The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 08, 2006
Filed:
Apr. 04, 2002
Charles E. Wickersham, Jr., Columbus, OH (US);
John E. Poole, Grove City, OH (US);
Alexander Leybovich, Hilliard, OH (US);
Lin Zhu, Grove City, OH (US);
Charles E. Wickersham, Jr., Columbus, OH (US);
John E. Poole, Grove City, OH (US);
Alexander Leybovich, Hilliard, OH (US);
Lin Zhu, Grove City, OH (US);
Tosoh SMD, Inc., Grove City, OH (US);
Abstract
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.