I am trying to prepare several NiFe sputtering targets by pressing and sintering Ni and Fe powder and I don't how to remove or reduce the oxygen content. Any suggestions?
You must use H2 or Ar+15%H2 at elevated temperature (200-300C) by about 1-2hrs.
Are you conventionally pressing and sintering the powders? Perhaps you could try etching the powders in dilute acid to remove any surface oxidation and then consolidating them with spark plasma sintering under vacuum.
Light Hydrocarbon like natural gas could a good source for H & Carbon to pull out Oxygen at elevagted temperature in reducing atmosphere.
I am using 4% of Ni and 96% of Fe powder (by volume) and cold press the target. I can sinter this in forming gas (Ar+4% H2). Should I still use 400C and sinter for about 2h
The solution is two fold:
> TO REDUCE - Get high-purity starting material and work from a glove box (I don not know how practical it is to work from vacuums or protected gas environments)... Encapsulate powder in say Cu cups, press and then sinter under a protected gas environment...
> TO REMOVE - make use of oxygen-getters during sintering - this can be anything that's above Fe on the reactivity series - Zn, Mn, Al, Mg... (or even Cs! if you are feeling brave :) )
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