Method of forming sputtering target assembly and assemblies made therefrom

• US 20040262157A1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cabot Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cabot Corporation
• Inventors: Wickersham, Charles E. Jr., Ford, Robert B., Michaluk, Christopher A.
• Application Number:
  US10/785,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20040262157A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/298.12
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3407 Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target

Abstract

A method of forming a sputtering target assembly is described that involves explosively bonding a target grade plate and a backing plate member to form a bonded preform having dimensions such that a large target or several target assemblies can be obtained. The method includes optionally partitioning the bonded preform into a plurality of sputtering target assemblies. An interlayer can optionally be disposed between the target grade plate and the backing plate member before bonding. A bond quality test sample can be produced by the method. The sputtering target assemblies, the bonded preform, and the bond quality test sample are further described.

Claims

1. A method of forming a sputtering target assembly, comprising:

explosively bonding a target grade plate having a bonding surface and a backing plate member having a bonding surface to form a bonded preform having a bonded target grade plate and a bonded backing plate member; and

partitioning said bonded preform to form a plurality of sputtering target assemblies.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said target grade plate comprises a valve metal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said target grade plate comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said backing plate member comprises tantalum, niobium, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said backing plate member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof and said backing member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said backing plate member is explosively accelerated into said target grade plate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a bond strength between said target grade plate and said backing plate member at a bond interface of said bonded preform is from about 10,000 p.s.i. to about 75,000 p.s.i.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said target grade plate has an average grain size of less than about 100 microns and a texture substantially void of (100) textural bands, and wherein said bonded preform has a sputter target having an average grain size of less than about 100 microns and a texture substantially void of (100) textural bands.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said bonded preform has a backing plate that has a hardness more than that of said backing plate member.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing at least one interlayer between a portion of said bonding surfaces wherein said bonded preform has a bonded interlayer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one interlayer comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one interlayer comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one interlayer has a thickness of from about 0.01 to about 0.09 inches.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one interlayer covers from about 10 to about 100% of said bonding surface of said target grade plate or said backing member.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing at least a portion of a periphery of said bonded target grade plate, said bonded backing plate member, or a combination thereof to form a flange on said sputtering target assembly.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing at least a portion of a periphery of said bonded target grade plate, said bonded backing plate member, said bonded interlayer, or combinations thereof to form a flange on said sputtering target assembly.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising flattening said bonded preform.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said partitioning forms at least one test sample.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein a bond strength between said target grade plate and said backing plate member at a bond interface of said bonded preform is from about 29,000 p.s.i. to about 55,000 p.s.i.

53. The method of claim 12, wherein said hardness is at least 10% greater in said backing plate compared to said backing plate member.

22. A sputtering target assembly comprising:

a target having a bonding surface;

a backing member having a bonding surface; and

an interlayer disposed between a portion of said bonding surfaces, wherein said target, said backing member, and said interlayer are explosively bonded together.

23. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said target comprises a valve metal.

24. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said target comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

25. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said target comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

26. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said target comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

27. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said backing member comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

28. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said backing member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

29. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said interlayer comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

30. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said interlayer comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

31. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said interlayer has a thickness of from about 0.01 to about 0.09 inches.

32. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said interlayer covers from about 10 to about 100% of said bonding surface of said target.

33. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein said interlayer covers from about 10 to about 100% of said bonding surface of said backing member.

34. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, further comprising a flange comprising a portion of said target, a portion of said interlayer, a portion of said backing member, or any combinations thereof.

35. The sputtering target assembly of claim 22, wherein before said bonding said interlayer is bonded to said target or said backing member.

36. A bonded preform having dimensions sufficient to be divided to form a plurality of sputtering target assemblies, comprising:

a target grade plate having a bonding surface; and

a backing plate member having a bonding surface, wherein said target grade plate and said backing plate member are explosively bonded together.

37. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said target grade plate comprises a valve metal.

38. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

39. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

40. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said target grade plate comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

41. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said backing plate member comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

42. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said backing plate member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

43. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said backing plate member is explosively accelerated into said target grade plate.

44. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said target grade plate has an average grain size of less than about 100 microns and a texture substantially void of (100) textural bands, and wherein said bonded preform has a sputter target having an average grain size of less than about 100 microns and a texture substantially void of (100) textural bands.

45. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein a bond strength between said target grade plate and said backing plate member at a bond interface of said bonded preform is from about 10,000 p.s.i. to about 75,000 p.s.i.

46. The bonded preform of claim 36, wherein said bonded preform has a backing plate that has a hardness more than that of said backing plate member.

47. The bonded preform of claim 36, further comprising at least one interlayer disposed between a portion of said bonding surfaces.

48. The bonded preform of claim 46, wherein said at least one interlayer comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

49. The bonded preform of claim 46, wherein said at least one interlayer comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

50. The bonded preform of claim 46, wherein said at least one interlayer has a thickness of from about 0.01 to about 0.09 inches.

51. The bonded preform of claim 46, wherein said at least one interlayer covers from about 10 to about 100% of said bonding surface of said target grade plate or said backing member.

54. A bonded preform or target assembly comprising a target and a backing plate bonded together, wherein said bonded preform has a continuous sputter surface area of greater than 1.5 m².

55. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said sputter surface area is from 1.5 m to about 10 m².

56. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said sputter surface area is from about 2 m² to about 6 m².

57. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said target and said backing plate are bonded together by molecular bonding.

63. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, further comprising an interlayer located between said target and backing plate.

64. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said target comprises a valve metal.

65. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said target comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

66. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said target comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

67. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said target comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

68. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said backing plate member comprises tantalum, niobium, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

69. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said backing plate member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

70. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 54, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof and said backing member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

92. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 63, wherein said interlayer is formed by striping material from an anvil and depositing said material at the bond interface using an explosion bonding plasma jet.

93. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 92, wherein at least one coating of a bond enhancing material is applied to the anvil.

58. A bonded preform or target assembly comprising a target and a backing plate explosively bonded together, wherein said bonded preform has a sputter surface area of greater than 400 cm².

59. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 58, wherein said sputter surface area is from about 500 cm² to about 10 m².

71. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 58, wherein said target grade plate comprises a valve metal.

72. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 58, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

73. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 58, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

74. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 58, wherein said target grade plate comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

75. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 58, wherein said backing plate member comprises tantalum, niobium, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

76. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 58, wherein said backing plate member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

77. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 58, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof and said backing member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

60. A bonded preform or target assembly comprising a target and a backing plate bonded together, wherein said bonded preform has a rectangular dimensions of 1.5 m or greater ×

1.5 m or greater or a circular diameter of at least 1.5 m.

78. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 60, wherein said target grade plate comprises a valve metal.

79. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 60 wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

80. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 60, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

81. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 60, wherein said target grade plate comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

82. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 60, wherein said backing plate member comprises tantalum, niobium, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

83. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 60, wherein said backing plate member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

84. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 60, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof and said backing member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

61. A bonded preform or target assembly comprising a target and backing plate explosively bonded together, wherein said bonded preform has a continuous sputter surface area of 400 cm² or greater.

62. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 61, further comprising an interlayer located between said target and backing plate.

85. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 61, wherein said target grade plate comprises a valve metal.

86. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 61, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum, niobium, cobalt, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

87. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 61, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof.

88. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 61, wherein said target grade plate comprises niobium or an alloy thereof.

89. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 61, wherein said backing plate member comprises tantalum, niobium, titanium, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

90. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 61, wherein said backing plate member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.

91. The bonded preform or target assembly of claim 61, wherein said target grade plate comprises tantalum or an alloy thereof and said backing member comprises copper or an alloy thereof.