Tantalum Oxide (Ta₂O₅) – Supplier & Manufacturer in USA

Tantalum Oxide, Ta₂O₅

Tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) sputtering targets from Infinita Materials are high-purity ceramic sources used to deposit dense, high-refractive-index, high-dielectric-constant thin films by RF and reactive DC magnetron sputtering. As one of the most established high-k dielectric and optical coating materials in semiconductor, display, and photonics manufacturing, Ta2O5 combines a wide optical bandgap, strong chemical and thermal stability, and a refractive index near 2.1-2.2 with a dielectric constant several times that of silicon dioxide.

Purity (%) :	>99.9
Dimensions :	Dia. 1”, Thick. 0.125” Dia. 2”, Thick. 0.25”

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Introduction to Tantalum Oxide

Tantalum(V) oxide (Ta₂O₅) is a stoichiometric, wide-bandgap insulating oxide with tantalum in the stable +5 oxidation state. Bulk Ta₂O₅ has several polymorphs, while sputtered films are commonly amorphous as deposited and may crystallise after high-temperature annealing. With high density, thermal stability, chemical durability, and a dielectric constant around 22–25, Ta₂O₅ is valuable for advanced electronic and optical applications. Because it is electrically insulating, deposition typically uses RF sputtering from ceramic targets or reactive sputtering from metallic tantalum in oxygen. Ta₂O₅ films are used in capacitors, DRAM dielectrics, gate-insulating layers, anti-reflection coatings, optical filters, waveguides, electrochromic devices, and touch-panel insulation.

FAQs

Question: Why is Ta₂O₅ used in high-k dielectric applications?

Answer: Ta₂O₅’s high dielectric constant and stability make it ideal for enhancing the performance of capacitors and transistors in microelectronics.

Question: How does Ta₂O₅ function in optical coatings?

Answer: With its optical transparency and durability, Ta₂O₅ is used for anti-reflective and protective coatings in optical systems.

Question: Is Ta₂O₅ suitable for semiconductor manufacturing?

Answer: Ta₂O₅ is a preferred material for gate oxides and insulating layers in advanced semiconductor devices.

Question: What are the thermal properties of Ta₂O₅ in sputtering applications?

Answer: Ta₂O₅ exhibits good thermal stability, making it suitable for high-temperature processes during film deposition.

Question: Can Ta₂O₅ be used in harsh environments?

Answer: Ta₂O₅ provides excellent corrosion resistance and is often used as a protective coating in chemically aggressive environments.

Introduction to Tantalum Oxide

Property	Value	Significance
Crystal Structure	Orthorhombic (beta-Ta2O5, stable low-temperature polymorph); sputtered films typically amorphous as-deposited	Determines whether post-deposition annealing is needed to reach a target dielectric or optical phase
Density	~8.2 g/cm3	Governs target mass, sputter yield, and expected film packing density
Melting Point	~1872C	High thermal stability supports sustained sputtering without target decomposition
Thermal Conductivity	~3.5 W/(m*K)	Low value means heat builds up under plasma bombardment, driving bonding and power-density requirements
Electrical Resistivity	Electrically insulating (bulk resistivity >10^10 ohm*cm)	Requires RF sputtering of the ceramic target, or reactive DC sputtering from metallic Ta, rather than conventional DC
Dielectric Constant (k)	~22-25 (amorphous thin film)	Several times higher than SiO2 (k~3.9), enabling thinner high-k capacitors and gate dielectrics
Refractive Index	~2.1-2.2 at 550 nm	High index supports anti-reflection coatings and optical interference filter design
Optical Bandgap	~4.0-4.4 eV	Wide bandgap gives visible-range transparency needed for optical and display applications.

Property

Value

Significance

Crystal Structure

Orthorhombic (beta-Ta2O5, stable low-temperature polymorph); sputtered films typically amorphous as-deposited

Determines whether post-deposition annealing is needed to reach a target dielectric or optical phase

Density

~8.2 g/cm3

Governs target mass, sputter yield, and expected film packing density

Melting Point

~1872C

High thermal stability supports sustained sputtering without target decomposition

Thermal Conductivity

~3.5 W/(m*K)

Low value means heat builds up under plasma bombardment, driving bonding and power-density requirements

Electrical Resistivity

Electrically insulating (bulk resistivity >10^10 ohm*cm)

Requires RF sputtering of the ceramic target, or reactive DC sputtering from metallic Ta, rather than conventional DC

Dielectric Constant (k)

~22-25 (amorphous thin film)

Several times higher than SiO2 (k~3.9), enabling thinner high-k capacitors and gate dielectrics

Refractive Index

~2.1-2.2 at 550 nm

High index supports anti-reflection coatings and optical interference filter design

Optical Bandgap

~4.0-4.4 eV

Wide bandgap gives visible-range transparency needed for optical and display applications.

Grade / Form	Typical Purity	Key Features / Uses
Standard catalogue disc (IN-Ta-01/IN-Ta-02)	99.9% (3N)	1in x 0.125in and 2in x 0.25in stock sizes for R&D and pilot-line sputtering
High-purity grade	99.95%-99.99% (4N)	Reduced alkali and transition-metal content for gate-dielectric and MIM capacitor work where leakage current is sensitive to contamination
Ultra-high-purity grade	99.999% (5N)	Lowest-contamination grade for precision optical coatings and research applications requiring minimal absorption or scattering centres
Large-format / custom	99.9%-99.99%	Rectangular plates, step targets, and oversized discs machined to specification for production-scale in-line and roll-to-roll coaters
Bonded assembly (indium-bonded, Cu backing plate)	99.9%-99.99%	Recommended for targets above ~3 in diameter run at higher power, mitigating Ta2O5’s low thermal conductivity and brittleness to prevent thermal-shock cracking

Grade / Form

Typical Purity

Key Features / Uses

Standard catalogue disc (IN-Ta-01/IN-Ta-02)

99.9% (3N)

1in x 0.125in and 2in x 0.25in stock sizes for R&D and pilot-line sputtering

High-purity grade

99.95%-99.99% (4N)

Reduced alkali and transition-metal content for gate-dielectric and MIM capacitor work where leakage current is sensitive to contamination

Ultra-high-purity grade

99.999% (5N)

Lowest-contamination grade for precision optical coatings and research applications requiring minimal absorption or scattering centres

Large-format / custom

99.9%-99.99%

Rectangular plates, step targets, and oversized discs machined to specification for production-scale in-line and roll-to-roll coaters

Bonded assembly (indium-bonded, Cu backing plate)

99.9%-99.99%

Recommended for targets above ~3 in diameter run at higher power, mitigating Ta2O5’s low thermal conductivity and brittleness to prevent thermal-shock cracking

Industry	Application	Function
Semiconductor	MIM and MIS capacitor dielectrics	High-k insulating layer enabling thinner, lower-leakage capacitor stacks than SiO2.
Semiconductor	DRAM and embedded capacitor dielectrics	High-permittivity layer supporting cell capacitance scaling in memory devices
Optics / Photonics	Anti-reflection and interference filter coatings	High-refractive-index layer paired with low-index oxides in multilayer optical stacks
Optics / Photonics	Planar optical waveguides	Precise, stable refractive index control for guided-wave optical circuits
Display / Touch Panel	Thin-film insulating and passivation layers	Insulating layer within TFT and touch-sensor stacks
Energy / Electrochromics	Electrochromic and smart-window devices	Stable ion-blocking/insulating layer within electrochromic multilayer stacks

Industry

Application

Function

Semiconductor

MIM and MIS capacitor dielectrics

High-k insulating layer enabling thinner, lower-leakage capacitor stacks than SiO2.

Semiconductor

DRAM and embedded capacitor dielectrics

High-permittivity layer supporting cell capacitance scaling in memory devices

Optics / Photonics

Anti-reflection and interference filter coatings

High-refractive-index layer paired with low-index oxides in multilayer optical stacks