Metallising Processes for Ceramic to Metal Assemblies

Morgan Technical Ceramics utilise thick and thin film technologies in our metallising, applying proprietary inks and coatings to our ceramics according to individual customer requirements. Whether customers require an electronic circuit path or joining a metal component with ceramic, our metallisation, brazing and joining experts help you select the most effective and cost-efficient materials and bonding methods.

Refractory Metallising for High Bond Strength

Using a coating of molybdenum-based or tungsten-based paints followed by nickel plating, an interface can be provided that enables ceramic/metal assemblies to be formed by brazing providing joints that are hermetically sealed. A layer of molybdenum-manganese is deposited with a typical thickness of 10 to 30 μm after sintering. The metallisation sintering process is carefully controlled to achieve a balanced mixture of molybdenum particles and porosity surrounded by a matrix of glass to ensure high bond strength between the metallised layer and the ceramic base.

Deposition Methods

A range of deposition methods are available depending on the geometry of the component, including:

• Screen printing
• Brush coating
• Roller coating
• Spray coating

For cylindrical ceramics, a proprietary automated deposition method can be used to deliver consistent uniformity of bandwidth and coating thickness. A thin layer of nickel, typically 3–8 μm, is applied over the molybdenum-manganese layer via an electroplating process to achieve the required wettability for subsequent brazing.

Thin Film Deposition - Biocompatible and Hermetic Sealing Solutions

In some cases, it is necessary to apply a thin metallised layer to ceramic surfaces for creating a biocompatible method of heretically sealing metals to ceramics.  A range of coatings are available based on the application. This process does allow subsequent electroplating should there be a requirement. Physical vapour deposition, or PVD, is used to apply thin metallisation or coating to fully dense ceramics.