Magnesium Zinc (MgZn) – Supplier & Manufacturer in USA

Magnesium Zinc

Magnesium-zinc is a binary metallic alloy sputtering target combining lightweight, highly reactive magnesium with corrosion-modifying, biocompatible zinc. Supplied by Infinita Materials as dense, fine-grained Monoblocks or bonded discs and plates, it is used to deposit thin metallic Mg-Zn films whose corrosion rate, mechanical behaviour, and surface chemistry can be tuned by the Mg: Zn ratio. The alloy’s combination of low density, controllable degradation, and metallic conductivity makes it a target of interest wherever a sacrificial, biodegradable, or corrosion-engineered metal film is required.

Purity (%) :	>99.9
Dimensions :	Dia. 1”, Thick. 0.125”

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Introduction to Magnesium-Zinc

Magnesium-zinc (Mg-Zn) is a lightweight alloy system in which zinc additions modify magnesium’s grain structure, strength, castability, and corrosion behaviour. Sputtering-grade materials are commonly Mg-rich solid-solution alloys containing several weight per cent Zn, while higher Zn concentrations can form intermetallic phases such as MgZn₂ and Mg₂Zn₃. Because Mg and Zn readily oxidise in air, magnetron sputtering provides a controlled method for producing dense, uniform, adherent Mg-Zn films with consistent composition. These thin films are investigated for biodegradable implant coatings, corrosion protection of lightweight structural alloys, magnesium-alloy metallurgy, battery anode research, and antimicrobial surfaces, where the combination of low density, electrochemical activity, and zinc functionality is advantageous.

FAQs

Question: What is a Magnesium Zinc (MgZn) sputter target?

Answer: Magnesium Zinc (MgZn) sputter target is a high-purity alloy used in sputtering processes to deposit thin films of magnesium zinc alloy onto substrates. These thin films are used in various applications, including semiconductors, optoelectronics, and protective coatings.

Question: What are the benefits of using MgZn as a sputter target?

Answer: MgZn sputter targets offer high-quality, uniform films with good conductivity and adhesion, which are essential for advanced electronic and optoelectronic applications.

Question: Why is Magnesium Zinc used in sputtering?

Answer: The alloy's combination of magnesium and zinc provides unique properties such as high electrical conductivity, optical transparency, corrosion resistance, and good thermal conductivity. These properties make MgZn suitable for various applications, especially in thin film deposition processes.

Question: Should Magnesium Zinc targets be sputtered with DC or RF power?

Answer: Because the alloy is fully metallic and electrically conductive, DC and pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering are the standard, most efficient methods; RF sputtering is not required unless the process specifically calls for reactive sputtering into an oxide film.

Introduction to Magnesium-Zinc

Property	Value	Significance
Crystal structure	Hexagonal close-packed (HCP) Mg-based solid solution; intermetallic Laves/Zintl phases (e.g. MgZn2, Mg2Zn3) form at higher Zn content	Governs film texture, grain morphology, and mechanical anisotropy of sputtered coatings
Composition range	Typically Mg-rich, from dilute (1-10 wt% Zn) biomedical-grade alloys to higher-Zn engineered compositions	Zn content directly tunes corrosion rate, strength, and grain refinement of the deposited film
Melting point (alloy)	~340-342 C for Mg-rich eutectic compositions	Sets safe sputtering power density limits and informs target bonding/cooling design
Density	~1.8-2.0 g/cm3 (Mg-rich); increases with Zn content toward intermetallic and Zn-rich compositions	Affects sputter yield, deposition rate, and target mass for a given geometry
Electrical resistivity	Low, fully metallic conduction (resistivity on the order of a few × 10^-8 to 10^-7 ohm-m)	Enables efficient DC and pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering without RF power supplies
Corrosion/degradation behaviour	Controlled, composition-dependent dissolution in aqueous and physiological media	Central to biodegradable-implant and sacrificial-coating applications
Thermal conductivity	Moderate, alloy-composition-dependent (lower than pure Mg due to Zn/intermetallic scattering)	Influences target heat dissipation and maximum sustainable sputtering power.
Sputtering behaviour	High sputter yield typical of soft, low-melting metals; requires inert-gas (Ar) DC or pulsed-DC magnetron process with oxygen-free handling	Determines process window, target lifetime, and need for controlled-atmosphere handling to prevent pre-oxidation

Property

Value

Significance

Crystal structure

Hexagonal close-packed (HCP) Mg-based solid solution; intermetallic Laves/Zintl phases (e.g. MgZn2, Mg2Zn3) form at higher Zn content

Governs film texture, grain morphology, and mechanical anisotropy of sputtered coatings

Composition range

Typically Mg-rich, from dilute (1-10 wt% Zn) biomedical-grade alloys to higher-Zn engineered compositions

Zn content directly tunes corrosion rate, strength, and grain refinement of the deposited film

Melting point (alloy)

~340-342 C for Mg-rich eutectic compositions

Sets safe sputtering power density limits and informs target bonding/cooling design

Density

~1.8-2.0 g/cm3 (Mg-rich); increases with Zn content toward intermetallic and Zn-rich compositions

Affects sputter yield, deposition rate, and target mass for a given geometry

Electrical resistivity

Low, fully metallic conduction (resistivity on the order of a few × 10^-8 to 10^-7 ohm-m)

Enables efficient DC and pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering without RF power supplies

Corrosion/degradation behaviour

Controlled, composition-dependent dissolution in aqueous and physiological media

Central to biodegradable-implant and sacrificial-coating applications

Thermal conductivity

Moderate, alloy-composition-dependent (lower than pure Mg due to Zn/intermetallic scattering)

Influences target heat dissipation and maximum sustainable sputtering power.

Sputtering behaviour

High sputter yield typical of soft, low-melting metals; requires inert-gas (Ar) DC or pulsed-DC magnetron process with oxygen-free handling

Determines process window, target lifetime, and need for controlled-atmosphere handling to prevent pre-oxidation

Grade / Form	Typical Purity	Key Features / Uses
Standard catalogue disc (IN-MgZn-01)	>99.9%	1in diameter x 0.125in thick; stock item for R&D and small-batch coating runs
High-purity grade	99.99% – 99.999% (4N-5N)	Reduced trace-metal content for biomedical and electronics-grade film work
Large-format / custom plate	99.9% – 99.99%	Rectangular and oversized planar targets up to 300mm x 500mm for production-scale coaters
Bonded assembly	99.9%+ target with Cu or Al backing plate	Improves thermal management and mechanical support for high-power or long-duration sputtering
Custom Mg: Zn ratio/master alloy	Specified per composition	Alloy ratio engineered to a target corrosion rate, strength, or phase content for a specific application

Grade / Form

Typical Purity

Key Features / Uses

Standard catalogue disc (IN-MgZn-01)

>99.9%

1in diameter x 0.125in thick; stock item for R&D and small-batch coating runs

High-purity grade

99.99% – 99.999% (4N-5N)

Reduced trace-metal content for biomedical and electronics-grade film work

Large-format / custom plate

99.9% – 99.99%

Rectangular and oversized planar targets up to 300mm x 500mm for production-scale coaters

Bonded assembly

99.9%+ target with Cu or Al backing plate

Improves thermal management and mechanical support for high-power or long-duration sputtering

Custom Mg: Zn ratio/master alloy

Specified per composition

Alloy ratio engineered to a target corrosion rate, strength, or phase content for a specific application

Industry	Application	Function
Biomedical devices	Coatings for biodegradable stents and orthopaedic fixation hardware	Provides a resorbable metallic layer with a corrosion rate tuned to healing timelines
Automotive and aerospace	Corrosion-protective and sacrificial coatings on lightweight structural alloys	Slows or redirects galvanic corrosion of underlying magnesium and aluminium components
Energy storage	Thin-film anode and interlayer research for magnesium- and zinc-based batteries	Supplies a low-density, electrochemically active metallic film for cell prototyping
Semiconductor and optoelectronics	Seed, buffer, and precursor metal layers in thin-film device stacks	Delivers a controlled-composition metallic film that can be further processed or oxidised in situ
Surface engineering	Antimicrobial and functional metallic coatings	Zinc content contributes biocidal surface activity while magnesium keeps the coating lightweight.
Materials research	Combinatorial and gradient Mg-Zn thin-film libraries	Enables rapid screening of composition-dependent corrosion, mechanical, and electrochemical properties

Industry

Application

Function

Biomedical devices

Coatings for biodegradable stents and orthopaedic fixation hardware

Provides a resorbable metallic layer with a corrosion rate tuned to healing timelines

Automotive and aerospace

Corrosion-protective and sacrificial coatings on lightweight structural alloys

Slows or redirects galvanic corrosion of underlying magnesium and aluminium components

Energy storage

Thin-film anode and interlayer research for magnesium- and zinc-based batteries

Supplies a low-density, electrochemically active metallic film for cell prototyping