Refractory metal plates with improved uniformity of texture
A refractory metal plate is provided. The plate has a center, a thickness, an edge, a top surface and a bottom surface, and has a crystallographic texture (as characterized by through thickness gradient, banding severity; and variation across the plate, for each of the texture components 100//ND and 111//ND, which is substantially uniform throughout the plate.
1. A refractory metal plate having a center, a thickness, an edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the refractory metal plate having a crystallographic texture as characterized by through thickness gradient, banding severity, and variation across the plate for at least one of the texture components 100//ND or 111//ND, using electron back-scatter diffraction with a 15 μm step in both the horizontal and vertical directions for each measurement, wherein:
an average through-thickness gradient is less than or equal to 6% per mm for 111//ND, and
a maximum through-thickness gradient is less than or equal to 13% per mm for 111//ND.
2. The refractory metal plate of claim 1 , wherein the maximum through-thickness gradient is less than or equal to 9% per mm for 111//ND.
3. The refractory metal plate of claim 1 , wherein the maximum through-thickness gradient is less than or equal to 8% per mm for 111//ND.
4. The refractory metal plate of claim 1 , wherein the average through-thickness gradient is less than or equal to 4% per mm for 111//ND.
5. The refractory metal plate of claim 1 , wherein the average through-thickness gradient is less than or equal to 3% per mm for 111//ND.
6. The refractory metal plate of claim 1 , wherein the refractory metal plate has a grain size that is less than 60 μm.
7. The refractory metal plate of claim 1 , wherein the metal plate is at least 99.95% pure refractory metal.
8. The refractory metal plate of claim 1 , wherein the refractory metal comprises tantalum.
9. The refractory metal plate of claim 1 , wherein the refractory metal comprises niobium.
10. A refractory metal plate having a center, a thickness, an edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the refractory metal plate having a crystallographic texture as characterized by through thickness gradient, banding severity, and variation across the plate for at least one of the texture components 100//ND or 111//ND, using electron back-scatter diffraction with a 15 μm step in both the horizontal and vertical directions for each measurement, wherein an average banding severity is less than or equal to 6% per mm for 111//ND.
11. The refractory metal plate of claim 10 , wherein the average banding severity is less than or equal to 5% per mm for 111//ND.
12. The refractory metal plate of claim 10 , wherein the average banding severity is less than or equal to 4% per mm for 111//ND.
13. The refractory metal plate of claim 10 , wherein the refractory metal plate has a grain size that is less than 60 μm.
14. The refractory metal plate of claim 10 , wherein the metal plate is at least 99.95% pure refractory metal.
15. The refractory metal plate of claim 10 , wherein the refractory metal comprises tantalum.
16. The refractory metal plate of claim 10 , wherein the refractory metal comprises niobium.
17. A refractory metal plate having a center, a thickness, an edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the refractory metal plate having a crystallographic texture as characterized by through thickness gradient, banding severity, and variation across the plate for at least one of the texture components 100//ND or 111//ND, using electron back-scatter diffraction with a 15 μm step in both the horizontal and vertical directions for each measurement, wherein a maximum banding severity is less than or equal to 8% per mm for 111//ND.
18. The refractory metal plate of claim 17 , wherein the average banding severity is less than or equal to 7% per mm for 111//ND.
19. The refractory metal plate of claim 17 , wherein the average banding severity is less than or equal to 5% per mm for 111//ND.
20. The refractory metal plate of claim 17 , wherein the refractory metal plate has a grain size that is less than 60 μm.
21. The refractory metal plate of claim 17 , wherein the metal plate is at least 99.95% pure refractory metal.
22. The refractory metal plate of claim 17 , wherein the refractory metal comprises tantalum.
23. The refractory metal plate of claim 17 , wherein the refractory metal comprises niobium.