Abstract: A cold-worked titanium material subjected to isostatic material and a backing plate are brought into contact with each other and subsequently hot-pressing. By such working the titanium material and the backing plate are bonded with each other by mutual diffusion and simultaneously the titanium material is recrystallized. The isostatic pressing is performed under a pressure of 50 to 200 MPa at a temperature of 300.degree. to 450.degree. C. The surface of the titanium material is preferably subjected to a surface roughening treatment to provide with a roughness level of 6S to 12S prior to the isostatic pressing.

Abstract: A target for use in reactive sputtering for forming a film by a reaction with nitrogen, which is a target being composed substantially of titanium and nitrogen and having a nitrogen/titanium atomic ratio, N/Ti, of 0.20 to 0.95, and is used for forming a film whose nitrogen ratio is greater than a ratio of nitrogen to titanium in the target by a reaction with a sputtering gas containing nitrogen, and a method for forming a film, which uses the target.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a sputtering target with which a high resistivity thin film consisting of chromium, silicon and oxygen can be produced economically and stably for a long time. Also disclosed is a process for producing the sputtering target by selecting the grain size of a chromium (Cr) powder and a silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) powder, drying the powders sufficiently by heating, then mixing the dried powders to obtain a mixed powder containing generally from 20 to 80% by weight of chromium, most preferably from 50 to 80% by weight of chromium, the remainder being silicon dioxide, packing the mixed powder in a die, and sintering the packed powder by hot pressing or the like, to produce a desired sputtering target which has a two phase mixed structure. The sputtering target can be used for manufacture of thin film resistors and electric circuits.

Abstract: A titanium-tungsten target material capable of limiting the amount of particles generated during sputtering and a method of manufacturing this titanium-tungsten material. The titanium-tungsten target material has a titanium-tungsten alloy phase which occupies 98% or more of the whole area of the material as observed in a micro-structure thereof. In one example of the manufacturing method, an ingot obtained by melting tungsten and titanium is processde by a solution treatment to form a titanium-tungsten target, or a power obtained by melting the ingot is sintered to form a target. Preferably, the melting may be performed under reduced pressure in an electron beam melting manner. In another example of the manufacturing method, a powder is formed from a molten metal by an atomization method and the obtained powder is sintered to form a titanium-tungsten target. For sintering of the powder, it is preferable to apply hot isostatic pressing or hot pressing.

Abstract: A titanium-tungsten target material used to form, by sputtering, a barrier metal or the like for use in semiconductor devices. The titanium-tungsten target material is substantially composed of tungsten particles and a titanium-tungsten alloy phase surrounding the tungsten particles. The area ratio at which tungsten grains occupy in a cross section of the titanium-tungsten target material is, preferably, not more than 15%, more preferably, not more than 10%. If the average crystal grain size of the target material is not more greater 15 .mu.m, a uniform thin film can be obtained by sputtering. The target material can be obtained by sintering a titanium powder and a tungsten powder.

Abstract: Ti-W target material for sputtering includes a structure composed of a W phase, a Ti phase, and a Ti-W alloy phase of which 20% or more consist of the area ratio of a micro structure covering the cross section of the Ti-W target material. The Wi-W target material further includes dispersed tungsten particles, the Ti-W alloy phases substantially surrounding the W grains, and the Ti phases dispersed adjacent to the Ti-W alloy phase or the W grains. The formation of the Ti-W alloy phases is capable of reducing a substantial amount of the Ti phase in the target material. It is thus possible to prevent the generation of particles attributable to a difference between sputtering speeds of Ti and Ti-W.

Abstract: A method of producing a neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnet alloy having a composition of 25.0-50.0 weight % of neodymium, 0.3-5.0 weight % of boron and balance substantially iron, including the steps of adding metal calcium, calcium hydride or a mixture thereof as a reducing agent to neodymium fluoride, iron and boron (or ferroboron), and further adding thereto at least one of calcium chloride, sodium chloride and potassium chloride as a flux, melting the resulting mixture in an inert gas atmosphere, or in a reducing gas atmosphere or substantially in vacuum at 1,000.degree.-1,300.degree. C., thereby reducing said neodymium fluoride to provide said alloy with as small a calcium content as 0.1 weight % or less. The starting materials may contain dysprosium fluoride and niobium to provide Nd-Dy-Fe-B-Nb alloys containing 0.5-15.0 weight % Dy and 0.05-5.0 weight % Nb. This method makes it possible to produce Nd-Fe-B or Nd-Dy-Fe-B-Nb permanent magnet alloys with as small a calcium content as 0.