ION BEAM SPUTTER TARGET AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

• US 20110297535A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.), Iowa State University Research Foundation Incorporated (Iowa State University), UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation Incorporated (Iowa State University)
• Inventors: Higdon, Clifton, Elmoursi, Alaa A., Cook, Bruce, Milner, Robert, Goldsmith, Jason, Blau, Peter, Jun, Qu
• Granted Patent: US 8,821,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/298.13
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3407 Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/46 by ion beam produced by an external ion source

Abstract

A target for use in an ion beam sputtering apparatus made of at least two target tiles where at least two of the target tiles are made of different chemical compositions and are mounted on a main tile and geometrically arranged on the main tile to yield a desired chemical composition on a sputtered substrate. In an alternate embodiment, the tiles are of varied thickness according to the desired chemical properties of the sputtered film. In yet another alternate embodiment, the target is comprised of plugs pressed in a green state which are disposed in cavities formed in a main tile also formed in a green state and the assembly can then be compacted and then sintered.

Claims

1. A target for a Physical Vapor Deposition process comprising:

a first target tile made of a first chemical composition and a second target tile made of a second chemical composition where said first target tile is positioned adjacent to said first target tile.

2. The target of claim 1, wherein said first target tile is made of TiB2.

3. The target of claim 1, wherein said second target tile is made of AlMgB14.

4. The target of claim 1, wherein said first target tile is made of a boride material.

5. The target of claim 1, wherein said second target tile is made of a dual phase ceramic material.

6. The target of claim 1, wherein said first tile is thicker than said second tile.

7. The target of claim 1, further comprising a third target tile made of a third chemical composition, said third target tile positioned adjacent to either said first target tile or said second target tile.

8. A target for a Physical Vapor Deposition process comprising:

a first target tile and a second target tile positioned adjacent to said first target tile and a third target tile positioned on top of said second target tile.

9. The target of claim 8 wherein said second target has a first chemical composition and said third target has a second chemical composition.

10. A process for manufacturing a PVD sputtering target comprising:

forming and compacting a target tile in a green state to include at least one cavity;

forming and compacting a plug in a green state to fit within said cavity;

assembling said plug into said cavity, and

sintering said target tile containing said plug to form the PVD sputtering target.

11. The process of claim 10 further comprising compacting said target tile containing said plug after assembling said plug into said cavity.

12. The process of claim 10 where said target tile is made of TiB2 or AlMgB14.

13. The process of claim 10 where said target tile or said plug is made of a boride material.

14. The process of claim 10 where said target tile or said plug is made of a dual phase ceramic material.