Manufacturing a crucible for containment using non-wetting materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9822442-B2
Application number	US-201514951178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A method of containing molten aluminum using non-wetting materials comprising depositing MgAl 2 O 4 , or one selected from an oxide, Al 2 O 3 , nitride, AlN, BN, carbide, and SiC, onto a crucible. An apparatus for containment of molten aluminum using non-wetting materials comprising a layer of MgAl 2 O 4 , or one selected from an oxide, Al 2 O 3 , nitride, AlN, BN, carbide, and SiC, deposited onto a crucible.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A method of manufacturing a crucible comprising:
masking off a crucible using a mask to confine any deposition to the rim of the crucible;
depositing a non-wetting material onto the crucible; and
rotating the crucible during deposition;
wherein the step of depositing the non-wetting material onto the crucible was via RF magnetron sputtering and wherein the RF magnetron sputtering was at an energy density of ˜9 W/cm 2 and a pressure of 1-10 mT and wherein the crucible was held at room temperature for an estimated non-wetting material film thickness of at least 500 mm.

2. The method of manufacturing a crucible of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
removing the mask from the crucible; and
cleaning the crucible using solvents.

3. The method of manufacturing a crucible of claim 1 wherein the step of rotating the crucible during deposition was at ˜10 rpm during deposition.

4. The method of manufacturing a crucible of claim 1 wherein the non-wetting material is one selected from the group consisting of MgAl 2 O 4 , oxides, Al 2 O 3 , nitrides, AlN, BN, carbides, and SiC.

5. A method of manufacturing a crucible for containment of a molten substance using non-wetting materials comprising:
masking off a crucible using a mask to confine any deposition to the rim of the crucible;
depositing a non-wetting material onto the crucible; and
rotating the crucible during deposition;
wherein the step of depositing the non-wetting material onto the crucible was via RF magnetron sputtering and wherein the RF magnetron sputtering was at an energy density of ˜9 W/cm 2 and a pressure of 1-10 mT and wherein the crucible was held at room temperature for an estimated non-wetting material film thickness of at least 500 nm; and
wherein the non-wetting material stops a molten substance at an edge of the non-wetting material and wherein the molten substance will not advance further.

6. The method of manufacturing a crucible for containment of a molten substance using non-wetting materials of claim 5 wherein the non-wetting material has a surface energy that results in a contact angle of about 90° or greater when in contact with the molten substance.

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Myers Jason D
• Frantz Jesse A
• Villalobos Guillermo R
• Sanghera Jasbinder S
• Sadowski Bryan
• Bekele Robel Y

Classifications

• C23C14/35 Primary

  by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C23C14/08

  Oxides (C23C14/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/0635

  Carbides · CPC title

• C23C14/0647

  Boron nitride · CPC title

• C23C14/0641

  Nitrides (C23C14/0617 takes precedence) · CPC title