Metal coated fibre forming apparatus and method of forming a metal coated fibre

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016177434-A1
Application number	US-201514957050-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of forming a metal coated fibre ( 2 ). The method comprises: providing a sputter coating apparatus ( 10 ) comprising a deposition chamber ( 12 ) containing a target filament ( 6 ); applying a negative direct current biasing voltage to the filament ( 6 ); wherein the bias is alternately pulsed between a high power condition and a low power condition.

First claim

1 . A method of forming a metal coated fibre, the method comprising:
providing a sputter coating apparatus comprising a deposition chamber containing a target filament; applying a negative direct current biasing voltage to the filament; wherein the bias is alternately pulsed between a high power condition and a low power condition.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing current is pulsed between the high and low voltage conditions at a cycle frequency of between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises applying the biasing current at a 50% duty cycle.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the high power condition comprises a voltage of between approximately − 30 and −100 Volts.

5 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the low power condition comprises approximately 0 Volts.

6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the filament comprises any of silicon carbide, alumina, and glass fibre.

7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal coating comprises titanium or titanium alloy.

8 . A metal coated fibre forming apparatus comprising:
a sputtering apparatus comprising a deposition chamber configured to contain a target filament; and a biasing apparatus, wherein the biasing apparatus is configured to provide a biasing voltage to the target filament, the biasing voltage being arranged to pulse between a high power condition and a low power condition.

9 . An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the apparatus comprises first and second fibre transport assemblies configured to pass a fibre between the first and second fibre transport assemblies to provide a plurality of fibre loops located within the hollow cathode, and to apply a biasing voltage to the fibre.

10 . An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein each fibre transport arrangement comprises a plurality of pulleys, each pulley comprising a conductive material, and wherein the fibre biasing arrangement further comprises a power supply electrically connected to one or both of the first and second fibre transport assemblies.

11 . An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second fibre transport assemblies are arranged such that the fibres are spaced a distance apart within the apparatus such that there is substantially no interference between the electrical fields caused by the biasing current.

12 . An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the distance is approximately 5 mm or more.

13 . An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the filament comprises any of silicon carbide, alumina, and glass fibre.

14 . An apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the metal coating comprises titanium or titanium alloy.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Twigg Edwin Stephen

Classifications

• C22C49/14

  characterised by the fibres or filaments · CPC title

• C22C47/04

  by coating, e.g. with a protective or activated covering · CPC title

• H01J37/32596

  Hollow cathodes · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title

• C23C14/562

  for coating elongated substrates · CPC title