Hot-rolled copper plate

Abstract

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 m or less, and a (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L), which is a ratio between a total crystal grain boundary length L measured by an EBSD method and a sum L (3+9) of a 3 grain boundary length L3 and a 9 grain boundary length L9, being 28% or greater.

Claims

1. A hot-rolled copper plate comprising: pure copper having a purity of 99.99 mass % or greater, wherein the hot-rolled copper plate has an average crystal grain diameter of 40 m or less, the hot-rolled copper plate has a (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) of 28% or greater, said (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) being a ratio between a total crystal grain boundary length L based on an EBSD method and a sum L (3+9) of a 3 grain boundary length L3 and a 9 grain boundary length L9, and a maximum value of strength of each plane direction of an inverse pole figure based on the EBSD method is less than 5.

2. The hot-rolled copper plate according to claim 1, wherein conductivity of the pure copper is 101% IACS or greater.

3. The hot-rolled copper plate according to claim 1, wherein the pure copper contains 0.0003 mass % or less of Fe, 0.0002 mass % or less of O, 0.0005 mass % or less of S, and 0.0001 mass % or less of P with the balance being copper and inevitable impurities.

4. The hot-rolled copper plate according to claim 1, wherein Vickers hardness is 80 or less.

5. The hot-rolled copper plate according to claim 1, wherein cold rolling having a rolling reduction ratio of 10% or less, or shape correction using a leveler is performed.

6. The hot-rolled copper plate according to claim 1, wherein the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio is 28% to 34.1%.

7. A sputtering target comprising: a hot-rolled copper plate having pure copper, wherein a purity of the pure copper is 99.99 mass % or greater, the hot-rolled copper plate has an average crystal grain diameter of 40 m or less, the hot-rolled copper plate has a (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) of 28% or greater, said (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) being a ratio between a total crystal grain boundary length L based on an EBSD method and a sum L (3+9) of a 3 grain boundary length L3 and a 9 grain boundary length L9, and a maximum value of strength of each plane direction of an inverse pole figure based on the EBSD method is less than 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(2) A hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment consists of pure copper having a purity of 99.99 mass % or greater, and more specifically, the pure copper contains 0.0003 mass % or less of Fe, 0.0002 mass % or less of O, 0.0005 mass % or less of S, and 0.0001 mass % or less of P with the balance being copper and inevitable impurities.

(3) In addition, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, an average crystal grain diameter is 40 m or less, and Vickers hardness is 80 or less.

(4) In addition, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, a (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L), which is a ratio between a total crystal grain boundary length L measured by an EBSD method and a sum L (3+9) of a 3 grain boundary length L3 and a 9 grain boundary length L9, is 28% or greater.

(5) In addition, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, the maximum value of strength of each plane orientation of an inverse pole figure measured by the EBSD method is less than 5.

(6) Here, the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) is obtained by specifying crystal grain boundaries, 3 grain boundaries, and 9 grain boundaries by an EBSD measurement device using a field emission type scanning electron microscope, and calculating lengths of the grain boundaries. That is, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, relatively many 3 grain boundaries and 9 grain boundaries exist.

(7) The crystal grain boundary is defined as a boundary between crystals when an orientation direction difference between two adjacent crystals is 15 or greater as a result of the cross-sectional observation in two-dimension.

(8) In addition, the 3 grain boundary and the 9 grain boundary are defined as crystal grain boundaries in which values defined based on a CSL theory (Kronberg et al: Trans. Met. Soc. AIME, 185, 501 (1949)) crystallographically are corresponding grain boundaries of 3 and 9, and an inherent corresponding portion lattice direction defect Dq in the corresponding grain boundary satisfies Dq15/.sup.1/2 (D. G. Brandon: Acta. Metallurgica, Vol. 14, p. 1479 (1966)).

(9) Here, when the average crystal grain diameter exceeds 40 m, since relatively coarse crystal grains exist, gouges occur during cutting. When a hot-rolled copper plate is used for a sputtering target, if gouges occur on a surface of the copper plate, discharging directions of sputter particles are not arranged due to minute irregularities, scatter deviation occurs, and particles in which steps of irregularities are starting points occur.

(10) In addition, when crystal grain diameters are coarse, when plastic working such as bending is performed, there is a concern that working cracks may occur.

(11) Accordingly, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, the average crystal grain diameter is defined so as to be 40 m or less.

(12) In addition, when the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L), which is a ratio between the total crystal grain boundary length L measured by an EBSD method and a sum L (3+9) of the 3 grain boundary length L3 and the 9 grain boundary length L9, is less than 28%, consistency of crystal grain boundaries is not sufficient, and characteristics inside crystal grains and characteristics of the crystal grain boundaries are significantly different from each other. When a hot-rolled copper plate in which the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) is less than 28% is used for a sputtering target, irregularities occur along grain boundaries on the surface of the hot-rolled copper plate according to proceeding of sputtering, and abnormal discharge easily occurs. In addition, when the hot-rolled copper plate is used for a heat dissipation substrate, when transition is accumulated due to repeated loads, the hot-rolled copper plate is easily ruptured.

(13) Accordingly, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) is defined so as to be 28% or greater. In addition, in order to certainly achieve the above-described effects, preferably, the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) is 30% or greater, and more preferably, is 35% or greater.

(14) The hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment is produced by performing hot rolling on a pure copper ingot and performing cold rolling of a rolling reduction ratio 10% or less or shape correction using a leveler in order to adjust a shape if necessary on the hot-rolled pure copper ingot.

(15) That is, by performing only a hot rolling process without performing cold rolling and a heat treatment process, a crystal structure is controlled so that the average crystal grain diameter is 40 m or less, and the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L), which is the ratio between the total crystal grain boundary length L and the sum L (3+9) of the 3 grain boundary length L3 and the 9 grain boundary length L9, is 28% or greater.

(16) Hereinafter, a method for producing the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment will be specifically described.

(17) First, for example, copper having a purity of 99.99 mass % or greater is melted by a heating furnace, and a pure copper ingot is manufactured using a continuous casting machine. In this case, as impurities of the pure copper ingot, preferably, it is managed so that Fe is 0.0003 mass % or less, O is 0.0002 mass % or less, S is 0.0005 mass % or less, and P is 0.0001 mass % or less. The impurities can be managed by adjusting impurities mainly included in raw materials.

(18) The pure copper ingot is heated. Preferably, a heating temperature is 550 C. to 950 C. The heated pure copper ingot is travelled between rolling rolls a plurality of times. Therefore, the heated pure copper ingot is rolled to a predetermined thickness. In this hot rolling, finish hot rolling is performed at a final step. Preferably, a temperature after the finish hot rolling ends is set to 600 C. or less. The finish hot rolling can be performed once or a plurality of times. Thereafter, preferably, the pure copper ingot is rapidly cooled at a cooling speed 200 C./min or greater from a temperature when the finish hot rolling ends to a temperature of 200 C. or less.

(19) In addition, preferably, a total rolling ratio of the hot rolling and the finish hot rolling is 85% or greater.

(20) Moreover, after the finish hot rolling is performed, in order to adjust a shape of the hot-rolled copper plate, cold rolling in which a rolling reduction ratio is 10% or less or a shape correction using a leveler may be performed.

(21) According to the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration, since the average crystal grain diameter is 40 m or less, it is possible to prevent occurrence of gouges during the cutting. In addition, workability is improved during plastic working such as bending.

(22) In addition, when the hot-rolled copper plate is used for a sputtering target, even though irregularities occurs for each crystal grain as sputtering proceeds, since the average crystal grain diameter is 40 m or less, irregularities are minute during sputtering, and it is possible to prevent occurrence of abnormal discharge.

(23) In addition, since the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L), which is a ratio between the total crystal grain boundary length L and the sum L (3+9) of the 3 grain boundary length L3 and the 9 grain boundary length L9, is 28% or greater, grain boundaries having high crystallinity (grain boundaries in which disturbance of an atomic arrangement decreases) increase. Therefore, consistency of crystal grain boundaries is improved. Accordingly, rupture does not easily occur even when transition is accumulated, and fatigue characteristics are remarkably improved. In addition, differences between characteristics of crystal grain boundaries and characteristics inside crystal grains decrease, and when the hot-rolled copper plate is used for a sputtering target, minute irregularities do not easily occur on the surface of the hot-rolled copper plate as sputtering proceeds. Therefore, it is possible to prevent occurrence of abnormal discharge.

(24) Moreover, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, by performing only a hot rolling process without performing cold rolling and a heat treatment process, since a crystal structure is controlled so that the average crystal grain diameter is 40 m or less, and the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L), which is the ratio between the total crystal grain boundary length L and the sum L (3+9) of the 3 grain boundary length L3 and the 9 grain boundary length L9, is 28% or greater, it is possible to remarkably decrease a production cost of a copper produced product (sputtering target, heat dissipation substrate, or the like) which has the hot-rolled copper plate as a material.

(25) In addition, in order to adjust the shape of the hot-rolled copper plate, cold rolling in which a rolling reduction ratio is 10% or less or shape correction using a leveler may be performed. In this case, since the rolling ratio is low, it is possible to prevent rolling from being developed in a preferred direction without decreasing the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L).

(26) In addition, since the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment contains 0.0003 mass % or less of Fe, 0.0002 mass % or less of O, 0.0005 mass % or less of S, and 0.0001 mass % or less of P with the balance being copper and inevitable impurities, it is possible to prevent the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) from decreasing, and it is possible to certainly allow the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) to be 28% or greater.

(27) Moreover, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, Vickers hardness is 80% or less and an amount of distortion in the hot-rolled copper plate decreases. Accordingly, when the hot-rolled copper plate is used for a sputtering target, it possible to prevent occurrence of coarse clusters due to release of distortion during sputtering and occurrence of irregularities due to the coarse clusters, and it is possible to prevent occurrence of abnormal discharge.

(28) In addition, in the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, since the maximum value of strength of each plane orientation of the inverse pole figure measured by the EBSD method is defined so as to be less than 5, crystal directions are random without being deviated in a specific direction.

(29) In this way, since the crystal directions are random, the crystal structure of the hot-rolled copper plate is uniformized, and when the hot-rolled copper plate is used for a sputtering target, it is possible to prevent abnormal discharge during sputtering.

(30) In addition, in a method for producing the hot-rolled copper plate of the present embodiment, since the finishing hot rolling is performed on the hot-rolled copper plate at a relatively low temperature, the crystal grains are refined, and it is possible to increase the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) which is the ratio between the total crystal grain boundary length L and the sum of the 3 grain boundary length L3 and the 9 grain boundary length L9.

(31) Accordingly, it is possible to produce the hot-rolled copper plate which consists of pure copper having a purity of 99.99 mass % or greater and the hot-rolled copper plate having the average crystal grain diameter of 40 m or less, and the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L), which is the ratio between the total crystal grain boundary length L measured by the EBSD method and the sum L (3+9) of the 3 grain boundary length L3 and the 9 grain boundary length L9, being 28% or greater.

(32) Hereinbefore, the embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be appropriately modified within a scope which does not depart from technical ideas of the present invention.

(33) For example, in the present embodiment, the case where the hot-rolled copper plate is used for a sputtering target or a heat dissipation substrate is described. However, the hot-rolled copper plate may be used for other copper processed products such as a baking plate, a Stevemold, an accelerator electronic tube, a magnetron, a superconducting stabilizer material, a vacuum member, a tube plate of a heat exchanger, a bus bar, an electrode material, and an anode for plating.

EXAMPLE

(34) Hereinafter, a result of an evaluation test by which effects of the hot-rolled copper plate of the present invention are evaluated will be described.

Invention Examples 1 to 7

(35) As a rolling material, a cast ingot of oxygen-free copper (having a purity of 99.99 mass % or greater) for an electron tube was used. Material size before rolling was performed was 620 mm in width900 mm in length250 mm in thickness, hot rolling was performed, and hot-rolled copper plates as described in Table 1 was manufactured. The total rolling ratio of the hot rolling process was set to 92%. In addition, in the finish hot rolling which is the rolling at the final step of the hot rolling process, starting temperatures and end temperatures of the finish hot rolling are shown in Table 1. The temperature measurement was performed by measuring the surface temperature of the rolling plate using a radiation thermometer. In addition, after the hot rolling ended, the hot-rolled copper plate was cooled by water at a cooling speed of 200 C./min or greater until the temperature was 200 C. or less. In addition, in Invention Example 7, cold rolling for shape correction was performed according to conditions of Table 1.

Comparative Examples 1 to 4

(36) In Comparative Examples 1, 2, and 4, as a rolling material, a cast ingot of oxygen-free copper (having a purity of 99.99 mass % or greater) for an electron tube was used. In Comparative Example 3, as a rolling material, a cast ingot of phosphorous deoxidation copper (having a purity of 99.95 mass % or greater) was used. Material size before rolling was performed were set to 620 mm in width900 mm in length250 mm in thickness, hot rolling was performed, and hot-rolled copper plates as described in Table 1 was manufactured. In addition, a temperature measurement with respect to the starting temperatures and the ending temperatures of the finish hot rolling was performed by measuring a surface temperature of a rolling plate using a radiation thermometer. In addition, after the hot rolling ended, the hot-rolled copper plate was cooled by water at a cooling speed of 200 C./min or greater until the temperature was 200 C. or less. In addition, in Comparative Example 4, cold rolling was performed according to conditions of Table 1.

(37) In hot-rolled copper plates of Invention Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 obtained as described above, average crystal grain diameters, (3+9) grain boundary length ratios (L (3+9)/L), maximum values of plane direction strength of inverse pole figures, Vickers hardness, states of gouges during processing using a milling cutter, and frequency of abnormal discharge when the hot-rolled copper plates were used for sputtering targets were evaluated.

(38) <Average Crystal Grain Diameter>

(39) In a measurement of the average crystal grain diameter, a microstructure observation was performed on a rolling surface (ND surface) of a hot-rolled copper plate using an optical microscope, and the average crystal grain diameter was measured based on JIS H 0501: 1986 (cutting method).

(40) <(3+9) Grain Boundary Length Ratio (L (3+9)/L)>

(41) With respect to the obtained hot-rolled copper plate, the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) was calculated. With each sample, after mechanical polishing was performed on a vertical section (surface when viewed from a TD direction) of each sample along a rolling direction (RD direction) using waterproof abrasive papers or diamond abrasive grains, finish polishing was performed on each sample using colloidal silica solution.

(42) Crystal grain boundaries, 3 grain boundaries, and 9 grain boundaries are specified by an EBSD measurement device (S4300-SEM manufactured by HITACI Co. Ltd. and OIM Data Collection manufactured by EDAX/TSL Co. Ltd.) and an analysis software (OIM Data Analysis ver. 5.2 manufactured by EDAX/TLS Co. Ltd.) to calculate the lengths of the boundaries, and analysis of the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) was performed.

(43) First, each measurement point (pixel) within a measurement range on a sample surface was irradiated with electron beams using a scanning electron microscope, the sample surface was two-dimensionally scanned by the electron beams, and a portion between measured points in which a direction difference between adjacent measured points was 15 or greater was set to a crystal grain boundary according to a direction analysis by back scattered electron beam diffraction.

(44) In addition, all grain boundary lengths L of the crystal grain boundaries within a measurement range were measured, positions of crystal grain boundaries in which the boundary surfaces of adjacent crystal grains configured the 3 grain boundaries and the 9 grain boundaries were determined, the 3 grain boundary lengths L3 and the 9 grain boundary lengths L9 were obtained, the length ratio L (3+9)/L between all crystal grain boundary lengths L of the measured crystal grain boundaries and the sum of the 3 grain boundaries and the 9 grain boundaries was obtained, and the obtained ratio was set to the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L).

(45) <Maximum Value of Plane Direction Strength of Inverse Pole Figure>

(46) By using an EBSD measurement device (S4300-SEM manufactured by HITACI Co. Ltd. and OIM Data Collection manufactured by EDAX/TSL Co. Ltd.), a rectangular region of 8 mm.sup.2 was measured by a step size 2 m, and the rectangular region was positioned at 2 mm in the rolling direction and 4 mm in the rolling surface direction (ND direction) and had short sides overlapping with the rolling surface in a vertical cross-section (surface when viewed from TD direction) along a rolling direction (RD direction) of the hot-rolled copper plate. A measurement area was set to an area in which the number of measured crystal grains sufficiently exceeded 5,000 by which reliability statistically equivalent to XRD could be obtained. Moreover, the step size was determined based on grain diameters of each sample so that scanning of the EBSD was completed during an appropriate time. Measured data was analyzed by an analysis software (OIM Data Analysis ver. 5.2 manufactured by EDAX/TLS Co. Ltd.), and the maximum value in the strength of the inverse pole figure in the rolling surface direction (ND) was calculated. The calculation was performed using a spherical surface harmonic function method, a development order was set to 16, and a half value width was set to 5. In addition, OIM was an abbreviation of Orientation Imaging Microscopy.

(47) <Vickers Hardness>

(48) Vickers hardness of the vertical section (surface viewed from TD direction) along the rolling direction (RD) was measured according to a method defined by JIS Z 2244.

(49) <States of Gouges During Processing Using Milling Cutter>

(50) Each sample was a flat plate of 1002000 mm, cutting in a cutting depth of 0.1 mm and at a cutting speed of 5000 m/minute was performed on the surface of the flat plate using a bite having a cemented carbide cutting edge in a milling machine, and the number of gouge scratches having lengths of 100 m or greater existing in a field of view of 500 m of the cutting surface was evaluated.

(51) <Abnormal Discharge Frequency>

(52) An integral target including a baking plate portion was manufactured so that a diameter of a target portion from each sample was 152 mm and a thickness of the target portion was 6 mm, the target was attached to a sputtering device, and sputtering test was performed under conditions in which an ultimate vacuum pressure in a chamber was set to 110.sup.5 Pa or less, a sputtering gas pressure was set to 0.3 Pa using Ar as sputtering gas, and a direct current (DC) source was set to a sputtering output 2 kW. The sputtering was continuously performed for 2 hours. While the sputtering was performed, frequency of abnormal discharge occurring due to sputtering abnormality was counted using an arc counter included in a power source.

(53) Production conditions are shown in Table 1 and evaluation results are shown in Table 2.

(54) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Hot rolling (finish) Rolling Cold Starting Ending condition rolling Composition Con- temper- temper- Rolling ratio Rolling Cu O S Fe P ductivity ature ature number of ratio Mass % Mass % Mass % Mass % Mass % % IACS C. C. passes % Invention 99.99 0.00011 0.00027 0.00011 0.00007 101.9 543 527 35% 3 0 Example 1 Invention 99.99 0.00008 0.00031 0.00015 0.00002 102.1 523 513 30% 3 0 Example 2 Invention 99.99 0.00001 0.00025 0.00027 0.00008 102.2 375 364 25% 3 0 Example 3 Invention 99.99 0.00004 0.00017 0.00006 0.00003 101.7 452 438 30% 3 0 Example 4 Invention 99.99 0.00009 0.00024 0.00017 0.00006 101.5 517 501 30% 4 0 Example 5 Invention 99.99 0.00006 0.00027 0.00019 0.00005 102.4 539 517 25% 4 0 Example 6 Invention 99.99 0.00008 0.00022 0.00001 0.00008 102.0 458 425 30% 3 8 Example 7 Comparative 99.99 0.00001 0.00039 0.00016 0.00001 101.7 621 602 30% 3 0 Example 1 Comparative 99.99 0.00014 0.0021 0.00017 0.00007 101.5 486 458 30% 3 0 Example 2 Comparative 99.95 0.005 0.0087 0.0031 0.030 87.0 515 483 30% 3 0 Example 3 Comparative 99.99 0.00011 0.00017 0.00021 0.00008 102.4 497 474 30% 3 25 Example 4

(55) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Sputtering Cutting characteristics Characteristic evaluation of hot-rolled copper plate workability Abnormal Average crystal (3 + 9) grain Vickers Inverse Number of discharge grain diameter boundary length ratio hardness pole gouges frequency m % Hv figure Number Times Invention Example 1 38 41.6 51 1.2 0 3 Invention Example 2 35 54.9 61 1.8 1 1 Invention Example 3 23 34.1 63 2.7 0 3 Invention Example 4 28 60.4 59 2.6 0 1 Invention Example 5 34 49.6 56 1.8 0 2 Invention Example 6 33 71.1 58 2.1 1 1 Invention Example 7 31 29.1 78 4.4 1 4 Comparative 91 48.0 50 2.3 5 10 Example 1 Comparative 32 24.0 54 3.7 0 15 Example 2 Comparative 31 19.9 69 4.1 1 37 Example 3 Comparative 37 21.4 97 8.4 1 27 Example 4

(56) In Comparative Example 1, the average crystal was 91 m, many gouges occurred, and the abnormal discharge frequency increased.

(57) In Comparative Examples 2 and 3, the average grain diameters were 32 m and 31 m. However, the (3+9) grain boundary length ratios (L (3+9)/L) were low, for example, 24.0% and 19.9%. Accordingly, even when the gouges decreased, the abnormal discharge increased.

(58) In Comparative Example 4, cold rolling was performed at a rolling ratio of 25% after the hot rolling was performed, and the average crystal grain diameter was 37 m. However, the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) was low, for example, 21.4%. In addition, it was identified that the Vickers hardness was high, for example, 97 and residual distortion increased. Moreover, the maximum value of the plane direction strength of the inverse pole figure was 8.4, and it was identified that crystal directions were deviated in a constant direction by cold rolling of a rolling ratio of 25%. In Comparative Example 4, even when gouges decreased, the abnormal discharge frequency increased, for example, 27 times.

(59) On the other hand, in Invention Examples 1 to 7 in which the average crystal grain diameters were 40 m or less and the (3+9) grain boundary length ratios (L (3+9)/L) were 28% or greater, it was identified that gouges were hardly generated and the abnormal discharge frequency decreased.

(60) In addition, in Invention Example 7, cold rolling of a rolling reduction ratio of 8% was performed after hot rolling. However, the (3+9) grain boundary length ratio (L (3+9)/L) was 29.1%, and the maximum value of the plane direction strength of the inverse pole figure was 4.4.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(61) A hot-rolled copper plate of the present invention can be used for a material of a copper processed product such as a target, a baking plate, a Stevemold, an accelerator electronic tube, a magnetron, a superconducting stabilizer material, a heat dissipation substrate, a vacuum member, a tube plate of a heat exchanger, a bus bar, an electrode material, or an anode for plating.