Tosoh Smd, Inc.

John E Poole

Charles E Wickersham, Jr

Eugene Y Ivanov

Alexander Leybovich

Lin Zhu

David B Smathers

Erich Theado

Harry W Conard

A sputtering plasma reactors for plasma vapor deposition (PVD) having an improved interface between a PVD target, a ceramic ring and a PVD chamber wall. The reactor includes a PVD chamber wall and a PVD target, wherein the target in conjunction with the PVD chamber wall form a vacuum chamber and wherein at least the portion of the target facing the vacuum chamber is composed of material to be sputtered. The reactor also includes an insulating ceramic ring positioned between the target and the PVD chamber wall. A first O-ring is provided to establish a vacuum seal between the target and the insulating ring and a second O-ring is provided to establish a vacuum seal between the insulating ring and the PVD chamber wall. At least one spacer is positioned between the target and insulating ring to maintain a gap G between the insulating ring and the target. The spacer is made of a suitable low coefficient of friction material and inhibits black marking, scratching or the like that may otherwise occur along the interface between the ceramic ring and the target.

Sputtering target with an insulating ring and a gap between the ring and the target

Methods for reducing inclusion content of sputter targets and targets so produced are disclosed. Inclusions may be reduced by adding a small amount of Si to the molten Al or molten Al alloy followed by filtering of the molten metals through a filter medium. Targets having substantially no inclusions therein of greater than about 400 &#x3bc;m are especially useful in the sputtering of large flat panel displays and result, upon sputtering, in a reduction in the amount of macroparticles sputtered onto the substrate.

Sputter targets and methods of manufacturing same to reduce particulate emission during sputtering

The present invention relates to a method for determining a critical size for a diameter of an AlOinclusion () in an Al or Al alloy sputter target () to prevent arcing during sputtering thereof. This method includes providing a sputtering apparatus having an argon plasma. The plasma has a plasma sheath of a known thickness during sputtering under a selected sputtering environment of an Al or Al alloy sputter target having an AlOinclusion-free sputtering surface. When the thickness of the sheath is known for a selected sputtering environment, the critical size of an AlOinclusion () can be determined based upon the thickness of the sheath. More specifically, the diameter of an AlOinclusion () in an Al or Al alloy sputter target () must be less than the thickness of the plasma sheath during sputtering under the selected sputtering environment to inhibit arcing.

Method for determining a critical size of an inclusion in aluminum or aluminum alloy sputtering target

A preferred sputter target assembly (') comprises a target (&#x2032;), a backing plate (&#x2032;) bonded to the target (&#x2032;) along an interface (&#x2032;) and dielectric particles (&#x2032;) between the target (&#x2032;) and the backing plate (&#x2032;). A preferred method for manufacturing the sputter target assembly (&#x2032;) comprises the steps of providing the target (&#x2032;) and the backing plate (&#x2032;); distributing the dielectric particles (&#x2032;) between mating surfaces () of the target (&#x2032;) and the backing plate (&#x2032;), most preferably along a sputtering track pattern on one of the mating surfaces; and bonding the target (&#x2032;) to the backing plate (&#x2032;) along the mating surfaces (). A preferred method for sputtering in accordance with the invention comprises the steps of applying electrical power to the sputter target (); causing the sputter target assembly () to produce an electromagnetic signal (not shown) when a target end-of-life condition exists; and monitoring the sputter target assembly () to detect the electromagnetic signal.

High purity sputter targets with target end-of-life indication and method of manufacture

The present invention provides a film comprising alternate layers of a metal such as zirconium and silicon. The film has a critical temperature at which the film can undergo explosive crystallization. The film undergoes explosive crystallization upon subjecting the film to an energy impulse at temperature equal to or greater than the critical temperature.

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Grove City, OH, United States of America

John E Poole