A new method of making 164Dy metal plate targets

164Dy metal plate targets of high purity for measurements of the electron neutrino mass were made successfully. The starting material 164DyF3 was reduced to metal by the Ca reduction method with rf induction heating. The reduced metal was pressed with a hot-press device in argon gas atmosphere and rolled into plates of 35 mm x 10 mm in area by a new method of packing. The thicknesses were in the range from 150 to 230 mg/cm2. The present method was also found suitable to make thin Dy targets of the order of 1 mg/cm2 in thickness. (orig.)