Sony Corporation

Other

Praxair S.t. Technology, Inc.

Norio Yokoyama

Minoru Isshiki

Masahito Uchikoshi

Hidemasa Tamura

Eiichi Shimizu

Tamas Kekesi

Paul S Gilman

Hitoshi Kimura

Chi-Fung Lo

Takahiro Kawana

Manabu Sasaki

Takahiro Nagata

Fumio Sasaki

Kouji Mimura

Tetsuya Kojima

High purity cobalt with a very few content of impurities such as copper, a method of manufacturing thereof, and high purity cobalt targets are provided. The cobalt containing impurities such as copper is dissolved in a hydrochloric acid solution, and the concentration of the hydrochloric acid of the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride is adjusted to 0.1 kmol/mto 3 kmol/m. Then, cobalt is added in the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride, and an inert gas is injected into the solution with agitating, in order to convert the divalent copper ions contained in the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride to monovalent copper ions. Then, the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride is fed into a column filled up with the anion exchange resins. Cobalt is not absorbed on the anion exchange resins although the monovalent copper ions are absorbed on the anion exchange resins. Therefore, copper can be separated from the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride. And then, the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride is evaporated to dryness and heated to 623 K to 873 K in a hydrogen atmosphere to generate cobalt.

High purity cobalt, method of manufacturing thereof, and high purity cobalt targets

High purity cobalt with a very few content of impurities such as copper, a method of manufacturing thereof, and high purity cobalt targets are provided. The cobalt containing impurities such as copper is dissolved in a hydrochloric acid solution, and the concentration of the hydrochloric acid of the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride is adjusted to 0.1 kmol/m to 3 kmol/m . Then, cobalt is added in the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride, and an inert gas is injected into the solution with agitating, in order to convert the divalent copper ions contained in the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride to monovalent copper ions. Then, the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride is fed into a column filled up with the anion exchange resins. Cobalt is not absorbed on the anion exchange resins although the monovalent copper ions are absorbed on the anion exchange resins. Therefore, copper can be separated from the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride. And then, the aqueous solution of cobalt chloride is evaporated to dryness and heated to 623 K to 873 K in a hydrogen atmosphere to generate cobalt.

An ingot is made from a used target of 30 weight % or more, and new metals of the same components, and recycled alloy powder is made by a gas atomizing process. Magnetic permeability is controlled not to exceed 2 by adjusting the content of rare earth metals in rare earth alloy powder to be at least 35 weight %. By blending the recycled alloy powder with other powder to produce alloy powder containing at least 50 weight % of rare earth alloy powder having a magnetic permeability not higher than 2 and containing at least 65 weight % of rare earth alloy powder. By sintering the alloy powder under pressure and thereafter cutting top, bottom and side surfaces of the sintered material, a target having a magnetic permeability not higher than 2 and having a thickness not less than 8 mm is fabricated.

Sputtering target and its manufacturing method

A metal purification method and a metal refinement method in which metals of high purity can be easily refined and recovered without increasing the size of the purification and refining devices or complicating the operation. To this end, metals containing impurities are molten in a plasma arc containing active hydrogen to remove the impurities. If the metals contain ceramics inclusions, the metals are molten in a plasma arc containing active hydrogen and the ceramics inclusions are caused to float over the molten metal by exploiting the difference of density between the molten metal and the ceramics inclusions. The floating ceramics inclusions are decomposed and removed. For application to refining, the metal oxides are molten in a plasma arc containing active hydrogen so as to be reduced to metals.

Metal purification method and metal refinement method

A contoured sputtering target includes a target member of sputtering material having a top surface, a bottom surface and an outer peripheral surface. One or more contoured annular regions are formed on the top surface of the target member that extend radially inwardly from the outer peripheral surface and away from the bottom surface. The target member may further include planar, concave or central recessed regions formed in the top surface that are surrounded by the one or more contoured annular regions. The configuration of the target member reduces generation of contaminating particles from nodules that may form near the outer peripheral surface of the target during a sputtering operation. Methods of forming a contoured sputtering target are also disclosed.

Contoured sputtering target

The present invention provides a sputtering target which generates a reduced quantity of particles during a sputtering and a method for producing such a sputtering target. Mirror treatment is carried out to a sputter surface 2 which is sputtered when forming a thin film, so that the sputter surface 2 has an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 0.01 .mu.m or below. A sputtering target 1 with such a smooth sputter surface 2 having a small surface roughness enables to reduce a number of particles generated during a sputtering.

Sputtering target and production method thereof

Magnetic recording medium

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi, Japan

Norio Yokoyama