Materion Gmbh

Speedfam-ipec Corporation

Stormedia, Inc.

United Modular Corporation

Xingbo Yang

Matthew J Komertz

Arthur V Testanero

Dejan Stojakovic

Longzhou Ma

Yancy Song

Ismail Emesh

Periya Gopalan

Yuanda Randy Cheng

Yakov Epshteyn

Yuanda Cheng

Guangshum Chen

Processes for refurbishing a spent sputtering target with a non-circular shape are disclosed. In one form, the processes include the steps of receiving one or more spent sputtering targets, inspecting and weighing the spent sputtering targets, removing any contaminants or other surface impurities from the spent sputtering target surfaces, preparing a hot press die with spacers, disposing the spent sputtering targets in the hot press die, the spacers used to center the spent sputtering targets therein, loading fresh metal refilling powder into the die to account for depleted regions of the spent sputtering targets to produce a powder-filled sputtering target, and applying sufficient heat and force to the filled sputtering target to produce a refurbished sputtering target with homogeneous composition and sufficient adhesion strength.

Processes for refurbishing a spent sputtering target

Methods for making a high purity (&#x3e;99.99%) and low oxygen (&#x3c;40 ppm) sputtering target containing Co, CoFe, CoNi, CoMn, CoFeX (X=B, C, Al), Fe, FeNi, or Ni alloys with a column microstructure framed by boron intermetallics are disclosed. The sputtering target is made by directional casting a molten mixture of the metal alloy, annealing to remove residual stresses, slicing, and optional annealing and finishing to obtain the sputtering target.

Cobalt, iron, boron, and/or nickel alloy-containing articles and methods for making same

Methods for finishing a sputtering target to reduce particulation and to reduce burn-in time are disclosed. The surface of the unfinished sputtering target is blasted with beads to remove machining-induced defects. Additional post-processing steps include dust blowing-off, surface wiping, dry ice blasting, removing moisture using hot air gun, and annealing, resulting in a homogeneous, ultra-clean, residual-stress-free, hydrocarbon chemicals-free surface.

Methods for surface preparation of sputtering target

Methods for making a high purity (&#x3e;99.99%) and low oxygen (&#x3c;40 ppm) sputtering target containing Co, CoFe, CoNi, CoMn, CoFeX (X&#x2550;B, C, Al), Fe, FeNi, or Ni alloys with a column microstructure framed by boron intermetallics are disclosed. The sputtering target is made by directional casting a molten mixture of the metal alloy, annealing to remove residual stresses, slicing, and optional annealing and finishing to obtain the sputtering target.

The invention relates generally to a system and method for improved cleaning of workpieces and workpiece cleaning tools. More specifically, the invention provides systems and methods for cleaning workpieces and sponges by manipulating the surface charge of one or more sponges by exposing them to various cleaning fluids. In one embodiment, sponges such as PVA sponges, having either positive, negative or neutral charges, are used to clean surfaces of workpieces such as semiconductor wafers. While cleaning a workpiece, a sponge may be exposed to a workpiece cleaning fluid, which may or may not alter the surface charge of the sponge. After cleaning the workpiece, the sponge may be exposed to a sponge cleaning fluid, which may or may not alter the surface charge of the sponge. Manipulating the surface charge of a sponge during and/or after cleaning of a workpiece may enhance cleaning of the workpiece, by attracting oppositely charged particles and/or repelling similarly charged particles from the workpiece surface. Manipulating the surface charge of a sponge may also enhance cleaning of the sponge, by reducing or eliminating the attractive forces between the surface of the sponge and the charged particles attached to it.

System and method for cleaning workpieces

A magnetic recording media having a CrMo underlayer provides improved performance characteristics. In one embodiment, the recording media comprises a rigid substrate and an underlayer disposed over the substrate, in which the underlayer comprises CrMo. Preferably, the Mo crystals in the CrMo underlayer are at least about 140 &angst; in the film growth direction for the 002 crystal plane. Advantageously, recording media with such a 002 crystal size, when used in conjunction with a magnetic layer, such as CoCrTaPtNi, exhibits significantly higher parametric qualities than underlayers using other materials. Typically, Mo in the range between about 7% and 16% in the CrMo alloy, more preferably between about 9% and 11%, will provide the recited 002 crystal size.

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Xingbo Yang