Honeywell International Inc.

Other

Engineered Performance Materials Company, LLC

The Texas A&M University System

Johnson Matthey Electronics, Inc.

Vladimir M Segal

Stephane Ferrasse

Frank C Alford

William B Willett

Susan D Strothers

Jianxing Li

Chi Tse Wu

Ritesh P Shah

Wuwen Yi

Frank A Alford

K Ted Hartwig

Ramon E Goforth

Leonid Segal

The invention includes the hot thermo-mechanical processing of heat-treatable aluminum alloys comprising preparation of the billet material, heating the billet to obtain the temperature for solution treatment, holding the billet at this temperature a sufficient amount of time required for the dissolution of soluble elements, cooling the billet to the temperature necessary for plastic deformation with essential preservation of the solid solution, plastic deformation, immediate quenching of the billet after plastic deformation, and then billet aging at the corresponding temperature and time. Additional plastic deformation may be used between stages of quenching and aging. An embodiment specifies cooling rate, forging temperature and strain rate.

Hot thermo-mechanical processing of heat-treatable aluminum alloys

The invention presents method and apparatus for forming of large thin panels and similar parts having integral stiffeners at one side of a board. The method includes progressive forming of preheated billets into sculptured dies of corresponding length and width by a forging die of substantially identical width and short length with slightly inclined and flat forging surfaces providing a smoothly convergent working zone, and a periodical transfer of the sculptured die into the working zone between successive strokes of the forging die. Control of the material flow is performed by selection of a ratio of the working zone length to the billet thickness, variable contact friction at both dies and application of additional compressive forces to the billet at ends of the working zone. For semi-continuous processing of very long parts, the sculptured die is composed by plurality of sectioned elements. Embodiments of the method are conditions of isothermal and super plastic forming of light alloys with sub-micron grained structures.

Method and apparatus for forming of panels and similar parts

The invention includes a copper-comprising sputtering target. The target is monolithic or bonded and contains at least 99.99% copper by weight and has an average grain size of from 1 micron to 50 microns. The copper-comprising target has a yield strength of greater than or equal to about 15 ksi and a Brinell hardness (HB) of greater than about 40. The invention includes copper alloy monolithic and bonded sputtering targets consisting essentially of less than or equal to about 99.99% copper by weight and a total amount of alloying element(s) of at least 100 ppm and less than 10% by weight. The targets have an average grain size of from less than 1 micron to 50 microns and have a grain size non-uniformity of less than about 15% standard deviation (1-sigma) throughout the target. The invention additionally includes methods of producing bonded and monolithic copper and copper alloy targets.

Copper sputtering targets and methods of forming copper sputtering targets

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) of flat billets to control material structure and properties. The improvements of the method include the special systems of billet orientations, billet lubrication, billet ejection from dies, and a press/die control system those eliminate surface cracks, flashes and billet reshaping or deburring between passes. Therefore, multi-pass ECAE becomes a cost-effective industrial operation and may be applied to large billets.

Method and apparatus for equal channel angular extrusion of flat billets

A shear-extrusion method of severe plastic deformation for fabrication of metal shapes with ultra-fine structures is described. The improvements of the method include unidirectional shear of any required intensity during one step processing and under high hydrostatic pressures, fabrication of long products with different cross-sections, refinement of low ductile alloys, the increase of productivity and cost reduction. The method can be realized as forward extrusion, backward extrusion, semi continuous extrusion and extrusion of hollow shapes in portal dies with a welding chamber.

Shear-extrusion method

The invention includes a method of forming an aluminum-comprising physical vapor deposition target. An aluminum-comprising mass is deformed by equal channel angular extrusion. The mass is at least 99.99% aluminum and further comprises less than or equal to about 1,000 ppm of one or more dopant materials comprising elements selected from the group consisting of Ac, Ag, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, C, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, In, Ir, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, N, Nb, Nd, Ni, O, Os, P, Pb, Pd, Pm, Po, Pr, Pt, Pu, Ra, Rf, Rh, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Te, Ti, Tl, Tm, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn and Zr. After the aluminum-comprising mass is deformed, the mass is shaped into at least a portion of a sputtering target. The invention also encompasses a physical vapor deposition target consisting essentially of aluminum and less than or equal to 1,000 ppm of one or more dopant materials comprising elements selected from the group consisting of Ac, Ag, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, C, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, In, Ir, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, N, Nb, Nd, Ni, O, Os, P, Pb, Pd, Pm, Po, Pr, Pt, Pu, Ra, Rf, Rh, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Te, Ti, Tl, Tm, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn and Zr. Additionally, the invention encompasses thin films.

Methods of forming aluminum-comprising physical vapor deposition targets; sputtered films; and target constructions

The invention includes a physical vapor deposition target composed of a face centered cubic unit cell metal or alloy and having a uniform grain size less than 30 microns, preferably less than 1 micron; and a uniform axial or planar &#x3c;220&#x3e; texture. Also described is a method for making sputtering targets. The method can comprise billet preparation; equal channel angular extrusion with a prescribed route and number of passes; and cross-rolling or forging subsequent to the equal channel angular extrusion.

Physical vapor deposition targets, and methods of fabricating metallic materials

Methods of fabricating metallic materials

Described is a high quality sputtering target and method of manufacture which involves application of equal channel angular extrusion.

Sputtering targets formed from cast materials

Methods of fabricating articles and sputtering targets

Described is the production of a metal article with fine metallurgical structure and texture by a process that includes forging and rolling and control of the forging and rolling conditions. Also described is a metal article with a minimum of statically crystallized grain size difference in grain size at any location of less than about &plusmn;3%, as well as a dispersion in orientation content ratio of textures of less than about &plusmn;4% at any location.

Process for producing a metal article

Described is the production of a metal article with fine metallurgical structure and texture by a process that includes forging and rolling and control of the forging and rolling conditions. Also described is a metal article with a minimum of statically crystallized grain size and a uniform (100) cubic texture.

Tantalum-comprising articles

Described is a polycrystalline, metallic sputtering target with a minimum of statically crystallized grain size difference in grain size at any location of less than about &plusmn;3%, as well as a dispersion in orientation content ratio of textures of less than about &plusmn;4% at any location.

Polycrystalline, metallic sputtering target

Methods and apparatus are described for the plastic deformation of flat rectangular billets. Simultaneous extrusion of two flat rectangular billets through a die having channels of equal cross-sectional area alters billet material structure, texture, and physicomechanical properties without altering billet dimensions. The extrusion system of the present invention prolongs die lifetime, increases punch stability, decreases punch working load and pressure requirements, eliminates the difficulties associated with lubricating movable parts of the die under high pressure and temperature, optimizes use of press space, and provides for automatic and independent ejection of extruded billets from the die. The methods of plastic deformation processing of flat rectangular billets in the present invention allow for the production of a variety of structural, textural, and physicomechanical properties previously unobtainable for large flat rectangular billets.

Growing community of inventors

Howell, MI, United States of America

Vladimir M Segal