron nitride. ### Claim 11 A device for evaporating material from a melt, the device comprising: an inner channel defined by at least one side wall, a top opening and a bottom opening; a first crucible surrounding the channel and comprising a first chamber shaped to hold a liquid and defined by at least one side wall; and a second crucible surrounding and thermally coupled to the first crucible, the second crucible comprising a second chamber shaped to hold a liquid and defined by at least one side wall, a reversed funnel-shaped element that opens towards a bottom direction, and is situated to serve as a bottom portion of the first and second crucibles; wherein the second crucible surrounds the first crucible as a hollow cylinder shell which is closed in its upper portion, the channel extends entirely through the cylinder shell, and the bottom opening of the inner channel is bounded by the reversed funnel-shaped element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the channel and the first crucible share a common side wall. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the first crucible and the second crucible share a common side wall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The device according to claim 13, wherein the common side wall comprises an opening connecting the chamber of the first crucible and the chamber of the second crucible. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, comprising an electromagnetic radiation source surrounding the second crucible. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, comprising a siphon between the chambers of the first and second crucibles. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the first crucible and the second crucible are made from a dielectric material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11 further comprising a susceptor material susceptible to being inductively heated by electromagnetic radiation in the chamber of the second crucible and a metal melt in the chamber of the first crucible, wherein the second crucible is configured to receive the susceptor material such that the susceptor material shields the first crucible from an electromagnetic radiation source configured to heat the susceptor material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device according to claim 18, wherein the metal melt and the susceptor material are composed of material or a combination of at least two materials selected from a group consisting of: gallium, indium and aluminium. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the first crucible and/or the second crucible comprises pyrolytically deposited boron nitride.