Cylindrical metal fibers made from tantalum, columbium, and alloys thereof

Abstract

A method of making a tantalum capacitor of improved specific capacitance (and volumetric efficiency) is described. Short tantalum fibers are precipitated out of a carrier liquid to form a felt, or tumbled to form fiber containing particles, and in either case subsequently bonded so as to form a felt or particles containing the fibers in random orientation in substantially non-aligned array. These particles or felt are heated to bond the fibers together, purify and (optionally) cylindricalize them. The felt or particles can be processed in conventional fashion thereafter to form the capacitor. Cylindricalized fibers and pellets of increased surface area are also described.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.