Cobalt (Co) Pellets Overview
We sell these pellets and pieces by unit weight for evaporation use in deposition processes. These approximate materials prices are published to provide budgetary guidelines. Actual prices can vary and may be higher or lower, as determined by availability and market fluctuations. To speak to someone directly about current pricing, please click here .
Cobalt (Co) General Information
Cobalt is one of the most widely recognized metals in the world. It has a density of 8.9 g/cc, a melting point of 1,495°C, and a vapor pressure of 10-4 Torr at 1,200°C It is a lustrous, hard metal that is gray in appearance and characteristically ferromagnetic. One of its most popular uses is as a blue pigment found in paint, jewelry, and glass. It is often alloyed with other metals to make engine parts and cutting tools. Its two main vacuum applications are as a ferromagnetic layer in the production of magnetic storage media and as a transitional layer in battery fabrication.
Cobalt (Co) Specifications
Material Type | Cobalt † |
Symbol | Co |
Atomic Weight | 58.933195 |
Atomic Number | 27 |
Color/Appearance | Lustrous, Metallic, Grayish Tinge |
Thermal Conductivity | 100 W/m.K |
Melting Point (°C) | 1,495 |
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion | 13.0 x 10-6/K |
Theoretical Density (g/cc) | 8.9 |
Ferromagnetic | Magnetic Material |
Z Ratio | 0.343 |
E-Beam | Excellent |
Thermal Evaporation Techniques |
Boat: W, Nb Basket: W Crucible: Al2O3 |
E-Beam Crucible Liner Material | Direct in Hearth |
Temp. (°C) for Given Vap. Press. (Torr) |
10-8: 850 10-6: 990 10-4: 1,200 |
Comments | Alloys with W/Ta/Mo. |
Suggested QCM Crystal | Silver Crystal: 750-1001-G10**** |
† Magnetic material (requires special sputter source).
**** Suggestion based on previous experience but could vary by process. Contact local KJLC Sales Manager for further information
Empirical Determination of Z-Factor
Unfortunately, Z Factor and Shear Modulus are not readily available for many materials. In this case, the Z-Factor can also be determined empirically using the following method:
- Deposit material until Crystal Life is near 50%, or near the end of life, whichever is sooner.
- Place a new substrate adjacent to the used quartz sensor.
- Set QCM Density to the calibrated value; Tooling to 100%
- Zero thickness
- Deposit approximately 1000 to 5000 A of material on the substrate.
- Use a profilometer or interferometer to measure the actual substrate film thickness.
- Adjust the Z Factor of the instrument until the correct thickness reading is shown.
Another alternative is to change crystals frequently and ignore the error. The graph below shows the % Error in Rate/Thickness from using the wrong Z Factor. For a crystal with 90% life, the error is negligible for even large errors in the programmed versus actual Z Factor.
Thermal Evaporation of Cobalt (Co)
Like nickel, cobalt has a strong tendency to alloy with refractory metals. Attempting to thermally evaporate cobalt out of a tungsten boat (even a thick gauge boat) has proven futile. As the boat heats up and the cobalt begins to melt, the liquid cobalt alloys with the boat and immediately causes it to become brittle and crack. As a result, there is very little deposition, if any.
We have reported success thermally evaporating cobalt out of an alumina-coated, tungsten boat such as our EVS9AAOW. With this boat, we were able to deposit a film with an average thickness of 3,790 angstroms at an average deposition rate of 6 angstroms per second using (1) 1/4" X 1/4" cobalt pellet and 272 amps of power. We estimate the average lifetime of the boat to be approximately 1-3 runs. However, applying a constant current will result in a decreasing deposition rate over time. This is due to the small size of the boat and, in turn, the small amount of material used. In order to maintain a deposition rate, higher powers will need to be applied throughout the process. If the boat survives an evaporation run, it is important not to touch or disturb the boat when reloading material. It is recommended to carefully place new pellets into the boat and avoid touching the clamps or applying any pressure to the boat.
E-beam Evaporation of Cobalt (Co)
Cobalt is rated "excellent" for e-beam evaporation. We have not yet qualified a suitable crucible liner material to use for cobalt and generally recommend evaporating it directly from the copper hearth of the e-gun. Because of this, some customers prefer to use a pre-machined slug (or starter source) that is directly placed in the hearth pocket. The two main benefits of using a starter source are ease of use and handling as well as superior packing density.
Because not using a crucible liner is not always an option, especially in shared systems, some customers will use a copper crucible liner and place the starter source in the copper crucible liner as opposed to placing directly in the hearth. Crucible liners should be stored in a cool, dry place and always handled with gloves or forceps.
KJLC® can produce these starter sources. Contact us by clicking here with your e-gun manufacturer, pocket size, and number of pockets in order for us to produce a quote.
See highlighted results that match your result in the table below.
Ordering Table
Material | Description | Size | Quantity | Purity | Part Number | Price | In Stock | Add To Cart | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Material | Description | Size | Quantity | Purity | Part Number | Price | In Stock | Add To Cart | |
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/4" Dia. x 1/4" Length | 1 lb./454 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35QXQ | $564.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/4" Dia. x 1/4" Length | 25 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35QXQA | $55.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/4" Dia. x 1/4" Length | 50 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35QXQB | $83.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/4" Dia. x 1/4" Length | 100 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35QXQD | $160.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/4" Dia. x 1/4" Length | 250 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35QXQJ | $327.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/4" Dia. x 1/4" Length | 25 g | 99.99% | EVMCO40QXQA | P.O.R. | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/4" Dia. x 1/4" Length | 100 g | 99.99% | EVMCO40QXQD | P.O.R. | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/8" Dia. x 1/8" Length | 1 lb. | 99.95% | EVMCO35EXE | $2,440.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/8" Dia. x 1/8" Length | 25 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35EXEA | $150.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/8" Dia. x 1/8" Length | 50 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35EXEB | $296.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/8" Dia. x 1/8" Length | 100 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35EXED | $564.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/8" Dia. x 1/8" Length | 250 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35EXEJ | $1,349.00 | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/8" Dia. x 1/8" Length | 500 g | 99.95% | EVMCO35EXET | P.O.R. | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/8" Dia. x 1/8" Length | 25 g | 99.99% | EVMCO40EXEA | P.O.R. | |||
Cobalt |
COBALT PELLETS, |
1/8" Dia. x 1/8" Length | 100 g | 99.99% | EVMCO40EXED | P.O.R. |