Matched glass-to-Kovar seals in N2 and Ar atmospheres

The oxidation of Kovar alloy was investigated, the wetting and spreading behavior of hard and soft glasses on Kovar alloy were studed by using the sessile drop method, and the quality and the seal strength of glass-Kovar seals were tested. The experimental results indicated that the preoxidation of Kovar alloy for approximately 10 min at 700°C in air resulted in excellent adherence in glass-Kovar seals. The wetting and spreading behavior of glass on preoxidized Kovar alloy were superior to that on nonoxidized Kovar alloy. The wetting ability of ASF110 glass, at 950°C and 980°C in Ar and N2 atmospheres, was significantly superior to that of ASF200R and ASF700 glasses. The seal quality of the glass-preoxidized Kovar seal was superior to that of the glass-nonoxidized Kovar seal. The shear strength of the ASF110 glass-preoxidized Kovar seal, which was prepared at 980°C for 20 min in an Ar atmosphere, was approximately 3.9 MPa.