David Axelrod

Final Paper

Introduction

Tantalum, atomic number 73, is a rare metal that is widely used in electronics today. In
the universe it is 15 times less abundant than gold. It often naturally occurs as coltan, a mixture
of columbite and tantalite (a mineral group containing tantalum). One of its highly sought after
properties is that it is highly corrosion resistant. It has seen a rise in demand with an increase in
the production of electronics. Mostly used in capacitors, tantalum can be found in devices such
as cell phones, computers, video game consoles, and DVD players.
Capacitors in their simplest form are two metal plates separated by an electrical insulator.
Their purpose is to regulate voltages at high temperatures. In other words they can be used to
regulate the power supplied to very sensitive electronic components. Capacitors come in many
different sizes and can be made of many different materials. The specifications of capacitors used
in any given application depend on the demands being placed on them with regard given to cost
benefit analysis. Some of the differing demands are the amount of voltage they will be subjected
to, the temperatures they will need to withstand, and space available for them among others.
As time has gone on the need for capacitors that are smaller and have tighter tolerances
has increased. Without going into excessive detail, while there are similar capacitors to tantalum
ones at cheaper prices, there remains applications which require them. Cellphones, which by one

estimate account for 35 percent of all tantalum capacitor usage, are a prime example. Cellphone
manufacturers work relentlessly to fit more into ever smaller packages at the cost of more
expensive components which consumers are all too happy to pay for. As cellphones shrink in size
so must their capacitors. Aside from physical size tantalum capacitors offer tighter tolerances to
match the smaller and more sensitive parts of newer cellphones. They also create less noise or in
other words as parts are packed more tightly together it becomes increasingly important that the
electrical signals of the components dont interfere with one another. In addition they are less
prone to failure from mechanical stress than similar capacitors.

History

Now that the significance of tantalum in modern electronics has been established Id like
to illustrate its discovery and emergence into the marketplace. In 1968 the National Research
Council, which produces reports in an effort to inform public opinion, released a document
entitled Trends in the Usage of Tantalum. This document, now seemingly ancient at the time of
my writing, both describes the state of tantalum at that time and foreshadows its role today.