Methods of making nickel/vanadium structures

Abstract

The invention includes sputtering components, such as sputtering targets, comprising high-purity Ni—V. The sputtering components can have a fine average grain size throughout, with an exemplary fine average grain size being a grain size less than or equal to 40 microns. The invention also includes methods of making high-purity Ni—V structures.

1 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . A method for producing a nickel/vanadium structure, comprising: 
 providing a nickel material which is at least 99.99 weight %, excluding gases, pure in nickel;    providing a vanadium material which is at least 99.99 weight %, excluding gases, pure in vanadium;    melting the nickel and vanadium materials together form a molten nickel/vanadium alloy from the nickel and vanadium materials; and    cooling the nickel/vanadium alloy to form a nickel/vanadium structure, the nickel/vanadium structure being at least 99.99 weight %, excluding gases, pure in nickel and vanadium.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the nickel/vanadium structure comprises from about 4 weight percent vanadium to about 10 weight percent vanadium.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the nickel/vanadium structure comprises about 7% vanadium.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the vanadium material is at least 99.995 weight %, excluding gases, pure in vanadium.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the nickel material is at least 99.995 weight %, excluding gases, pure in nickel; wherein the vanadium material is at least 99.995 weight %, excluding gases, pure in vanadium; and wherein the nickel/vanadium structure is at least 99.995%, excluding gases, pure in nickel and vanadium.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the vanadium material is at least 99.999 weight %, excluding gases, pure in vanadium.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the nickel material is at least 99.999 weight %, excluding gases, pure in nickel; wherein the vanadium material is at least 99.999 weight %, excluding gases, pure in vanadium; and wherein the nickel/vanadium structure is at least 99.999%, excluding gases, pure in nickel and vanadium.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the nickel/vanadium structure comprises an average grain size throughout the structure of greater than 40 microns, the method further comprising subjecting the nickel/vanadium structure to thermo-mechanical processing to reduce the average grain size to less than or equal to 40 microns.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising forming a sputtering component from the structure, and wherein an average grain size throughout the sputtering component is less than or equal to 40 microns.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the sputtering component is a sputtering target.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the thermo-mechanical processing produces an average grain size throughout the structure of less than or equal to 30 microns.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising forming a sputtering component from the structure, and wherein an average grain size throughout the sputtering component is less than or equal to 30 microns.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the sputtering component is a sputtering target.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the thermo-mechanical processing produces an average grain size throughout the structure of less than or equal to 20 microns.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  further comprising forming a sputtering component from the structure, and wherein an average grain size throughout the sputtering component is less than or equal to 20 microns.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the sputtering component is a sputtering target.