Microstructure of an Si-Cr-Co alloy for magnetron sputtering targets

The influence of the cooling rate on the microstructure of an Si-54% Cr-6% Co cast alloy for magnetron sputtering targets is discussed. The alloy contains highly brittle phases CrSi, CrSi 2 and Cr 3 Co 5 Si 2 . It is experimentally established that the required quality of a cast target of the considered composition cannot be achieved at high cooling rates of the alloy. Slow cooling can be achieved using a heated casting mold by adjusting the alloy cooling rate. It has been demonstrated that the alloy has the most uniform structure and the lowest porosity at cooling rates in the range 0.5–5°C/s.