Metallic coatings on silicon substrates, and methods of forming metallic coatings on silicon substrates

Patent · 11 March 2008

OSTI ID:970494

Branagan, Daniel J ^[1]; Hyde, Timothy A ^[1]; Fincke, James R ^[2]

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1. Idaho Falls, ID
2. Los Alamos, NM

The invention includes methods of forming a metallic coating on a substrate which contains silicon. A metallic glass layer is formed over a silicon surface of the substrate. The invention includes methods of protecting a silicon substrate. The substrate is provided within a deposition chamber along with a deposition target. Material from the deposition target is deposited over at least a portion of the silicon substrate to form a protective layer or structure which contains metallic glass. The metallic glass comprises iron and one or more of B, Si, P and C. The invention includes structures which have a substrate containing silicon and a metallic layer over the substrate. The metallic layer contains less than or equal to about 2 weight % carbon and has a hardness of at least 9.2 GPa. The metallic layer can have an amorphous microstructure or can be devitrified to have a nanocrystalline microstructure.

• Research Organization: Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC (Idaho Falls, ID)
• Sponsoring Organization: United States Department of Energy
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-99ID13727
• Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (Idaho Falls, ID)
• Patent Number(s): 7,341,765
• Application Number: 10/918,287
• OSTI ID: 970494
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE