Tungsten is of interest for components in nuclear fusion reactors, owing to its high melting temperature and low tritium retention. ATL has experience in deposition of tungsten via a CVD route and the use of tungsten as a substrate.

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Our CVD route, using tungsten hexafluoride as a precursor, allows components to be manufactured below 700°C – whereas the melting point of tungsten is 3422°C.

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One key technology we have worked on is the production of "Tungsten-Tungsten" composites – with our collaborators at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics and Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH. The image on the right shows tunsgten wires reinforcing a CVD deposited tungsten matrix.