Ceramic Injection Molding Sputtering Targets
Ceramic injection molding combines the efficiency and flexibility of plastic injection molding with the near-net-shape advantages of powder metallurgy. With its advanced ceramic injection molding technology, Wstitanium provides a full range of solutions for manufacturing high-quality, high-performance ceramic sputtering targets.
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Ceramic Injection Molding for Sputtering Target Manufacturing
Ceramic injection molding (CIM), as an advanced technology that combines the high efficiency and flexibility of plastic injection molding with the near-net-shape characteristics of powder metallurgy, provides a practical and highly competitive solution for manufacturing complex-shaped, high-precision ceramic sputtering targets. As a company specializing in ceramic injection molding and manufacturing ceramic sputtering targets, Wstitanium continuously explores and innovates ceramic injection molding technology with its deep technical accumulation, advanced manufacturing equipment and strict quality control system, and provides you with customized sputtering target solutions.
What is ceramic injection molding?
Ceramic injection molding (CIM) is a branch of powder injection molding (PIM) technology and a net size molding technology. It is designed to mass-produce small, complex, and high-precision ceramic sputtering targets. This technology is similar to metal injection molding (MIM) and includes five key stages: mixing, injection molding, debinding and sintering, and post-processing.
It can quickly and automatically manufacture sputtering targets in large quantities, and can accurately control filling and uniform density. The sputtering target shrinkage is low after sintering. The tolerance is ±0.05%~0.2%. Difficult-to-process ceramic sputtering targets with special shapes such as horizontal holes, inclined holes, concave and convex surfaces, threads, and thin walls can be formed without machining or only micro-machining, which reduces costs.
Ceramic Injection Molding VS Ceramic Powder Metallurgy
Ceramic injection molding (CIM) and ceramic powder metallurgy are two advanced manufacturing processes for making high-precision ceramic sputtering targets. Both technologies have their unique advantages and are suitable for different customization needs. Understanding these differences will help you choose the most appropriate technology for a specific sputtering target project.
Ceramic Injection Molding
CIM is a process of injecting ceramic powder mixed with polymer and binder into a mold to create a sputtering target. This technology is similar to plastic injection molding and can accurately manufacture products with complex geometries. After molding, it goes through a debinding process and then sintered at high temperature. The sintering process densifies the green body, resulting in a sputtering target with an excellent surface. CIM has a dimensional tolerance within ±0.5%. The process supports large-scale production, maintaining batch-to-batch consistency and quality.
Ceramic Powder Metallurgy
Ceramic powder metallurgy involves applying pressure and heat to ceramic powder within a mold. This technology densifies ceramic materials without a binder, creating sputtering targets with very high density and excellent properties. Hot pressing can achieve density levels close to theoretical, making the sputtering targets produced extremely hard. However, the shapes achievable through powder metallurgy are generally simpler than CIM, with tolerances of approximately ±1%. This technology is well suited for sputtering targets that require high material strength.
Wstitanium Ceramic Injection Molding Capabilities
Wstitanium has demonstrated many outstanding advantages in the field of ceramic sputtering targets manufactured by ceramic injection molding. From the selection and innovation of raw materials, to advanced injection molding, debinding and sintering processes, to large-scale manufacturing capabilities, strict quality control systems, professional knowledge reserves and continuous innovation capabilities, Wstitanium can provide you with high-quality, high-performance ceramic sputtering targets.
- Min wall thickness: 0.4 mm
- Min custom part size: 1×2×2 mm
- Max custom part size: 400×400×80 mm
- Min net weight: 0.1g
- Max net weight: 450g
- Cost effective Max weight:100g
- Min tolerance: ± 0.005 mm
- Max Efficiency: 10K pcs per day
- Precision design reference: 0.1%
Ceramic Powder Capacity
The particle size and distribution of ceramic powders have a crucial impact on the injection molding process and target material performance. When selecting ceramic powders, Wstitanium strictly controls its particle size between 0.5 and 5μm, and its purity must reach more than 99.99%, ensuring that the powder has good fluidity and filling properties, which is conducive to uniformly filling the mold cavity during injection molding and obtaining high-precision blanks.
Binder Options
Wstitanium has selected a variety of binders for different ceramic powder and target applications, including thermoplastic binders, thermosetting binders and water-soluble binders. Thermoplastic binders such as paraffin, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. have good fluidity and formability, can soften when heated, and are easy to inject. Thermosetting binders such as phenolic resin and epoxy resin can undergo cross-linking reactions under certain conditions, so that the blank has higher strength and dimensional stability. Water-soluble binders such as polyvinyl alcohol and carboxymethyl cellulose have the advantages of environmental protection and fast degreasing speed. Through in-depth research and analysis of the characteristics of different binders, Wstitanium can make reasonable selections and optimize combinations according to actual needs.
Injection Molding Equipment
Wstitanium invests in internationally leading ceramic injection molding equipment, equipped with high-precision temperature control systems, pressure monitoring systems and injection speed adjustment systems to ensure the fluidity and formability of the feed. The pressure monitoring system monitors the injection pressure in real time to avoid defects in the blank due to excessive or insufficient pressure. The injection speed adjustment system can accurately adjust the injection speed according to the shape and size of the mold cavity to ensure that the feed can fill the mold cavity evenly and quickly.
Mold Design and Manufacturing
The mold is one of the key elements of injection molding. Wstitanium’s internal 5-axis CNC machining center, EDM/WEDM, accurately designs and manufactures molds according to the shape and size of the target material. The mold material is high-quality steel with high hardness, high wear resistance and good thermal stability, such as mold steel, alloy steel, etc., and undergoes strict heat treatment process to increase the service life of the mold. Wstitanium’s advanced mirror polishing technology and coating treatment technology make the cavity surface smooth, reduce the friction between the blank and the mold, and improve the surface finish of the blank. At the same time, the mold is designed with reasonable gates, runners and exhaust systems to ensure that the feed can fill the mold cavity evenly and quickly, avoiding defects such as pores and material shortages.
Optimization
The optimization of injection molding process parameters is a key link to ensure the quality of sputtering target blanks. Wstitanium has conducted in-depth research and optimization on parameters such as injection pressure, injection speed, injection temperature, holding time and cooling time through a lot of practical experience. The injection pressure is precisely adjusted according to the structure of the mold, the fluidity of the feed and the shape and size of the target to ensure that the feed can fully fill the mold cavity, while avoiding defects such as mold damage or flash and deformation of the blank due to excessive pressure.
Debinding
Debinding is a key process for removing the binder from the sputtering target blank. Thermal debinding is to heat the blank at a certain temperature to gradually decompose and volatilize the binder. Through experiments and simulation analysis, Wstitanium controls the heating rate between 0.5 and 5℃/min. The specific rate is precisely adjusted according to factors such as the shape, size, binder content and properties of the blank. The insulation temperature and time are optimized according to the type of binder and the condition of the blank. Generally, the insulation temperature is between 400 and 800℃ and the insulation time is between 1 and 5 hours. During solvent debinding, Wstitanium strictly controls parameters such as solvent concentration, immersion time and temperature. By optimizing these parameters, it ensures that the binder can be fully dissolved and the blank does not deform.
Sintering
Sintering is a key step to densify the ceramic sputtering target blank after debinding and obtain the required performance. Wstitanium improves the sintering performance of the green body and the density and performance of the target material by optimizing the sintering atmosphere and adding sintering aids. Hot pressing sintering is to heat and sinter the green body while applying pressure, which can reduce the sintering temperature, shorten the sintering time, and improve the density and performance of the target material. Wstitanium has improved efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs by optimizing the hot isostatic pressing sintering process, making it widely used in the manufacture of high-end ceramic sputtering targets.
Post-processing
After sintering, the ceramic sputtering target may need to be CNC processed to meet the requirements of dimensional accuracy and surface quality. It also needs to include cutting, grinding, polishing, etc. Cutting can use diamond cutting blades, laser cutting and other methods to cut the target into the required size and shape. Grinding and polishing are to improve the surface flatness and finish of the target and reduce the surface roughness. Grinding usually uses grinding discs and grinding paste to remove tiny bumps on the surface of the target by CNC grinding.
Ceramic Sputtering Target Gallery
