Tantalum and other metals with (110) orientation

Abstract

Tantalum metal, niobium metal, alloys thereof and other bcc metals and alloys thereof having a texture of primary or mixed (110) on the surface and/or throughout the thickness of the metal is described. Also described are the processes for making the tantalum metal and other bcc metal with a texture of primary or mixed (110) and the process of making a sputtering target from the tantalum metal or other bcc metal with a texture of primary or mixed (110).

1 . A tantalum metal having a texture of primary (110) on the surface, throughout the thickness, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         2 . The tantalum metal of  claim 1 , wherein said metal has a) a texture in which a (100) pole figure, a (111) pole figure, or a combination thereof has a center peak intensity less than about 15 random or b) a log ratio of (110):(100), (110):(111), or (110):(100):(111) center peak intensities of greater than about −4.0, or c) both.  
     
     
         3 . (canceled)  
     
     
         4 . The tantalum metal of  claim 2 , wherein said center peak intensity is from about 0 random to about 10 random.  
     
     
         5 . (canceled)  
     
     
         6 . The tantalum metal of  claim 2 , wherein said log ratio is from about −1.5 to about 7.0.  
     
     
         7 . (canceled)  
     
     
         8 . The tantalum metal of  claim 1 , wherein said metal is fully recrystallized.  
     
     
         9 - 12 . (canceled)  
     
     
         13 . The tantalum metal of  claim 1 , having a purity of from 99.99% to about 99.999%.  
     
     
         14 . A metal alloy comprising the tantalum metal of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         15 . (canceled)  
     
     
         16 . A sputtering target comprising the tantalum metal of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         17 . (canceled)  
     
     
         18 . A capacitor comprising the tantalum metal of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         19 . (canceled)  
     
     
         20 . A resistive film layer comprising the tantalum metal of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         21 . (canceled)  
     
     
         22 . An article comprising at least as a component the tantalum metal of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         23 . (canceled)  
     
     
         24 . The tantalum metal of  claim 1 , wherein the tantalum metal has a substantially fine and uniform microstructure.  
     
     
         25 . (canceled)  
     
     
         26 . The tantalum metal of  claim 1  comprising an average grain size of from about 5 to about 125 microns.  
     
     
         27 - 28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . The tantalum metal of claim  28 , wherein said tantalum metal includes an average grain size of from about 25 to about 50 microns.  
     
     
         30 . The tantalum metal of  claim 1 , wherein said tantalum metal comprises grains with an average grain size, wherein 95% of said grains are less than three times said average grain size.  
     
     
         31 - 32 . (canceled)  
     
     
         33 . A process of making a sputtering target from a tantalum metal of  claim 1 , comprising casting an ingot having a diameter the same or greater than the diameter of a finished sputter target and having a thickness the same as or greater than a finished target, wherein said casted ingot has a (110) texture.  
     
     
         34 - 37 . (canceled)  
     
     
         38 . A process of making a sputtering target from tantalum metal of  claim 1 , comprising forming a casted ingot having a diameter smaller than the diameter of a finished target and then rolling said casted ingot to form a casted ingot having the diameter of the finished target, wherein the true strain applied in rolling the cast ingot is less than 1.0 true strain.  
     
     
         39 . (canceled)  
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the amount of true strain is 0.5 or less.  
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the true strain is from about 0.4 to about 0.5.  
     
     
         42 . A method of making the sputter target of  claim 16  having a (110) texture, comprising cutting a plate having a (111) primary texture wherein the plate is cut into multiple strips; rotating the cut strips 90 degrees and then joining together the cut strips to form a mosaic target.  
     
     
         43 - 48 . (canceled)  
     
     
         49 . A sputter target comprising a uniform texture of primary or mixed (110) texture on the surface or throughout, wherein said tantalum metal is substantially void of (100) and/or (111) textural bands.  
     
     
         50 . The sputter target of  claim 49 , further comprising a backing plate.  
     
     
         51 . The sputter target of  claim 50 , wherein an interlayer is present between said backing plate and sputter target.  
     
     
         52 . A process for making the tantalum metal of  claim 1 , comprising heating a tantalum feedstock to a temperature above its melting point to create molten drops; and solidifying said molten drops of the tantalum in a crucible.  
     
     
         53 - 57 . (canceled)  
     
     
         58 . A bcc metal or alloy thereof having a texture of primary (110) on the surface, throughout the thickness, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         59 . The bcc metal of  claim 58 , wherein said metal has a) a texture in which a (100) pole figure, a (111) pole figure, or a combination thereof has a center peak intensity less than about 15 random or b) a log ratio of (110):(100), (110):(111), or (110):(100):(111) center peak intensities of greater than about −4.0, or c) both.  
     
     
         60 - 61 . (canceled)  
     
     
         62 . The bcc metal or alloy thereof of  claim 58 , wherein said bcc metal is niobium.  
     
     
         63 . The bcc metal or alloy thereof of  claim 59 , wherein said bcc metal is niobium.