Boron Sputtering Targets (B)

Boron is a chemical element with the symbol B and atomic number 5. Produced entirely by cosmic ray spallation and supernovae and not by stellar nucleosynthesis. It is a low-abundance element in the Solar system and the Earth's crust. Boron is concentrated on Earth by the water-solubility of its more common naturally occurring compounds, the borate minerals. These minerals are mined industrially as evaporites, such as Borax and Kernite. The largest known Boron deposits are in Turkey, also the largest producer of boron minerals. Elemental Boron is a metalloid found in small amounts in meteoroids, but chemically uncombined Boron exists naturally on Earth. Industrially, it is challenging to produce pure Boron because of refractory contamination by carbon and other elements.