The preparation of titanium targets mainly adopts the melting casting method and powder metallurgy method, and there are significant differences in applicability, cost, and performance between the two processes:

1. Casting method

Principle: High purity titanium raw materials are melted under vacuum or inert gas protection, cast into ingots, and then rolled, forged, and machined into shapes.

Advantages: Simple equipment, low cost, suitable for mass production of large-sized target materials.

Disadvantages:

Easy to oxidize, strict oxygen control is required;

Coarse grain size may result in compositional segregation, affecting the uniformity of sputtered films.

Application: Low purity titanium targets, such as in the field of industrial decorative coating.

2. Powder metallurgy method

Principle: Mix titanium powder and form it by cold isostatic pressing, then sinter it at high temperature for densification, or use discharge plasma sintering for rapid prototyping.

Advantages:

Higher purity, controllable grain size, suitable for doping alloys;

To avoid oxidation issues in the casting process and achieve uniform microstructure.

Disadvantages: The process is complex, requiring HIP treatment to reduce porosity, and the cost is high.

Application: High purity titanium targets and composite targets, such as semiconductors and aerospace fields.

3. Emerging technology: SPS

Features: Rapid densification with pulse current, resulting in a density>99.5% and grain refinement.

Limitations: High equipment costs and limited target size.

Trend of process selection

High purity requirements: Semiconductor and medical fields tend to use powder metallurgy or SPS processes;

Cost sensitive scenario: The casting method still dominates the mid to low end markets such as industrial coatings.