Powder Metallurgy Route for the Synthesis of Multiprincipal Element Alloys Sputtering Targets. Issue 8 (27th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Colombini, Elena; Lassinantti Gualtieri, Magdalena; Mortalò, Cecilia; Deambrosis, Silvia Maria; Montagner, Francesco; Zin, Valentina; Miorin, Enrico; Valsecchi, Giorgio; Fabrizio, Monica; Veronesi, Paolo
• Is Part Of: Advanced engineering materials. Volume 24:Issue 8(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-03-27
• Subjects: high-entropy alloys -- microstructures -- multiprincipal element alloys -- powder metallurgy -- sputtering -- targets; Materials -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adem.202101518
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1438-1656

Abstract

Abstract : Sputter deposition of multiprincipal element alloys (MPEAs) is a relatively new field of research with high functional potential. The multicomponent design space is immense and practically unexplored. An important obstacle for academic research of such sputtered films is the availability of single‐alloy targets and technical difficulties in using cosputtering of multiple metal targets or powder targets. This article focuses on the development of a simple powder metallurgy route, including cold uniaxial pressing of powder mixtures followed by pressureless sintering, for the preparation of targets made of two common base alloys forming simple solid solutions, i.e., FeNiCrCo and FeNiCrMn. In addition, targets of the former one containing 10 at% Al are also prepared. The sintered pellets are composed of randomly oriented crystallites with face‐centered cubic structures and an optimum chemical homogeneity. Oxide inclusions and residual porosity, inherent to consolidation and sintering of metal precursors, are observed and possible solutions to overcome these challenging problems are discussed. Nevertheless, encouraging results from preliminary deposition tests of FeNiCrCoAl0.4 using both direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) and high‐power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) are presented. Abstract : Powder metallurgy is promising for the synthesis of sputtering targets made of multiprincipal element alloys (MPEAs), as verified in this work through preliminary deposition tests using magneton sputtering techniques. Uniaxial compaction of mixes of elemental powders (FeNiCrCo, FeNiCrMn, FeNiCrMnAl0.4 ) followed by pressureless sintering leads to in situ formation of simple solid solution alloys (face‐centered cubic [fcc] structure) with good chemical homogeneity.