Tantalum foil, as a high-performance rare metal material, is widely used in many high-end and demanding applications due to its unique physical and chemical properties.
The electronics industry and semiconductor field (core applications) This is the largest and most important application area for tantalum foil, mainly taking advantage of its excellent dielectric properties and stable electrochemical characteristics. High-purity tantalum foil is anodized to form a dense and stable amorphous tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) dielectric film on its surface. This film is an excellent insulator and has an extremely high dielectric constant, which enables tantalum capacitors to have an extremely high capacitance per unit volume. Small in size, large in capacitance, low in leakage current, high in reliability, wide in operating temperature range and long in service life.
Semiconductor manufacturing of high-purity tantalum foil or target materials based on it, used in physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes to deposit tantalum films or tantalum nitride films on silicon wafers. In the copper interconnection technology of chips, tantalum or tantalum nitride films are used as barrier layers, effectively preventing copper atoms from diffusing into the silicon medium, thereby ensuring the performance and reliability of the circuit. Tantalum foil is used as an inner lining and attached to the interior of chemical reactors, heat exchangers, condensers, agitators, pipes and valves to handle high-temperature and highly corrosive media, such as concentrated hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, aqua regia, as well as bromine and chlorine gases. Manufacture crucibles, vessels and electrodes for high-purity chemical analysis.
In high-temperature vacuum furnaces, tantalum foil is often made into heat insulation covers (heat insulation screens) to reflect heat and reduce loss. Meanwhile, tantalum can also be used as a heating element, with a working temperature of over 2200°C. It is used for manufacturing bone plates, bone screws, etc., because its biomechanical properties are close to those of human bones and it can combine well with human tissues. Under X-ray or CT scans, tantalum has imaging properties and can be used as a marker during surgery to assist doctors in positioning. Corrosive environment linings and gaskets: Used for the inner linings or sealing gaskets of reaction vessels and pipelines with strong acids (such as hydrofluoric acid, aqua regia), strong alkalis, and strong oxidants to prevent the medium from corroding the equipment body.
Key components of vacuum furnaces in the metallurgical field: heating elements, heat insulation screens and crucibles for vacuum smelting furnaces, which can withstand high temperatures and have stable chemical properties in a vacuum environment, and do not contaminate the smelted metals. Precious metal and special alloy smelting: As a carrier for alloy additives or a filter material during the purification process, it avoids the introduction of impurities and ensures the purity of the alloy. High-temperature metallurgical molds: Used as the inner lining of molds for precision metallurgical castings, they can withstand high temperatures and have good demolding properties, making them suitable for the precision forming of high-end alloys.
Tantalum foil is a typical high-performance and high-value-added material. Although it is expensive, it is an irreplaceable choice in those "mission-critical" applications that have extreme requirements for reliability, durability and performance.
