Preparation And Characterization Of Cu-coated On The Surface Of β-siC Powder

Since the 20 th century, with the new technologies rising of electronic technology, aerospace, energy, computers, lasers, communications, optoelectronics, biomedical, and environment protections, the higher tequirement have been put forward on materials, which promotes the rapid development of inorganic non-metallic materials. The excellent properties of inorganic non-metallic materials with high crushing strength, high hardness, high temperature resistant, corrosion resistance and so on, which are better than metal materials and polymer materials. SiC, as an excellent inorganic non-metallic materials, are widely used in electronics, information, precision processing technology, military industry, aerospace, special ceramic materials and reinforced materials etc., and have attracted more and more attention. To improve the wettability between ceramic and metal, surface modification technologies were employed to solve this problem. Both the electroless plating and magnetron sputtering technologies were used to fabricated the metal copper film on the surface of β-SiC powder in the present study. The surface morphology, phase composition, roughness, bending strength, film thickness, depositon process and deposition mechanism of the copper film on β-SiC powder were in-depth studied and the results were reasonable interpretation. Moreover, the comparison between electroless palting and magnetron sputtering on the surface of β-SiC powder were comparied in detail.The copper film of β-SiC powder surface were prepared successfully by using the optimized electroless plating process. The copper film were uniform and compact, and bonded well with β-SiC powder. β-Si C powder remained better dispersed in the plating solution by the mechanical agitating, so that the copper coating was easily achieved on microns β-SiC particles(β-Si Cp), β-SiC whisker(β-SiCw), β-SiC nanoparticles(nano β-SiCp) by the electroless plating technology. Because of the ultra-fine powder, the oxygen in plating solution could easily adsorbed by the crystalline copper on the ultra-fine powder in the process of electroless plating, tiny Cu2 O was generated. The growth process of copper film by electroless plating belonged to island depositional model. The copper atoms adhered to the catalytic and activated particles of β-SiC surface, and form a continuous copper film eventually.The copper film on the β-SiCp surface was successfully achieved by using a multifuction magnetron sputtering equipment. Compared to electroless plating film, the copper film by magnetron sputtering was more uniform, compact, complete. The bending strength between the copper film and β-SiCp by magnetron sputtering were better than that of electroless plating copper film. To ensure the sputtered copper film on any position of β-SiCp powder, the ultrasound system and mechanical oscillation frequency of the equipment were adjusted. The effect of sputtering time, sputtering powder and substrate temperature were studied, the results showed that: the crystallinity of copper film, film thickness, roughness and grain size of surface copper increased with extension of sputtering time, increase of sputtering powder, rised of substrate temperature. The deposition of magnetron sputtering copper film on β-SiC surface was dynamic deposition process, the mechanism of dynamic deposition belonged to island deposition, attached to layered hybrid growth mechanism.Though both the electroless plating and magnetron sputtering on β-SiC powder, could achieved the modification, the techmical principle, process, film property, cost and application field were quiet different. Copper film thickness and roughness of electroless plating were greater than magnetron sputtering, but the copper film uniformity and bending strength of electroless plating were weaker than that of magnetron sputtering. Electroless plating was a kind of chemical method, operated complex, and the waste water and gas from electroless plating populated environment. Magnetron sputtering was conducted in a vaccum deposition chamber. The copper by the magnetron sputtering was more uniform, compact and high purity, but the cost of the magnetron sputtering was more 3-5 times than electroless plating.