Niobium Sputtering Target Description
Niobium is a lustrous, grey, ductile, paramagnetic metal in group 5 of the periodic table (see table), with an electron configuration in the outermost shells atypical for group 5. (This can be observed in the neighborhood of ruthenium (44), rhodium (45), and palladium (46). However, it is thought to have a body-centered cubic crystal structure from T = 0 K to its melting point. High-resolution measurements of the thermal expansion along the three crystallographic axes reveal anisotropies inconsistent with a cubic structure. Therefore, further research in this area is expected.
Niobium sputtering target shares properties with its source material. Niobium is a silver-colored metal that is generally found in conjunction with tantalum, the two elements being separated by fractional crystallization of their respective fluoro-complexes. It has an abundance of 20 ppm in the earth’s crust. As a pure metal, it is very reactive and forms an extremely stable oxide when exposed to air which enhances its corrosion resistance. Niobium will react with a variety of non-metals at elevated temperatures.
| Material Type | Niobium |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Nb |
| Atomic Number | 41 |
| Color/Appearance | Gray, Metallic |
| Melting Point | 2,468 °C |
| Density | 8.57 g/cc |
| Sputter | DC |
| Type of Bond | Indium, Elastomer |
Niobium Sputtering Targets
Purity: 99.95%;
Circular: Diameter <= 16 inch, Thickness >= 1mm;
Block: Length <= 32 inch, Width <= 12 inch, Thickness >= 1mm;
Targets type: Planar sputtering target, Rotary sputtering target.
We also offer other customized shapes and sizes of the sputtering targets, please contact us for more information.
More Information on Niobium Sputtering Targets
Features
- High purity
- Grain refinement (average grain size around 40
Manufacturing Process
- Refining
Multiple step electron beam melting - Rolled and annealed
- Cleaning and final packaging – Cleaned for use in vacuum
Protection from environmental contaminants
Protection during shipment
Options
- 99.95% minimum purity
- Smaller sizes also available for R&D applications
- Sputtering target bonding service
Niobium Sputtering Target Application
Niobium sputter targets are used for thin film deposition, typically for fuel cell, decoration, semiconductor, display, LED and photovoltaic devices, glass coating, etc. Other applications of niobium include:
Steel production
Niobium is an effective microalloying element for steel, within which it forms niobium carbide and niobium nitride. These compounds improve the grain refining, and retard recrystallization and precipitation hardening. These same niobium alloys are often used in pipeline construction.
Superalloys
Quantities of niobium are used in nickel-, cobalt-, and iron-based superalloys in proportions as great as 6.5% for such applications as jet engine components, gas turbines, rocket subassemblies, turbocharger systems, heat-resisting, and combustion equipment. Niobium precipitates a hardening γ”-phase within the grain structure of the superalloy.
Superconducting magnets
Niobium-germanium (Nb3Ge), niobium-tin (Nb3Sn), as well as the niobium-titanium alloys are used as a type II superconductor wire for superconducting magnets. These superconducting magnets are used in magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance instruments as well as in particle accelerators.