| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090008786 | Sputtering Target - The present invention provides a sputtering target comprising aluminum and one or more alloying elements including Ni, Co, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ta, W, and rare earth metals (REM). The addition of very small amounts of alloying element to pure aluminum and aluminum alloy target improves the uniformity of the deposited wiring films through affecting the target's recrystallization process. The range of alloying element content is 0.01 to 100 ppm and preferably in the range of 0.1 to 50 ppm and more preferably from 0.1 to 10 ppm weight which is sufficient to prevent dynamic recrystallization of pure aluminum and aluminum alloys, such as 30 ppm Si alloy. The addition of small amount of alloying elements increases the thermal stability and electromigration resistance of pure aluminum and aluminum alloys thin films while sustaining their low electrical resistivity and good etchability. This invention also provides a method of manufacturing microalloyed aluminum and aluminum alloy sputtering target. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090120784 | Sputter Targets with Expansion Grooves for Reduced Separation - A magnetron sputtering target having at least one expansion groove strategically located on the target surface such that, during magnetron sputtering, contamination of the target surface due to separation and de-lamination of re-deposited sputtered particles from the target surface is reduced. The sputter target comprises a re-deposited layer having secondary cracks and a characteristic distance between cracks for supporting the inherent material stress associated with the thermal expansion of the target. The expansion groove is then positioned substantially within the characteristic distance to reduce separation and de-lamination of the re-deposited layer from the target surface. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090160137 | Low leak O-ring seal - A vacuum seal having an O-ring between two mating parts. One of the mating parts has a groove configured to receive the O-ring. The groove has a modified dovetail shape with at least one side wall having a compound slope formed with a first portion forming an angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to a base wall and a second portion extending substantially perpendicular to the sealing face of the mating part. The cross-sectional area of the groove is less than 95% of the cross sectional area of the O-ring and the width of the groove mouth is at least 94% of the diameter of the O-ring. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090235709 | Non-planar sputter targets having crystlallographic orientations promoting uniform deposition - A non-planar sputter target having differing crystallographic orientations in portions of the sputter target surface that promote more desirable deposition and density patterns of material sputtered from the target surface onto a substrate. A closed dome end of the sputter target is comprised of a first crystallographic orientation and sidewalls of the sputter target are comprised of a crystallographic orientation different from that of the dome. The sputter target is formed, preferably by hydroforming or other metal working techniques, in the absence of annealing. The hydroforming manipulations result in the different crystallographic orientations while minimizing, or ideally omitting, the application of heat. Quick and cost effective non-planar sputter targets that are easily repeatably producable are achievable as a result. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20100000860 | Copper Sputtering Target With Fine Grain Size And High Electromigration Resistance And Methods Of Making the Same - The present invention generally provides a sputtering target comprising copper and a total of 0.001 wt %˜10 wt % alloying element or elements chosen from the group consisting of Al, Ag, Co, Cr, Ir, Fe, Mo, Ti, Pd, Ru, Ta, Sc, Hf, Zr, V, Nb, Y, and rare earth metals. An exemplary copper sputtering containing 0.5 wt % aluminum has superfine grain size, high thermal stability, and high electromigration resistance, and is able to form films with desired film uniformity, excellent resistance to electromigration and oxidation, and high adhesion to dielectric interlayer. An exemplary copper sputtering containing 12 ppm silver has superfine grain size. This invention also provides methods of manufacturing copper sputtering targets. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100051453 | Process for making dense mixed metal Si3N4 targets - A composition and method for fabricating high-density Ta-Al-O, Ta-Si-N, and W-Si-N sputtering targets, having particular usefulness for the sputtering of heater layers for ink jet printers. Compositions in accordance with the invention comprise a metal component, Si | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100105296 | ULTRA SMOOTH FACE SPUTTER TARGETS AND METHODS OF PRODUCING SAME - A method is provided to remove a thickness of a sputter target surface deformation layer to thereby achieve a reduced burn-in time during sputtering operations. The method comprises extrusion hone polishing of the target surface with a visco-elastic abrasive medium. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20110056828 | MONOLITHIC ALUMINUM ALLOY TARGET AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING - Aluminum or aluminum alloy sputter targets and methods of making same are provided. The pure aluminum or aluminum alloy is mechanically worked to produce a circular blank, and then the blank is given a recrystallization anneal to achieve desirable grain size and crystallographic texture. A 10-50% additional strain is provided to the blank step after the annealing to increase the mechanical strength. Further, in a flange area of the target, the strain is greater than in the other target areas with the strain in the flange area being imparted at a rate of about 20-60% strain. The blank is then finished to form a sputtering target with desirable crystallographic texture and adequate mechanical strength. | 03-10-2011 |
