# US 2013/0280546 A1 · Tunable resistance coatings > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0280546 A1 - Document ID: US20130280546A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/804,660 - Filed: 2013-03-14 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2011-01-21 - Assignees: Uchicago Argonne, LLC - Applicants: UChicago Argonne LLC - Inventors: Jeffrey W. Elam; Anil U. Mane - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130280546A1 ## CPC - H01C 17/06: adapted for coating resistive material on a base - C23C 16/30: Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides - C23C 16/45529: {specially adapted for making a layer stack of alternating different compositions or gradient compositions} - C23C 16/45531: {specially adapted for making ternary or higher compositions} - H01C 17/08: by vapour deposition - H01C 17/12: by sputtering - H01J 43/246: {Microchannel plates [MCP] (image amplification tubes using MCP H01J31/507)} - H01C: RESISTORS - 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) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A method and article of manufacture of intermixed tunable resistance composite materials containing at least one of W:Al2O3, Mo:Al2O3 or M:Al2O3 where M is a conducting compound containing either W or Mo. A conducting material and an insulating material are deposited by such methods as ALD or CVD to construct composites with intermixed materials which do not have structure or properties like their bulk counterparts. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of tunably forming a film of selected resistance and thickness comprising: selecting a starting conducting material selected from the group of W, Mo, and their conducting compounds, and selecting a starting insulating material; performing a deposition of a prescribed amount of the starting conducting material; performing a deposition of a prescribed amount of the starting insulating material; repeating these two steps a prescribed number of times to achieve a film with the selected resistance and thickness for an end product. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the deposition steps comprises using a deposition method selected from the group of ALD, CVD, MOCVD, OMCVD, PECVD, PVD, MBE, reactive sputtering, PLD and evaporation, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the deposition steps comprises using ALD with (a) alternating exposures of MoF6 and at least one of disilane, ammonia, or TMA for the film containing Mo as the conducting material; (b) alternating exposures WF6 and either disilane, ammonia, or TMA for the film containing W as the conducting material; (c) alternating exposures of TMA and H2O for films containing Al2O3 as the insulating material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the starting conducting material has a resistivity of about 10−5 to 10 Ωcm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the starting insulating material is selected from the group of insulating metal oxides and metal nitrides. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as defined in claim 5 wherein the starting insulating material consists essentially of Al2O3. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the starting material has a resistivity of about 10−2 to 107 Ωcm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1 wherein selected percentages of deposition of the starting conducting material are less than a percentages of deposition of the starting insulating material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the selected conducting material consists of conducting compounds of W or Mo that are substantially the nitrides or carbides of these metals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of forming a microchannel plate from the film of selected resistance. ### Claim 11 An article of manufacture, comprising a film of composite materials including at least two materials selected from the group of an insulating material and a conducting material selected from the group of Mo, W and their conducting compounds, and with a pre-selected tuned electrical resistance associated with a percentage of depositions of each of the insulating and the conducting materials and a pre-selected thickness associated with the total number of depositions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 wherein the deposition steps comprise using a deposition method selected from the group of ALD, CVD, MOCVD, OMCVD, PECVD, PVD, MBE, reactive sputtering, PLD and evaporation, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) An article of manufacture as defined in claim 11 wherein the deposition steps comprise using ALD with (a) alternating exposures of MoF6 and either disilane, ammonia, or TMA for the film containing Mo as the conducting material; (b) alternating exposures WF6 and either disilane, ammonia, or TMA for the film containing W as the conducting material; (c) alternating exposures of TMA and H2O for films containing Al2O3 as the insulating material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The article as defined in claim 11 wherein the composite materials include nano-sized particulates of the conducting material disposed between layers of the insulating material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The article as defined in claim 12 wherein the nano-sized particulates of conducting material consist essentially of at least one of W, Mo, and their conducting compounds. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The article of manufacture as defined in claim 11 wherein layers of the insulating and the conducting material are intermixed to form a structure unlike a bulk form for each of the materials. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The article of manufacture as defined in claim 14 wherein the intermixed structure comprises an amorphous structure.