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American Elements specializes in producing high density ultra high purity (99.9% to 99.9999%) sputtering targets for all of these applications using both vacuum melt/casting and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technology. Sputtering targets are available monoblock or bonded with dimensions and configurations up to 820 mm with hole drill locations and threading, beveling, grooves and backing designed to work with both older sputtering devises as well as the latest process equipment, such as large area coating and flip-chip applications. Research sized targets are also produced as well as custom sizes and alloys. All targets are analyzed using best demonstrated techniques including X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS), and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP).

Applications for sputtering targets have continued to expand. The most recent uses are described below. When relevant, properties and latest research are also covered.

Sputtering Targets for Electronics and Semiconductors. The first commercial use for the sputtering target was in semiconductors and electronics for front end and back end packaging, diffusion barriers, compounds, phase change memory, IC interconnects, micro contacts, and in sensors, MEMs and LEDs. Sputtering targets of copper and copper alloys including copper-nickel, copper-chrome are manufactured for packaging and other applications, as well as, nickel and many nickel alloys including nickel-aluminum, nickel-vanadium, nickel-platinum, nickel-copper and nickel-chrome. Aluminum is available in its elemental form and alloyed with copper and silicon as aluminum-copper, aluminum-silicon and aluminum-copper-silicon. Elemental titanium is available up to 99.999% purity and alloyed in titanium-tungsten. The conductive and solder wetting properties of gold make it an important deposition material, including gold alloys such as gold-tin, gold-antimony, gold-silicon, gold-copper, and gold-germanium. Recent materials include Phase Change Alloys such as germanium-antimony alloyed with tellurium, silver, indium and platinum and transparent conductive oxides (TCO) for light emitting applications such as sensors and light emitting diodes (LED). These include indium-tin oxide (ITO) and zinc oxide doped with aluminum and other elements (ZnO). American Elements also produces ultra high purity sputtering targets for electronic applications including hafnium, molybdenum, silver, iridium, rhodium and ruthenium.

Anti-abrasive coatings for Wear Protection. Electroplating of tool, die, drilling and cutting tool active surfaces to protect against wear and extend life has given way in recent years to the deposition of these coating materials as a more cost effective alternative. Typical protective materials using sputtering targets include titanium, titanium-carbide, silicon carbide, boron carbide, aluminum, nickel, chromium and tungsten-carbide.

Magnetic Materials. The use of high strength magnets have found application is numerous industries including automotive, aerospace, biomedical imaging and auditory engineering. Sputtering targets of these advanced magnetic materials are manufactured by American Elements from samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron alloy.

Optical and Architectural Glass. The ability of certain elements to selectively absorb and emit highly specific wave length ranges and also reduce glare due to their high refractive index when deposited on a glass substrate resulted in the development of sputtering and evaporation materials of elemental rare earths, such as neodymium and dysprosium and many other optically active and anti-reflective (AR) materials. More recently, architectural glass for residential, commercial and office building applications has benefited from the availability of these same coatings.

Photovoltaic Solar Energy Panels. The three primary solar energy technologies, silicon based, Copper Indium Selenide (CIS) and Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) are layered structures that require sputtering targets at several stages including certain transparent conductive oxides (TCO) such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and doped zinc oxide as the top electrode, molybdenum as the back plate, and antimony-telluride and zinc-telluride in CIS and CIG photovoltaic cells.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. Typical solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) designs contain an electronically conductive low density cathode, a high density, ionically conductive electrolyte and an electronically conductive open air electrode. New technology is being developed for the deposition of these layers. Sputtering targets are produced by American Elements to meet the needs of each of these layers including Perovskite cathode materials including Lanthanum Strontium Manganite (LSM), Lanthanum Strontium Ferrite (LSF), Lanthanum Strontium Cobaltite Ferrite (LSCF), Lanthanum Strontium Chromite (LSC), and Lanthanum Strontium Gallate Magnesite (LSGM) with doping levels and other parameters to customer specifications and ionically conductive electrolytes including YSZ, SCZ (Scandium doped Zirconia), Samarium doped Ceria, Gadolinium doped Ceria and Yttrium doped Ceria. These fuel cells materials are marketed under the trademark AE Fuel CellsT.

Data Storage. Sputtering targets are now essential to the coating and manufacturing of optical storage devices such as CDs and DVDs to provide both wear protection and reflectivity.

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