Aluminum-Scandium Composite, Aluminum-Scandium Composite Sputtering Target And Methods Of Making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023203622-A1
Application number	US-202118000180-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jun 5, 2020
Publication date	Jun 29, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An Al—Sc alloy sputtering target. The target comprising from 1.0 at % to 65 at % scandium and from 35 at % to 99 at % aluminum and having a microstructure including a first aluminum matrix phase and a second phase dispersed uniformly therethrough. The second phase comprises one or more compounds corresponding to the formula Sc x Al y , where x is from 1 to 2 and y is from 0 to 3.

First claim

1 . An Al—Sc composite comprising from 1.0 at % to 65 at % scandium (Sc) and from 35 at % to 99 at % aluminum (Al), having a microstructure including a first aluminum matrix phase and a second phase dispersed therethrough, the second phase comprising a compound corresponding to the formula Al x Sc y , where x is from 0 to 3 and y is from 1 to 2.

2 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the second phase comprises Al 3 Sc, Al 2 Sc, AlSc, AlSc 2 , Sc, or combinations thereof.

3 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the second phase comprises less than 60 mol % Al 2 Sc, based on the total moles of the second phase.

4 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite comprises at least 5 vol % of the first aluminum matrix phase as determined by quantitative image analysis.

5 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the microstructure includes from 20 vol % to 99 vol % of the first aluminum matrix phase and from 1% to 80 vol % of the second phase as determined by quantitative image analysis.

6 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of scandium in the second phase is greater than the concentration predicted by the equilibrium phase diagram for aluminum-scandium.

7 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of scandium in the second phase is at least 1% greater than the concentration predicted by the equilibrium phase diagram for aluminum-scandium.

8 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the second phase comprises greater than 25 at % scandium.

9 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the second phase comprises greater than 1 mol % of Al 2 Sc, AlSc, Al Sc 2 , or Sc or combinations thereof.

10 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the second phase comprises less than 85 mol % aluminum.

11 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the second phase further comprises from 1.0 mol % to 70 mol % scandium nitride (ScN).

12 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein grains of the first aluminum matrix phase are characterized by a crystallographic orientation of (110).

13 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein grains of the first aluminum matrix phase are characterized by a random crystallographic orientation.

14 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the second phase is characterized as having a particle size ranging from 0.5 microns to 500 microns.

15 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the microstructure is substantially devoid of microcracks, fissures, and oxide inclusions

16 . The composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite is a sputtering target comprising less than 1000 ppm of oxygen.

17 . A process for producing a non-equilibrium composite, the process comprising:
providing a second phase powder comprising a compound corresponding to the formula Al x Sc y , where x is from 0 to 3 and y is from 1 to 2; mixing the powder with a first phase comprising aluminum to form a composite precursor; applying at least one of heat or pressure to the composite precursor to consolidate the materials; and cooling the consolidated composite precursor to form the non-equilibrium composite.

18 . The process of claim 17 , wherein the compound comprises Al 3 Sc Al 2 Sc, AlSc, AlSc 2 , or Sc, or combinations thereof, present in an amount greater than 1 mol %, and free aluminum, present in an amount greater than 20 vol %.

19 . An Al—Sc composite sputtering target comprising from 1.0 at % to 65 at % scandium (Sc) and from 35 at % to 99 at % aluminum (Al), having a microstructure including a first aluminum matrix phase and a second phase dispersed therethrough, the second phase comprising a compound corresponding to the formula Al x Sc y , where x is from 0 to 3 and y is from 1 to 2.

20 . The sputtering target of claim 19 , wherein the uniformity of scandium across a surface of the sputtering target varies by less than +/−0.5 at % scandium over an entire radius of the surface.

Assignees

• Materion Corp

Inventors

• Van Heerden David Peter
• Gardinier Katharine S
• Bailey Robert S

Classifications

• C22C1/0416 Primary

  Aluminium-based alloys · CPC title

• C22C21/00

  Alloys based on aluminium · CPC title

• C22C32/0068

  only nitrides · CPC title

• C23C14/3414 Primary

  Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy · CPC title

• C23C14/3407

  Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target · CPC title