Aluminum physical vapor deposition for the cosmetic finishing of recycled aluminum alloys
A method of forming a surface coating on a component of an electronic device can include depositing an aluminum layer including at least about 0.05 weight percent (wt %) of a grain refiner on a surface of the component by a physical vapor deposition process, and anodizing the aluminum layer to form an anodized aluminum oxide layer having a L* value greater than about 85 in the CIELAB color space.
1. A component for an electronic device, comprising:
a substrate material defining a surface;
an anodized aluminum oxide layer formed over the surface, the anodized aluminum oxide layer having a thickness greater than about 4 microns and an L* value in a CIELAB color space of greater than about 85; and
a continuous stop layer disposed between the substrate material and the anodized aluminum oxide layer.
2. The component of claim 1 , wherein the substrate material is a first material and the anodized aluminum oxide layer is formed from a second material different than the first material.
3. The component of claim 2 , wherein the first material comprises an aluminum alloy.
4. The component of claim 1
wherein the continuous stop layer comprises a thickness of less than about 1 micron;
the continuous stop layer including titanium, platinum group metals, or a conductive oxide material.
5. The component of claim 1 , further comprising:
an aluminum layer disposed between the anodized aluminum oxide layer and the substrate, the aluminum layer having a thickness of less than about 100 microns and including at least about 0.05 weight percent (wt %) of a grain refiner;
wherein the anodized aluminum oxide layer is formed from the aluminum layer.
6. The component of claim 1 , wherein the anodized aluminum oxide layer has a b* value in the CIELAB color space of between about −0.04 and about 0.4.
7. The component of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises a three-dimensional surface.
8. The component of claim 1 , wherein the anodized aluminum oxide layer comprises a thickness of less than about 200 microns.
9. A coating formed on a substrate material, comprising:
an aluminum layer having grains with a major surface dimension greater than 1 micron and grains with a major surface dimension less than 1 micron, wherein a surface area ratio of grains with a major surface dimension greater than 1 micron to grains with a major surface dimension less than 1 micron, wherein the surface area ratio is less than about 0.1;
the aluminum layer having a thickness greater than about 2 microns.
10. The coating of claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the aluminum layer is less than about 100 microns.
11. The coating of claim 9 , wherein the surface area ratio is less than about 0.07.
12. The coating of claim 9 , wherein the surface area ratio is less than about 0.05.
13. The coating of claim 9 , wherein the aluminum layer comprises greater than about 0.05 weight percent (wt %) of a grain refiner.
14. The coating of claim 13 , wherein the grain refiner comprises at least one of zirconium, scandium, silicon, or silver.