Chrome cathodic sputtering target

Overview
Chromium (Cr) and chromium nitride (CrN) are used as hard material layers to protect engine and industrial components (e.g., piston rings) from wear and to extend service life. Chromium also serves as an adhesion layer for DLC coatings and as a decorative, bright finishing layer for watches, electronics and control elements.

Key advantages

• Optimized part and target design for stable deposition
• Possibility of bonding to backing plates (molybdenum, copper)
• Homogeneous microstructure and controlled grain size
• Highest material purity levels (HP, UHP)

Available product types & qualities
Planar sputtering targets, tubular arc cathodes and round arc cathodes in chromium. Quality grades offered: Ultra High Purity (UHP) and High Purity (HP). Bonding to backing plates and custom geometries available on request.

Production & manufacturing notes
In-house manufacturing covers powder mixing, pressing, sintering/forming, machining and bonding. Process control and testing ensure targeted density, purity and a homogeneous microstructure. Typical bonding materials include indium; alternative solders or mechanical fastening can be supplied depending on application.

Coating processes

• Magnetron sputtering (cathode sputtering): chromium targets for vacuum PVD processes; argon plasma sputters atoms from the target which deposit on substrates.
• Arc evaporation (arc process): chromium arc cathodes for arc evaporation; the arc evaporates cathode material producing metal ions that deposit as nitrides, carbides or oxides, often with reactive gases.

Material quality & microstructure
Only selected high-purity powders are used and blended under controlled conditions. Every production step is monitored to guarantee specified metallic purity, low impurity levels, target density and uniform microstructure.

Applications

• Wear-resistant coatings (e.g., piston rings)
• Adhesion layers for DLC coatings (e.g., tappets)
• Decorative chromium coatings (watches, electronics, control elements)

Technical specifications

• Material / Grades
  Chromium — UHP and HP
• UHP — Metallic purity [%]: 99.95; Metallic impurities (Fe / Si / others) [μg/g]: 300 / 100 / 150; Non-metallic impurities (O / N / C) [μg/g]: 300 / 200 / 100; Guaranteed density [g/cm3]: 7.12; Grain size [µm]: 100; Thermal conductivity [W/(m·K)]: max. 250; Thermal coefficient of expansion [1/K]: 7 · 10^-6
• HP — Metallic purity [%]: 99.8; Metallic impurities (Fe / Si / others) [μg/g]: 1500 / 500 / 400; Non-metallic impurities (O / N / C) [μg/g]: 1000 / 200 / 300; Guaranteed density [g/cm3]: 7.12; Grain size [µm]: 100; Thermal conductivity [W/(m·K)]: max. 150; Thermal coefficient of expansion [1/K]: 7 · 10^-6
• Available product forms: planar sputtering targets, tubular arc cathodes, round arc cathodes
• Typical bonding/backing options: molybdenum or copper backing plates; common solder: indium (other solders possible)
• Process compatibility: magnetron sputtering (decorative and functional PVD), arc evaporation (hard, adhesive and wear-resistant coatings)