Method for Coating a Substrate and Metal Alloy Vacuum Deposition Facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018112305-A1
Application number	US-201715851154-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Mar 20, 2007
Publication date	Apr 26, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vacuum deposition facility for continuously depositing coatings formed from metal alloys having at least two metallic elements on a running substrate is provided. The vacuum deposition facility includes a vacuum deposition chamber, a substrate running through the vacuum deposition chamber and an evaporation crucible inside the vacuum deposition chamber. The evaporation crucible includes a heater and a bath of molten metal alloy which has at least two metallic elements in a predetermined and constant ratio. The evaporation crucible evaporates the molten metal alloy into a vapor. The vacuum deposition facility also includes a coater inside the vacuum deposition chamber and connected to the evaporation crucible. The coater sprays a face of the running substrate with the vapor at a sonic velocity in order to deposit a coating on the running substrate. The vapor includes the at least two metallic elements in the predetermined and constant ratio.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vacuum deposition facility for continuously depositing coatings formed from metal alloys comprising at least two metallic elements on a running substrate, comprising:
a vacuum deposition chamber; a substrate running through the vacuum deposition chamber; an evaporation crucible inside the vacuum deposition chamber, the evaporation crucible including a heater and a bath of molten metal alloy including at least two metallic elements in a predetermined and constant ratio, the evaporation crucible evaporating the molten metal alloy into a vapor; a coater inside the vacuum deposition chamber and connected to the evaporation crucible, the coater spraying a face of the running substrate with the vapor at a sonic velocity thereby depositing a coating on the running substrate, the vapor including the at least two metallic elements in the predetermined and constant ratio.

2 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined and constant ratio of the bath remains constant during the depositing.

4 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a furnace for melting metal.

5 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 4 , wherein the furnace is outside the vacuum deposition chamber.

6 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a recirculation pipe for continuously circulating the bath, the recirculation pipe connecting the evaporation crucible to the recharging furnace.

7 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 4 , wherein the furnace and the evaporation crucible are adjacent one another and have a common wall with at least one opening located beneath a level of the metal alloy bath and above a bottom of the furnace and of the evaporation crucible.

8 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 4 , wherein the furnace includes a heater.

9 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 4 , wherein the furnace supplies the molten metal alloy to the evaporation crucible.

10 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a metal ingot feeder connected to the furnace for supplying metal ingots to the furnace for melting.

11 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a pump between the evaporation crucible and the furnace for continuously circulating the bath.

12 . The vacuum deposition facility as recited in claim 6 , further comprising a second pipe for continuously circulating the bath, the second pipe connecting the evaporation crucible to the recharging furnace.

Assignees

• Arcelormittal

Inventors

• Choquet Patrick
• Silberberg Eric
• Schmitz Bruno
• Chaleix Daniel

Classifications

• C23C16/45563

  Gas nozzles · CPC title

• C23C14/24

  Vacuum evaporation · CPC title

• C23C16/06 Primary

  characterised by the deposition of metallic material · CPC title

• C23C14/562

  for coating elongated substrates · CPC title

• C23C14/16 Primary

  on metallic substrates or on substrates of boron or silicon · CPC title