The rare earth element ytterbium is a soft, malleable, and ductile element known for its bright silvery luster. Ytterbium is the fourteenth and penultimate element in the lanthanide series, an occurrence that explains the relative stability of its +2 oxidation state. But like the other lanthanides, the most common or stable oxidation state of Ytterbium...Continue Reading
Praseodymium is a chemical element with atomic number 59 and chemical symbol Pr. This element is the third member of the lanthanide series and is categorized as a rare-earth metal. It is soft, silvery, malleable, and ductile. The metal is valued for its magnetic, electrical, chemical, and optical properties. Praseodymium is actually too reactive and...Continue Reading
The sputtering target materials commonly found on the market can be divided into planar targets and rotatory targets according to their shapes. Want to know what are their advantages and disadvantages? Keep on reading this post. Planar Sputtering Target Although rotary targets have developed in recent years, the mainstream shape of the sputtering target is still the planar type. Advantages...Continue Reading
Cerium(Ce) has an atomic number of 58 and is the most abundant rare-earth metal known. It is the second element in the lanthanide series. Commercial-grade cerium has an iron-gray color. It is silvery when in its pure form, and it has almost the same ductility and softness as tin. Cerium is the most abundant rare-earth...Continue Reading
Yttrium (pronounced as IT-ree-em) is one of the important rare-earth elements, considering its application in different areas, such as in lasers, ceramics, camera lenses, and many other items. Yttrium is also applied as an additive in alloys. In this post, you’ll learn more about the discovery, production, properties, and uses of the yttrium element. Introduction...Continue Reading
Thulium is a chemical element belonging to the lanthanide series of rare-earth metals. It is the 13th element and the third to the last in the series. The element has the atomic number 69 and is known by the symbol, Tm. Thulium has variable oxidation states, but the most common oxidation state is +3, which...Continue Reading
Rare Earth Terbium – Description Terbium, the 65th element of the periodic table, is a rare earth metal belonging to the lanthanide series. Although the lanthanides have been described as a boring group of elements, each of them has its own unique properties and uses. Terbium, though not as popular as Neodymium, Ytterbium, or Samarium,...Continue Reading
Samarium is a yellowish rare earth element belonging to the lanthanide series of metals on the periodic table. Although samarium is similar in appearance and properties to most other metals, it has relatively fewer uses. A notable application of samarium is in the manufacture of very powerful magnets. Compounds of samarium are also used in...Continue Reading
What is Magnetron Sputtering? Sputtering is the process in which the atoms or molecules of a material are ejected from a target by bombarding the target with high-energy particles. This is called DC sputtering or diode sputtering. A major disadvantage of such a sputtering technique is that it has very low deposition rates and involves...Continue Reading