Aluminum-Chromium Sputtering Targets and Cathodes

Our sputtering targets and arc cathodes have to withstand a huge amount of stress during the coating process. Forces of up to one metric ton are applied to the material at the edge of the target. Whereas brittle materials would break, our material is particularly ductile thanks to the aluminum. To guarantee the high ductility of the AlCr targets, we mix our chromium-aluminum powder particularly carefully and then compress it by means of forming. This makes the microstructure of our materials considerably more homogeneous and finer than materials produced by means of a metal fusion process. The advantages of targets produced using powder metallurgy are that they are particularly break-proof and durable.

Our targets and cathodes are exposed to high temperatures during the coating process. But our materials can easily withstand the extreme conditions. Thanks to their aluminum content and high material density, our cathodes and targets conduct heat particularly well and transfer the heat easily to the copper plate behind. This prevents build-ups of heat, which result in the uneven exposure of the target material as well as droplets on the surface, and enables you to achieve smoother coatings.

Coarse or fine metal powder? Forging, HIP, or other types of axial forming? We vary and combine our manufacturing processes to ensure you achieve a particularly smooth and fine layer. We never take our eyes off the goal: the optimum microstructure of our targets and cathodes. This means that considerably fewer droplets form on your product during coating. The result is particularly smooth layers.