Hot-Rolled Copper Plate Grain Boundary Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for producing copper plates, particularly for sputtering targets, involve multiple processes that increase production costs and do not adequately address residual stress and fatigue characteristics, leading to insufficient prevention of abnormal discharge during thermal cycles and high-power sputtering.

Innovation Solution

A hot-rolled copper plate with a purity of 99.99 mass % or greater, featuring an average crystal grain diameter of 40 μm or less and a (Σ3+Σ9) grain boundary length ratio of 28% or greater, which improves workability, fatigue characteristics, and prevents abnormal discharge by enhancing grain boundary consistency and reducing impurities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If cold working and heat treatment processes are performed to refine crystal grains and reduce distortion, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and production cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrystal grain refinement and distortion reductionVSAvoidnumber of processing steps
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs preliminary grain refinement during the hot rolling process itself by controlling finishing temperature (500-950°C) and rolling reduction ratio (5-80%), rather than requiring separate cold working and heat treatment steps later. This preliminary action achieves the desired crystal grain structure (average diameter 5-50 μm) and grain boundary characteristics directly in the hot rolling stage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts and eliminates the cold working and heat treatment processes from the traditional multi-step manufacturing flow. By achieving grain refinement and distortion reduction solely through controlled hot rolling, the patent removes unnecessary processing steps while maintaining or improving manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple processing steps are used to achieve desired crystal structure, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrystal grain diameter controlVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the grain refinement function and distortion reduction function into the hot rolling process itself. By combining temperature control (500-950°C) and rolling reduction ratio control (5-80%) during hot rolling, the patent achieves both crystal grain diameter control (5-50 μm) and improved grain boundary structure without requiring separate processing steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention performs grain refinement and structural optimization as a preliminary action during hot rolling, before subsequent processing steps. This preliminary grain refinement ensures that no additional cold working or heat treatment is needed, thereby improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional hot rolling is performed without specific grain boundary control, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability decreases due to insufficient fatigue characteristics and abnormal discharge prevention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of hot rolling processVSAvoidfatigue characteristics and abnormal discharge resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes critical parameters during hot rolling: finishing temperature (500-950°C) and rolling reduction ratio (5-80%). These parameter changes promote the formation of specific grain boundaries (Σ3 and Σ9 boundaries) that improve reliability. The controlled parameters ensure average crystal grain diameter of 5-50 μm and enhanced fatigue characteristics without complicating the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention focuses on creating local quality improvements at grain boundaries through controlled hot rolling. By optimizing finishing temperature and rolling reduction ratio, the patent increases the proportion of Σ3 and Σ9 grain boundaries (coincident site lattice boundaries) which have superior mechanical properties and resistance to abnormal discharge, thereby improving reliability locally at critical interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution allows for reduced production costs by omitting cold rolling and heat treatment processes, while improving workability and fatigue characteristics, and effectively preventing abnormal discharge in sputtering targets and heat dissipation substrates.

Implementation Method 1

a substantially recrystallized structure, an average crystal grain diameter of 80 microns or less

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRecrystallization: Annealing

Implementation Method 2

performing hot working (hot rolling or hot forging) on the ingot

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHot working: Hot Isostatic Pressing

Implementation Method 3

conductivity of the pure copper is 101% IACS or greater

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentUS9938606B2Hot-rolled copper plate
Publication Date: 2018.04.10 MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORP

AI summary

A hot-rolled copper plate consists of pure copper having a purity of 99.99 mass % or greater, the hot-rolled copper plate having an average crystal grain diameter of 40 μm or less, and a (Σ3+Σ9) grain boundary length ratio (L (σ3+σ9)/L), which is a ratio between a total crystal grain boundary length L measured by an EBSD method and a sum L (σ3+σ9) of a Σ3 grain boundary length Lσ3 and a Σ9 grain boundary length Lσ9, being 28% or greater.