Durable sputtered metal oxide coating
AssigneePPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
InventorsJames J. Finley, Mehran Arbab
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and resultant product are disclosed wherein a metal film is deposited by sputtering a metal cathode target in an essentially nonreactive atmosphere comprising inert gas and a reactive gas, wherein the concentration of reactive gas is sufficiently low that the sputtering is accomplished in the metallic mode, i.e. the film is deposited as metal. The metal film of the present invention is harder than a metal film sputtered in an atmosphere consisting of only inert gas. The method and resultant product may further comprise thermal oxidation of the metal film, which proceeds more efficiently than oxidation of a metal film sputtered in an atmosphere consisting of only inert gas.
Claims45
The method of producing a substantially amorphous metal film by cathode sputtering comprising the steps of:
- placing a substrate in an evacuated chamber having an atmosphere comprising argon and up to 30% oxygen;
- and
- sputtering a titanium cathode target below its switch point in the chamber wherein the atmosphere is sufficiently inert that the titanium is sputtered to deposit a titanium film and sufficiently reactive that the titanium film deposited is substantially amorphous;
- and
- after the practice of the sputtering step, oxidizing the titanium film.
A method of producing a substantially amorphous metal film by cathode sputtering comprising the steps of:
- placing a substrate in an evacuated chamber having an atmosphere comprising argon and up to 30% oxygen;
- sputtering a titanium metal cathode target in the chamber wherein the sputtering step is practiced by energizing the titanium metal cathode target and regulating the atmosphere to operate below the switch point of the target to have a predominantly inert gas and sufficient reactive gas to deposit a substantially amorphous titanium metal film, and
- after the practice of the sputtering step, oxidizing the titanium film.
A method of sputter coating a substantially amorphous metal film on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a metal cathode target and a substrate to be coated in a chamber, the metal of the metal cathode target having a reactive gas switch point and the metal cathode target when operated in an inert gas below the switch point deposits a metal film having a crystalline structure defined as a crystalline metal film, and when operated above the switch point deposits a reacted metal film having an amorphous structure defined as an amorphous reacted metal film;
- moving into the chamber a ratio of inert gas and reactive gas to provide in the chamber an atmosphere, and
- energizing the metal cathode target and regulating the atmosphere to operate below the switch point of the metal cathode target to have a predominately inert gas and sufficient reactive gas to deposit a metal film on the substrate having a substantially amorphous structure defined as an amorphous metal film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.