Elastomer bonding of large area sputtering target

• US 20060266643A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Hosokawa, Akihiro, Le, Hienminh H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,550,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/298.120
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3407 Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to sputtering targets used in semiconductor manufacturing. In particular, the invention relates to bonding the sputtering target to a backing plate that supports the sputtering target in a deposition chamber. In one embodiment, a method of bonding at least one sputtering target tile to a backing plate comprises providing an elastomeric adhesive layer between the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate, and providing at least one metal mesh within the elastomeric adhesive layer, wherein at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh contacts both the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate, and the at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh is made of metal wire with diameter greater than 0.5 mm.

Claims

1. A method of bonding at least one sputtering target tile to a backing plate, comprising:

providing an elastomeric adhesive layer between the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate; and

providing at least one metal mesh within the elastomeric adhesive layer, wherein at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh contacts both the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate, and the at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh is made of metal wire with diameter greater than 0.5 mm.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

curing the elastomeric adhesive layer filled between the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein curing the elastomeric adhesive layer is performed at a temperature less than 100°

C.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein curing the elastomeric adhesive layer is accomplished by passing heated water at a temperature between 45°

C. to about 70°

C. through heating channels in the backing plate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein there are at least 3 sputtering target tiles and the at least 3 sputtering target tiles are placed side by side with the widest gap between the at least 3 sputtering target tiles less than the plasma dark space.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sputtering target tile is made of sputtering target tiles that are welded together before bonding.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric adhesive layer include metallic powder in the weight range between about 0% to about 80% to increase thermal conductivity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the total surface area of the openings of the metal mesh is between about 40% to about 70% of the total bonding surface area of the at least one sputtering target tile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the total surface area of the at least one sputtering target tile is greater than 750 cm².

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sputtering target tile is non-circular.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sputtering target is made of material containing element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, gold, nickel, tin, molybdenum, chromium, zinc, palladium, stainless steel, palladium, tin, indium, titanium, tungsten, neodymium and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the backing plate is made of conductive material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, gold, nickel, tin, Molybdenum, chromium, zinc, palladium, stainless steel, palladium alloys, tin alloy, aluminum alloy, copper alloy, and combinations thereof.

13. A method of bonding at least one sputtering target tile to a backing plate, comprising:

providing at least one elastomeric adhesive layer between the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate; and

providing at least one metal mesh within the at least one elastomeric adhesive layer, wherein at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh contacts both the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate and the total surface area of the openings of the at least one metal mesh is between about 40% to about 70% of the total bonding surface area of the at least one sputtering target tile.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

curing the at least one elastomeric adhesive layer filled between the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate by passing heated water at a temperature between 45°

C. to about 70°

C. through heating channels in the backing plate.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein there are at least 3 sputtering target tiles and the at least 3 sputtering target tiles are placed side by side with the widest gap between the at least 3 sputtering target tiles less than the plasma dark space.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh is made of metal wire with diameter greater than 0.5 mm.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sputtering target tile is non-circular.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the total surface area of the at least one sputtering target tile is greater than 750 cm².

19. A sputtering target assembly, comprising:

at least one sputtering target tile;

a backing plate for the at least one sputtering target tile;

an elastomeric adhesive layer between the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate, wherein the elastomeric adhesive layer bonds the at least one sputtering target and the backing plate together; and

at least one metal mesh within the elastomeric adhesive layer, wherein at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh contacts both the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate, and the at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh is made of metal wire with diameter greater than 0.5 mm.

20. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein the total surface area of the openings in the at least one metal mesh layer is between about 40% to about 70% of the total sputtering surface area.

21. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein the at least one sputtering target tile is non-circular.

22. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein there are at least 3 sputtering target tiles and the at least 3 sputtering target tiles are placed side by side with the widest gap between the at least 3 sputtering target tiles less than the plasma dark space.

23. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein the at least one of the at least one sputtering target tile is made of sputtering target tiles that are welded together before being bonded to the backing plate.

24. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein the elastomeric adhesive layer include metallic powder in the weight range between about 0% to about 80% to increase thermal conductivity.

25. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein there is only one single sputtering target tile.

26. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein there are heating channels in the backing plate and the elastomeric adhesive layer is cured to prevent out-gassing, and the curing is accomplished by passing heated water at a temperature between 45°

C. to about 70°

C. through the heating channels in the backing plate.

27. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein the total surface area of the at least one sputtering target tile is greater than 750 cm².

28. The sputtering target assembly of claim 19, wherein the sputtering target assembly is a PVD sputtering target assembly for manufacturing flat panel displays and solar panels.

29. A sputtering target assembly, comprising:

at least one sputtering target tile;

a backing plate for the at least one sputtering target tile;

at least one elastomeric adhesive layer between the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate, wherein the at least one elastomeric adhesive layer bonds the at least one sputtering target and the backing plate together; and

at least one metal mesh within the at least one elastomeric adhesive layer, wherein at least a portion of the at least one metal mesh contacts both the at least one sputtering target tile and the backing plate, and the total surface area of the openings of the at least one metal mesh is between about 40% to about 70% of the total bonding surface area of the at least one sputtering target tile.