Hafnium Dioxide for Coatings: Production, Deposition, and Properties
In their latest co-authored technical paper, Samuel Pellicori and David Sanchez, discuss the role Hafnium Dioxide in optical coatings, including production, deposition and properties. The paper also discusses how Hafnium Dioxide is used in semiconductor and thin film capacitor applications, specifically how and why HfO2 plays an integral role in the performance of ultraviolet and Near InfraRed spectroscopy lasers.
An Introduction to Hafnium Dioxide
Hafnium (Hf) metal is found in small quantities associated with Zirconium (Zr) ores. Its low abundance, complex extraction and purification technology, and specific uses render it an expensive metal. The larger energy and defense market for Zr produces relatively pure Hf metal and oxide as classified by the residual Zr content. While similarly durable, in contrast to the neutron transparent Zr cladding on fuel pellets that power a nuclear reactor, Hf is used to absorb and thus moderate the density of neutrons in an operating nuclear reactor. It forms very hard tribologic, high-temperature (~3900 C) compounds including HfC and HfN, in addition to alloys with Nb, Ta and Ti for critical rocket components exposed to high-temperature exhaust gasses.
Hafnium dioxide (HfO2) is also used in semiconductor applications and thin-film capacitors because of its high dielectric constant. Hafnium oxide is important in the performance of ultraviolet and Near InfraRed (NIR) spectroscopy lasers, both of which are integral to the growing demand for lasers in manufacturing.
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