Claims
- 1. A process for preparing a boronized ion source structure for use in ion beam evaporation of a boron-containing source alloy from an ion beam source, comprising the steps of:
- furnishing an ion source structure substrate;
- coating the ion source structure substrate with boron to form a substrate-boron couple at the surface of the substrate; and
- heating the substrate boron couple in a vacuum or inert atmosphere to a temperature of at least the interface solidus temperature of the substrate-boron couple for less than about one minute thereby forming a liquid layer at the interface of the couple.
- 2. The process of claim 1, wherein said ion source structure substrate is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, boron carbide, and boron-enriched boron carbide.
- 3. The process of claim 1, wherein said steps of coating includes the substeps of:
- suspending elemental boron powder in a liquid carrier vehicle to form a boron-containing mixture; and
- coating the boron-containing mixture onto the surface of the evaporation substrate.
- 4. The process of claim 1, wherein said step of heating is accomplished in a vacuum.
- 5. The process of claim 1, wherein said step of heating is accomplished in a gaseous inert atmosphere.
- 6. The process of claim 1, wherein the maximum temperature in said step of heating is about 2300.degree. C. to about 2450.degree. C.
- 7. The process of claim 1, wherein the ion source structure includes a needle emitter.
- 8. An ion source structure prepared by the process of claim 1.
- 9. A process for preparing a wetted ion source structure for use in ion beam evaporation of a boron-containing source alloy from an ion beam source, comprising the steps of:
- furnishing an ion source structure substrate;
- mixing elemental boron powder into the powdered source alloy to form a boron-augmented source alloy; and
- contacting the boron-augmented source alloy to the substrate in a vacuum or inert atmosphere at a temperature of at least the solidus temperature of the source alloy for less than about one minute, whereby the boron-augmented source alloy wets the substrate.
- 10. The process of claim 9, including the further step, prior to said step of contacting of:
- boronizing the ion source structure substrate.
- 11. The process of claim 10, wherein said step of boronizing includes the substeps of:
- coating the ion source structure substrate with boron to form a substrate-boron couple at the surface of the substrate;
- heating the coated substrate to a temperature of at least the interface solidus temperature of the substrate-boron couple for less than 1/2 second, thereby forming a liquid layer at the interface of the couple; and
- cooling the substrate to a temperature of less than the interface solidus temperature of the substrate-boron couple.
- 12. The process of claim 11 wherein said ion source structure substrate is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a boron carbide and boron-enriched boron carbide.
- 13. The process of claim 11, wherein said step of coating includes the substeps of:
- suspending elemental boron powder in a liquid carrier vehicle to form a boron-containing mixture; and
- applying the boron-containing mixture to the surface of the ion source structure substrate.
- 14. The process of claim 9, wherein the temperature reached in said step of contacting is from about 1100.degree. C. to about 1600.degree. C.
- 15. The process of claim 9, wherein the source alloy is selected from the group consisting of boron-platinum, boron-nickel, boron-palladium-nickel, and boron-arsenic-palladium-nickel.
- 16. The process of claim 9, wherein said step of contacting includes the substeps of:
- furnishing a mixture of powdered boron and powdered source alloy;
- suspending the mixture in a liquid carrier vehicle to form a boron-containing source alloy mixture, coating the boron-containing source alloy mixture onto the substrate to form a coated substrate; and
- heating the coated substrate to a temperature of at least the melting temperature of the boron-containing source alloy mixture.
- 17. A wetted source structure prepared by the process of claim 9.
Government Interests
The Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. 81-F-597000 awarded by the Department of the Air Force.
US Referenced Citations (5)