Method of preparing coatings of metal carbides and the like

Claim 1

A method of applying a coating of a material M a X b to a surface of a solid substrate, wherein M represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals and tin, X represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of C, N, B, Si and P, and a and b represent the atomic proportions of M and X, where b is other than zero, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing a precursor to M a X b that is nonvolatile upon pyrolysis and which comprises an organometallic complex, said complex including one or more metal atoms M which may be the same or different, and wherein each of said metal atoms M is bound to an organic ligand, said organometallic complex further containing the element X either directly bound to one or more of said metal atoms M or contained within said ligands or both, and wherein said organometallic complex is substantially free of metal-oxygen or metal-halogen bonds; (b) either: (i) dissolving said precursor in a solvent to give a precursor solution; the solvent selected such that the precursor can be dissolved; or (ii) melting said precursor; (c) applying said precursor to the surface of the substrate to be coated; and (d) pyrolyzing said precursor-coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 500° C. to 950° C.

Claim 2

A method of applying a coating of a material M a X b to a surface of a solid substrate, wherein M represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals and tin, X represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of C, N, B, Si and P, and a and b represent the atomic proportions of M and X, where b is other than zero, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing a precursor to M a X b that is nonvolatile upon pyrolysis and which comprises an organometallic complex, said complex including one or more metal atoms M which may be the same or different, and wherein each of said metal atoms M is bound to an organic ligand, said organometallic complex further containing the element X either directly bound to one or more of said metal atoms M or contained within said ligands or both, and wherein said organometallic complex is substantially free of metal-oxygen or metal-halogen bonds; (b) either: (i) dissolving said precursor in a solvent to give a precursor solution; the solvent selected such that the precursor can be dissolved; or (ii) melting said precursor; (c) applying said precursor to the surface of the substrate to be coated; and (d) pyrolyzing said precursor-coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 500° C. to 950° C.

Claim 13

A method of applying a coating of a material M a X b to a surface of a solid substrate, wherein M represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals and tin, X represents a metal other than M, and a and b represent the atomic proportions of M and X, where b is other than zero, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing a precursor to M a X b that is nonvolatile upon pyrolysis and which comprises an organometallic complex, said complex including one or more metal atoms M which may be the same or different, and wherein each of said metal atoms M is bound to an organic ligand, said oganometallic complex further containing the element X either directly bound to one or more of said metal atoms M or contained within said ligands or both, and wherein said organometallic complex is substantially free of metal-oxygen or metal-halogen bonds; (b) either: (i) dissolving said precursor in a solvent to give a precursor solution; the solvent selected such that the precursor can be dissolved; or (ii) melting said precursor; (c) applying said precursor to the surface of the substrate to be coated; and (d) pyrolyzing said precursor-coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 500° C.

Claim 14

A method of applying a coating of a material M a X b to a surface of a solid substrate, wherein M represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals and tin, X represents a metal other than M, and a and b represent the atomic proportions of M and X, where b is other than zero, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing a precursor to M a X b that is nonvolatile upon pyrolysis and which comprises an organometallic complex, said complex including one or more metal atoms M which may be the same or different, and wherein each of said metal atoms M is bound to an organic ligand, said oganometallic complex further containing the element X either directly bound to one or more of said metal atoms M or contained within said ligands or both, and wherein said organometallic complex is substantially free of metal-oxygen or metal-halogen bonds; (b) either: (i) dissolving said precursor in a solvent to give a precursor solution; the solvent selected such that the precursor can be dissolved; or (ii) melting said precursor; (c) applying said precursor to the surface of the substrate to be coated; and (d) pyrolyzing said precursor-coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 500° C.

Claim 20

A method of applying a coating of a material M a X b to a surface of a solid substrate, wherein M represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals and tin, X represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of C, N, B, Si and P, and a and b represent the atomic proportions of M and X, where b is other than zero, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing a precursor to M a X b that is non-volatile upon pyrolysis and which comprises an organometallic complex, said complex including one or more metal atoms M which may be the same or different, and wherein each of said metal atoms M is bound to an organic ligand, said organometallic complex further containing the element X either directly bound to one or more of said metal atoms M or contained within said ligands or both, and wherein said organometallic complex is substantially free of metal-oxygen or metal-halogen bonds; (b) applying said precursor to the surface of the substrate to be coated; and (c) pyrolyzing said precursor-coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 500° C. to 950° C.

Claim 21

A method of applying a coating of a material M a X b to a surface of a solid substrate, wherein M represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals and tin, X represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of C, N, B, Si and P, and a and b represent the atomic proportions of M and X, where b is other than zero, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing a precursor to M a X b that is non-volatile upon pyrolysis and which comprises an organometallic complex, said complex including one or more metal atoms M which may be the same or different, and wherein each of said metal atoms M is bound to an organic ligand, said organometallic complex further containing the element X either directly bound to one or more of said metal atoms M or contained within said ligands or both, and wherein said organometallic complex is substantially free of metal-oxygen or metal-halogen bonds; (b) applying said precursor to the surface of the substrate to be coated; and (c) pyrolyzing said precursor-coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 500° C. to 950° C.

Claim 27

A method of applying a coating of a material M a X b to a surface of a solid substrate, wherein M represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinie metals and tin, X represents a metal other than M, and a and b represent the atomic proportions of M and X, where b is other than zero, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing a precursor to M a X b that is nonvolatileupon pyrolysis and which comprises an organometalliccomples, said complex including one or more metal atoms M which may be the same or different, and wherein each of said metal atoms M is bound to an organic ligand, said organomitallic complex further containing the element X either directly bound to one or more of said metal atoms M or contained within said ligands or both, and wherein said organometallic complex is substantially free of metaloxygen or metal-halogen bonds; (b) applying said precursor to the surface of the substrate to be coated; and (c) pyrolyzing said precursor-coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 500° C.

Claim 28

A method of applying a coating of a material M a X b to a surface of a solid substrate, wherein M represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinie metals and tin, X represents a metal other than M, and a and b represent the atomic proportions of M and X, where b is other than zero, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing a precursor to M a X b that is nonvolatileupon pyrolysis and which comprises an organometalliccomples, said complex including one or more metal atoms M which may be the same or different, and wherein each of said metal atoms M is bound to an organic ligand, said organomitallic complex further containing the element X either directly bound to one or more of said metal atoms M or contained within said ligands or both, and wherein said organometallic complex is substantially free of metaloxygen or metal-halogen bonds; (b) applying said precursor to the surface of the substrate to be coated; and (c) pyrolyzing said precursor-coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 500° C.