Improved method of coating articles of all kinds with thin layers of metals or metalloids

Abstract

Abstract In coating articles in a vacuum with metals or metalloids by thermal vaporization of the coating material the metal or metalloid is deposited as a coating on an electrically conductive carrier material of high melting point which does not alloy or combine with the metal or metalloid. For example, tantalum wire may be coated electrolytically with silver which is then vaporized and deposited on the article to be coated by passing an electric current through the tantalum wire in a vacuum. For coating with cadmium, the cadmium may be applied to a cobalt carrier by drawing a cobalt wire through molten cadmium. The carrier may comprise a protective layer, which will not alloy or combine with the substance to be vaporized, applied to a substance with which the substance to be vaporized would alloy or combine, e.g. for coating with gold tantalum wire is coated with a layer of tantalum carbide and gold is then applied electrolytically. In another example tantalum wire is coated with tantalum carbide and silicon is then deposited thereon by heating in an atmosphere of silicon hydride, the silicon being then vaporized on to the article to be coated by heating the tantalum wire electrically in a vacuum.

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