Honeywell International Inc.

Johnson Matthey Electronics, Inc.

Christopher L Parfeniuk

Janine K Kardokus

Jane E Buehler

Chi Tse Wu

David B Keno

Colin Edie

The invention includes a sputtering target containing copper of a purity of at least about 99.999 wt. %, and at least one component selected from the group consisting of Ag, Sn, Te, In, B, Bi, Sb, and P dispersed within the copper. The total of Ag, Sn, Te, In, B, Bi, Sb, and P within the copper is from at least 0.3 ppm to about 10 ppm. The sputtering target has a substantially uniform grain size of less than or equal to about 50 micrometers throughout the copper and the at least one component.

Copper-containing sputtering targets, and methods of forming copper-containing sputtering targets

The invention includes a method of forming a sputtering target containing copper of a purity of at least about 99.999 wt. %, and at least one component selected from the group consisting of Ag, Sn, Te, In, B, Bi, Sb, and P dispersed within the copper. The total of Ag, Sn, Te, In, B, Bi, Sb, and P within the copper is from at least 0.3 ppm to about 10 ppm. The sputtering target has a substantially uniform grain size of less than or equal to about 50 micrometers throughout the copper and the at least one component.

Methods of forming copper-containing sputtering targets

Described is a sputtering target assembly of high purity copper diffusion bonded to a precipitation hardened aluminum alloy backing plate via an intermediate layer of a CuCr alloy and in which the copper contains a micro alloy addition of at least one of Ag, Su, Te, In, Mg, B, Bi, Sb and/or P. Also disclosed is a method that includes preparation of a master alloy for addition to high purity copper and fabricating, heat treating and diffusion bonding processes to produce a sputtering target assembly with a stable fine-grained target microstructure.

Copper sputtering target assembly and method of making same

The invention includes a method of forming a plurality of spheres. A passageway is provided, and the passageway terminates in an orifice. A liquid is flowed through the passageway and expelled through the orifice to form drops. The drops are then passed through a fluid to cool and solidify the drops into a plurality of spheres. At least some of the spheres are collected. A pressure of the liquid is maintained within about &plusmn;10% of a value during the formation of the drops that are cooled into the collected spheres. The invention also includes a plurality of at least several hundred spheres having a diameter of less than about 0.05 inches and characterized by at least 95% of the spheres being within &plusmn;1.3% of a mean diameter of the spheres.

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Spokane, WA, United States of America

Christopher L Parfeniuk