It has therefore many applications such as in magnetic thin films applications, magnetic disk drives, and as diffusion barriers in integrated circuits . In bulk form, Ta has a bcc structure, also known as the α-phase. However, during thin film growth of Ta, the metastable tetragonal β-phase commonly forms. β-Ta is harder and more brittle than bcc-Ta. It also has a higher resistivity and a lower superconducting transition temperature .