What is a Tantalum Thermal Boat?

Tantalum thermal boat (sometimes referred to as a Ta boats) are a type of specific boat-shaped container fabricated from tantalum metal. These are often used for high-temperature environments in the fields of materials science, chemistry, and research laboratories.

Thermal boats can be made from different materials, but tantalum stands out as a choice due to how it can be fabricated and welded into specific shapes for a variety of applications. Because of this flexibility, tantalum is used for various parts for research and industrial solutions.

The Design and Purpose

A thermal boat’s design typically consists of a trough-like structure with raised edges that resemble a simple boat. Tantalum is a refractory metal and its high-temperature properties lends itself to a very high melting point, good thermal conductivity and resistance to chemical attack at elevated temperatures.

The main purpose of a tantalum thermal boat is to hold and transport materials during high-temperature processes, such as thermal evaporation, sublimation and furnace applications. These boats are loaded with solid materials, such as metals, semiconductors or compounds, which need to be heated to high temperatures to facilitate vaporization or reaction.

Common Applications

1. Thin Film Deposition
   • In physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes, tantalum boats are used to hold the evaporant material (e.g., metal, alloy or other material) that is heated to produce a vapor. This vapor then condenses on a substrate, forming a thin film.
   • Special tantalum boats offer higher capacity than typical boats and can be used with baffling and covers to control vapor streams.
     
2. High-Temperature Reactions
   • Tantalum boats or furnace elements see use in high-temperature reactions that require precision control and containment of reactants.
     
3. Materials Testing
   • These boats are used in laboratories for various material characterization and analysis techniques, including thermal analysis, high-temperature microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis.

Due to its formability, tantalum thermal boats can be fabricated to different sizes, thicknesses, and configurations. Additionally, it can be formed into boxes and heating elements durable for very specific applications for different requirements. As a refractory metal, tantalum is able to withstand high-temperatures without deforming or reacting with the materials it holds, making it essential for research and industrial applications.

Shop Tantalum Thermal Boats

The R.D. Mathis Company’s tantalum thermal boats are proven parts for high-temperature use, made with high quality and outstanding quality. Fabricated in the US from high-purity tantalum metal, these boats have exceptional thermal conductivity and are resistant to corrosion at elevated temperatures.

All of our evaporation boats are available in a variety of materials and thicknesses — visit our website to shop now.