ceramic etched components
Ceramic metallization is a process in which a layer of metal is deposited onto the substrate ceramic surface to provide a wettable surface for subsequent brazing.

Our Ceramic Metallization Process

Our ceramic metallization process uses proprietary thick film molybdenum/manganese and molybdenum/manganese/tungsten paints as the base layer on a ceramic substrate. This unique formulation developed and produced entirely in-house enables a hermetic ceramic to metal bond in a brazed assembly.

To prevent oxidation and to improve wettability after the metallization paint is sintered into the ceramic at high temperature, it is plated using either electroless or electrolytic plating or nickel oxide paint. Metallization and nickel thickness is measured using XRF technology to ensure desired thickness specifications are met.

With more than five decades of industry experience, the Elcon team has expertise in a variety of application methods and is capable of metallizing on flat, cylindrical, and complex ceramic bodies, from prototyping through production.

Benefits

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  • Strong, robust bond
  • Minimal substrate deformation
  • Universal applicability for ceramic metal joining
  • High processing speeds
  • Uniform coating, thickness, and density

Capabilities

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  • Metallization of ceramics and sapphires
  • Metallization on flat, cylindrical, and complex ceramic bodies
  • Multiple application methods: Brush, screen-printing, spray, and needle
  • Outer-diameter and inner-diameter banding
  • Testing
    • Vacuum leak testing up to 10-10 Torr
    • Thickness measurement using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) 

Specifications

View applications for ceramic metallization, the materials and equipment we use, and more below.

Gallery
Applications

Applications

  • High vacuum feed throughs
  • Traveling wave tubes
  • Vacuum electronics
  • X-ray and electron beam guns
  • Photonics
  • Neutron generators
  • Klystrons
  • Defense
  • Solar
  • Relay insulators
  • E-beam technology
  • Defense
  • Solar 
  • Energy storage/batteries
  • Aerospace
  • Biomedical
  • Communications
  • Medical devices
  • Semiconductor
  • Optical
ceramic etched products
Materials

Materials

  • Metallization paints
    • Moly-manganese
    • Tungsten-manganese
    • Moly-tungsten-manganese
  • Base materials for metallization
    • Aluminum oxide
    • Beryllium oxide 
    • Sapphire
    • ALN
    • ZTA
    • Zirconia
ceramic etched products
Equipment

Equipment

  • Camco hydrogen and vacuum furnaces
  • Semi-automated paint application stations
  • Screen printers
  • Plating baths
vacuum etching equipment
Standards

Standards

  • ISO 9001:2015
  • AS9100D
  • ITAR
  • MIL-C-14550B (copper plating)
  • AS9100
  • MIL-G-45204 (gold plating)
  • AMS-QQ-N-290 (nickel plating)
  • QQ-S-365D (silver plating)
  • REACH
  • RoHS
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Applications

  • High vacuum feed throughs
  • Traveling wave tubes
  • Vacuum electronics
  • X-ray and electron beam guns
  • Photonics
  • Neutron generators
  • Klystrons
  • Defense
  • Solar
  • Relay insulators
  • E-beam technology
  • Defense
  • Solar 
  • Energy storage/batteries
  • Aerospace
  • Biomedical
  • Communications
  • Medical devices
  • Semiconductor
  • Optical
ceramic etched products

Materials

  • Metallization paints
    • Moly-manganese
    • Tungsten-manganese
    • Moly-tungsten-manganese
  • Base materials for metallization
    • Aluminum oxide
    • Beryllium oxide 
    • Sapphire
    • ALN
    • ZTA
    • Zirconia
ceramic etched products

Equipment

  • Camco hydrogen and vacuum furnaces
  • Semi-automated paint application stations
  • Screen printers
  • Plating baths
vacuum etching equipment

Standards

  • ISO 9001:2015
  • AS9100D
  • ITAR
  • MIL-C-14550B (copper plating)
  • AS9100
  • MIL-G-45204 (gold plating)
  • AMS-QQ-N-290 (nickel plating)
  • QQ-S-365D (silver plating)
  • REACH
  • RoHS
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Sapphire Metallization

Single crystal sapphire is a high-purity, optically clear form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that can be used in many harsh environments. In applications where sapphire needs to be bonded to metal, epoxy or other gluing methods can be used, but brazing is usually a much better option. Unlike gluing, brazing creates a hermetic, high-temperature seal – ideal for harsh or vacuum applications. Due to its purity, bare sapphire will not attach to braze or solder alloys on its own, so an intermediary metal, usually molybdenum/manganese (Mo/Mn), is needed. Our Mo/Mn matrix is specifically made for brazing sapphire and will create a bond that can withstand extreme temperatures (-40°C to 800°C) and provide a hermetic seal down to 10-9 torr. l/sec.

Elcon Precision metallizes and electroplates sapphire lenses, windows, and wafers to prepare them for hermetic brazing into a metal housing. The thick film metallization is applied using various methods including brush, spray, screen-printing, or our dual station robot. In order to preserve the optical properties of the sapphire lens or wafer, we typically only metallize and braze the outer diameter of the part.

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Our team is here and ready to start talking, whatever your application may be. Request a quote today to send us your thoughts and get your project moving.

 

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